Ashley Brooke Toussant - Sweetheart
2011, Ashley Brooke Toussant

Kent, Ohio's Ashley Brooke Toussant is a modern singer/songwriter with a deep love and respect for old-time sounds and genres. Moving to Chicago and back over the last few years, Toussant has continued to explore his musical gifts while amassing a number of songs. These creations come to life on Sweetheart, the follow-up to the 2008 EP, All Songs In English. This time out, Toussant's work has more of a country feel, but the singer/songwriter pastiche has not been forgotten.

Toussant has an unusual voice; almost a bit uncomfortable at first, but she grows on you. Imagine Jewel with Dolly Parton's vibrato and you're getting close. Distinctive enough to stick with you, and after an initial adjustment, really quite appealing. The songwriting on Sweetheart is anything but uneven; in fact, it's perhaps too consistent to really maintain listeners' attention. Toussant starts off well on the title track. "Sweetheart" shows Toussant's voice at its sweetest and most supple in a folksy country number reminiscent of early Jewel. "Without Feathers" is full of unusual and striking imagery, promising, perhaps, great an unusual things to come. Unfortunately, the suggested greatness never quite materializes.

Toussant settles in for a consistent run through songs full of love and melancholy, all played against the backdrop of country-ized folk/pop arrangements. The songs are solidly written and performed, but there's a general lack of dynamic here that's suggested by the two opening tracks. Toussant may remind listeners more of Cowboy Junkies during their popular phase; boxed into a sound that is appealing on some level, but suffers from a lack of contrast, and thereby losing the subtle nuance and detail for lack of aural backlighting. Toussant does surprise us in the end with a well-thought cover of Henry Mancini's "The Sweetheart Tree", but unfortunately some listeners may have tuned out by then.

Ashley Brooke Toussant is a talented singer/songwriter with a distinctive sound. In spite of the initial displacement at her sound, Toussant's inherent sweetness of sound will draw you in. Sweetheart is well-intended, but the lack of real stylistic or sonic variation, outside of the first two tracks, dooms the album to background listening. It's a shame, because Toussant and her band employ intriguing imagery in her lyrics, and some wonderfully subtle, reverb-washed instrumental work in support. But the lack of dynamic variation may cause these subtle details to become lost in the wash.

Rating: 2.5 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Ashley Brooke Toussant at www.ashleybrooketoussant.com or ashleybrooketoussant.bandcamp.com. 

Marian Call - Something Fierce

Marian Call –Something Fierce
2011, Marian Call

When we first received Marian Call’s 2007 debut album, Vanilla, in the mail three years ago weknew we were hearing something special. The Alaskan transplant evoked thoughts of Joni Mitchell, Jewel andNellie McKay with crisp songwriting, honest lyrics and a voice that lights upthe night like a beacon.  Even in thecommissioned project, Got To Fly,Call showed an evocate and quirky personality with sweetly geeky tendencies andan impressive songwriter’s command, but nothing Call has done before can amplyprepare you for Something Fierce.  Call’s third album, a 19-song, 2-disc effort,shows a transformation from the burgeoning singer/songwriter of 2007 to amaster of her craft.  The leap forward inpresence, command of her material and pure creative magic is absolutelystunning.

Something Fierceis broken into two distinct albums.  Volume I: Good Luck With That and Volume II: from Alaska show twodisparate yet interwoven sides of Call.  Volume I shows the emergence of aconfident, mature and appealing songwriter; while Volume II is an introspective and personal affair.  Each volume is a complete work in and ofitself, but together they create a picture of the artist as person that isindelible.  Marian Call opens Volume I with “Good Morning Moon”, awonderfully catchy number full of distinct pop sensibility.  Call’s imagery here is simple and appealing,yet deep in meaning; the song flows like water and is a marketer’s dreamwithout sounding anything like the pop music you’re likely to hear on theradio.  “The Avocado Song” displays Call’sfunky, bluesy, soulful side and shows a confidence and presence that has grownby leaps and bounds over the last four years. “Dear Mr. Darcy” is a funky folk/rock song of unrequited love.  Call inhabits your head space on numbers suchas this, making a deep impression with both her voice and pure presence.

Pedal steel accents prove a perfect counter-point to Call’svoice in “All New (Heart Shut Tight)”, a gorgeous confessional about theconflict of wanting to fall in love but not being able to let go and let ithappen.  “Free Bird” has a jazzy feel,and Call dazzles with the range and tone of her voice over a stark, pizzicatoguitar.  This is a WOW moment, the firstof many.  Call doesn’t make you wait longfor the next one, either, launching right into “Temporal Dominos” andunleashing the full power of her voice. The prog/folk arrangement is ingenious and the run-on style melodybecomes analogous with the stream-of-conscious lyrics, making both seementirely natural.  Call pulls back for “HighwayFive”, a Joni Mitchell-esque love song written to the coast that bore andsustains her.  The deeply personalballad/soliloquy features just Call’s voice and guitar, and speaks to longingfor home that never leaves the heart, no matter how far away home mightbe.  “Press Or Say Three (Your Call IsImportant To Us” is a solid album track that paves the way for Volume I closing track “Ina Flew TheCoop”.  This one has been kicking aroundCall’s live set for some time; a song about moving on and the mix of new-found freedomand captivity that follows in the wake of a relationship.  The story is told in third person with agentle mix of envy and fear; an amazing observation that has a vaguelyautobiographical feel.

