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.

Leah Lou And The Two Left Shoes - This Music Belongs To You

Leah Lou And The Two Left Shoes - This Music Belongs To You
2011, Leah Lou & The Two Left Shoes

Leah Lou, Daniel Lee and a kick drum made from a garbage can comprise Cleveland, Ohio's Leah Lou & The Two Left Shoes.  Originally a trio, the band lost their drummer a week before a performance and had to improvise.  Their unusual stage presence combined with Leah Lou's distinctive voice and songwriting style will take you by surprise.  Leah Lou & The Two Left Shoes' debut EP, The Music Belongs To You, is a memorable effort that will leave you clamoring for more.

Leah Lou opens with "Clean Apartment", a snappy bit of folk/pop featuring Leah Lou's distinctively world-wise little girl voice.  Everything clicks here in an offbeat reminiscence, of sorts, about a relationship past.  "Donnie" is a bouncy little tune detailing the decline, fall and collateral damage of a family man succumbing to drug addiction.  The melody and tone of the song is in such stark contrast to the lyrics it's almost comical; you won't be able to get this tune out of your head.  "Donnie" might be one of the most infectious tunes of the year thus far, and seems ripe for movie licensing.

The dysfunction continues to flow on "Drunk Stupid & Used", where Leah Lou & The Two Left Shoes continue to juxtapose a display of personal demons alongside bouncy alterna-folk arrangements with supreme pop sensibility.  The gem of the EP just might be "Green Like Me", a brilliant recounting of insecurity and envy that's wonderfully upbeat and awash in neuroses.  This time the bounce is in the words and the vocal line, played against a plaintive, tick-tock style arrangement that marks the passage of time.  "Rain, They Say" is an apologist take on moodiness and its effects on those around us; an entertaining ditty with a memorable melody.  The EP closes quietly with the existential "Stop & Go", a treatise on traffic jams and the way they bring us together and pull us apart.  The mundane approach and gentle arrangement suggest a deeper parallel that's intriguing.

Leah Lou & The Two Left Shoes make a fine impression on This Music Belongs To You, the sort that will have listeners scouring the internet for unreleased tracks and waiting impatiently for their next album or EP.  Leah Lou's distinctive sound makes her instantly recognizable, and Daniel Lee helps to fill out the arrangements in distinctive style.  This Music Belongs To You is one EP not to miss.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

 Learn more about Leah Lou & The Two Left Shoes on MySpace or Facebook.  This Music Belongs To You is available for download from Bandcamp. 

Annie Dressner - Strangers Who Knew Each Other's Names

Annie Dressner - Strangers Who Knew Each Other's Names
2011, Annie R. Dressner

Annie Dressner grew up with music all around her.  She began writing songs unknowingly as a child, first making up her own lyrics to popular songs on car trips with the family, and later on piano.  A native New Yorker, Dressner grew up in the same building as her grandparents, both of them musicians.  Her parents both played as well, but Dressner actually grew up wanting to be an actress.  Her bloodlines called to her strongly, however, and Dressner was quickly drawn into the world of songwriting after high school.  On July 19, 2011, Dressner unveils her singular writing style to the world in the form of Strangers Who Knew Each Other's Names.  The album features a conversational writing style that is confessional in nature, like sitting with a good friend in a corner booth over a beer, as Dressner details her life in song.

Dressner opens with "Fly", a self-pep talk about not getting stuck in a bad relationship and finding the courage to be on her own.  It's a catchy-though-understated folk/pop number that would play well on the soundtrack of a show like "Grey's Anatomy" or "Parenthood".  Dressner's voice is both adult and childlike at the same time, sweet in its nature and quiet in style, but pointed and full of the power of truth.  "September" is of similar ilk, although a bit more subdued. "Cigarette" is an honorarium to a relationship past, and the little things that can serve as powerful reminders of one we once cared for.  Dressner's sound here is eclectic, as if Tanya Donnelly were singing with The Cranberries.  With "Strangers Who Knew Each Other's Names" explores the power of social media to connect people who might otherwise never have known one another, as well as those rare events were two people just click romantically.  It's a sweet number with a classic theme set amidst the facts of a digital age.

"Hardy Boys" was written about a friend's band, also called the Hardy Boys.  It's a spritely little number with a folk/