Volume II openswith “Whistle While You Wait”, a personal exploration of confidence, reticence,and making the most of each moment.  Call’smix of intellect and heart hear is stunning, moving beyond singer/songwriterpastiche into the realm of pure art.  Itbecomes difficult to imagine the singer separated from the song, or viceversa.  “Early Is As Early Does” looks atlife as a journey or series of side trips, deeply shaded by an intellect thatspends much time in self-conversation on such subjects.    Thisis among the most intriguing works on the set, showing Call reaching for anever-higher level in mind, heart and song. Such depth deserves a lighter turn, and Call doesn’t disappoint.  “I Wish I Were A Real Alaskan Girl” is an odeto the hearty women born of the 49^th state that pokes gentle fun whileoffering respect for those who live close to a hard land.  This song could go either way, depending onthe listener, but Call weaves an entertaining and humorous narrative you won’tsoon forget. 

“The Underground (One Bird At A Time)” explores theanachronism of losing your senses in a state of perpetual light.  It’s a gorgeous turn that makes the most ofthe colors of Call’s voice, and the sense of dislocation that comes from livingin a land where (albeit temporarily) the sun never goes down.  “Coffee By Numbers (Faon’s Song)” is a jazzypiano-driven number about personal collections and taking the time to nurturethem.  Coffee is the focal point of thesong, but it’s Call’s voice that carries the connection.  “Equinox” is a personal soliloquy on turn thepage.  Hope for the future and hesitationmix in intriguing fashion in a darkly, lovely tune that will leave an impression.  “E.S.B.” is most memorable for Call’svoice.  You simply have to listen to thisone for yourself.

“Perilous Road” uses personifies the human experience ofputting yourself out there for the world to see as a difficult drive.  The image of cliffs and blind turns brings tomind the concepts of faith and self-confidence, darkening the sky with doubtsthat seek to blot out the light of hope. Despite the seemingly simple message, there are many layers here thatwill reveal themselves over successive listens. “Aurora Borealis” features a simple, roiling beauty in a guitar-drivenarrangement that swells and fades like deep water.  Call’s vocal performance is nothing less thanentrancing.  Volume II concludes with “Anchorage”, a gorgeous quasi-duet betweenCall and cello.  The song has a quietcenter, and Call fills it up with her heart and her voice.

There is a power in simplicity.  Marian Call harnesses that power and burnishesit with heart, honesty and deep intellect on Something Fierce.  Call’s presence grows by leaps and bounds on Volume I, displaying a persona that’sfun, powerful and eminently real.  Volume II encompasses more of Call’sinner dialogues; delving into mature insecurities born of past failures, newsuccesses and a hope that one of these times will be different.  The compositions and arrangements on Something Fierce are absolutely stellar;Call seems to have a knack for marrying the perfect lyrics to the perfectmelodies, and encompassing them in arrangements that fit like gloves.  The usual superlatives don’t seem to applyhere, but it’s fair to say that when the year-end lists come around, the smartmoney is going to be on Something Fiercebeing highly placed.  Marian Call hascreated a masterpiece.  Something Fierce is nothing less than a Wildy’sWorld Certified Desert Island Disc.

Rating: 5 Stars(Out of 5)

Learn more about Marian Call at www.mariancall.com or www.myspace.com/mariancall.  You can order Something Fierce directly from Marian Call.  Ordering information is available on Marian Call's website.  If you want to hear the full album, you can stream it on Wildy's World, or on Call's website.

Katey Laurel - From Here

Katey Laurel - From Here

2011, Roaring Twenties Records

Katey Laurel has come a long way since her 2008 debut album, Upstairs, Downstairs.  Showing a gift for songwriting and a folky/pop style ala Joni Mitchell, Carly Simon or Jewel, the album was a stellar introduction to a young talent.  Laurel waited three years, but returns with From Here.  Laurel has made the transition from folky pop music to Triple-A artist with From Here.  This transition required a step backward to move forward, as this bigger sound is a more difficult fit with Laurel’s highly personal lyric style.  But Laurel proves she’s got the goods by making it work on From Here.

From Here opens with "Begin Again", blending the dark melancholy of a relationship nearing its end into the upbeat sound of new life and hope.  You can hear the velvet strains of a country song in this number, but the dark-to-light pop feel works well.  Laurel's voice is sweet and soft; full of its own velvety power but gentle in its touch.  "Everything I Love" is a sweet, 1970's pop singer/songwriter confection with mild pep.  The quietly catchy melody is appealing, and Laurel is convincing in her sentimentality.  "The Wheel" casts the cycle of a relationship from start to finish in song; from the first stir of emotions to the emptiness in its wake.  This is a great bit of subdued pop songwriting; catchy, articulate and real.

"From Here" features Laurel in her best voice, enlivening a somewhat nondescript number that holds its place in the middle of the album.  "Somebody Like You" is a solid love ballad featuring the staple sound of a radio program such as Delilah.  “Blue Sky’s Comin’” steps up to mid-tempo pop, but it are as if the spark that drove the first three songs on the album has been subdued in the middle of From Here.  Laurel's voice is as pretty as ever, but the middle of the album lacks that special quality that Laurel is able to bring out from time to time.  "Piece Of The Moon" takes steps in reviving the light, but Laurel doesn't really get back there until the album's closing track, "My Funny Boy".  Here, Laurel is at her charming best in a lovey-dovey jazz ballad.

From Here shows off Katey Laurel's vocal and songwriting talents nicely, but also displays an inertial tendency that might wear on some listeners.  While focusing on the ups and downs of love, Katey Laurel speaks from the heart in an honest voice; singing in a sweet, semi-conversational style that's party story-teller and part confessional.  Musically, the album is incredibly static.  This is good in that Laurel's sound is appealing to the ear, but the lack of any real dynamic shifts on From Here may not sit well with all listeners.  Laurel's songwriting has certainly progressed over the past few years.  From Here, at its best, displays the remarkable songwriter that Katey Laurel can be, but also shows the struggle of a talented young artist still learning what she's capable of. 

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Katey Laurel at www.kateylaurel.com or www.myspace.com/kateylaurel.  From Here is available from Amazon.com as a CD or Download.  The album is also available via iTunes.

Laura Joy - What I Know

Laura Joy - What I Know

2011, Laura Joy Music

In a world full of dark affectations and third and fourth guesses, Laura Joy is a breath of fresh air.  With a percussive fingerstyle guitar reminiscent of Ani DiFranco and a songwriting flair that recalls the likes of Joni Mitchell and Rebecca Martin, Laura Joy crafts personal tales in song that are both touching and entertaining.  The Phoenix native who has most recently prowled the stages of bars and coffee houses in New York shines with brilliance both on stage and in the recording studio.  Her upcoming third album, What I Know, shows this same propensity for writing personal yet accessible folk songs but also shows a growing maturity as a songwriter and artist.

What I Know opens with "Fallin'", and emotionally urgent number that decries falling in love.  Joy's almost conversational singing style is the perfect touch here.  This is how you start an album; with a well-written, emotionally committed song gull of energy.  "Breathe" keeps things simple, while attempting to stay afloat in difficult emotional waters.  Joy gives a biopic in song with "Lizzie", channeling her inner Ani DiFranco on a vibrant story song.  Laura Joy's vocal tone is exquisite here, and the songwriting is spot on. 

"What I Know" is written in a barreling, stream of thought style, exploring the doubts of an artist in contrast to the idea that if you keep pushing you can make your dreams come true.  Anyone who has ever created art and had someone else knock it down will identify with the sentiments expressed here.  Joy builds great energy into the acoustic guitar accompaniment.  Joy revives "Six Flights" from her previous album of the same name, detailing the minutiae of everyday life in the city and wonder found somewhere in between the details.   The song hasn't changed, but Joy's voice and perspective continue to mature, giving the song a fuller, richer sound this time around.

"Arrive" is a long-form, pensive speculation on life and direction that's more about journey than destination.  It underscores a maturity in Joy's songwriting that seems to have advanced since she released Six Flights in 2008.  "Score" wants to be a bluesy number; while not quite attaining the sound, Joy imbues the song with a sensibility that's not dissimilar, and a vibrant energy that's relentless.  There's a sense of finality to this song, where the narrator has spent a lot of time building to this point and is more invested in any answer than a particular one.

 Joy closes the album with three holdovers from her previous album, Six Flights.  "Rose Remains" was beautiful last time around and little has changed.  "Plan" has a dancing energy to it that's irresistible.  Where the original was plainspoken and sweet, Joy sings it this time with a sense of soul and perhaps even a bit of reverie.  The song isn't quite so rushed this time around and works even better than the original.  What I Know bows with "Ride Home", a song of emotional survival and uncertainty.  Laura Joy's voice is full and warm and utterly gorgeous on this number, caressing the sweet chorus like a mother holding her child. 

Listening to "What I Know" is like watching a flower that's been growing in the corner of garden finally come into full bloom.  Laura Joy has made the transition from burgeoning singer/songwriter to artist.  While Joy has always displayed a distinctive talent for song craft and a sweet disposition as a performer, now she shows the depth and warmth of a seasoned artist and singer of songs.  For Laura Joy life will always be a journey, but if "What I Know" is any indication, it's a ride that listeners will want to follow along.  "What I Know" is a Wildy’s World Certified Desert Island Disc.

Rating: 5 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Laura Joy at http://www.laurajoymusic.com/ or www.facebook.com/laurajoymusic.  What I Know is due for a late spring/early summer release, although a hard release date has yet to be established.  Keep checking Laura Joy’s website(s) for more information.  Photo by Ivana Olson.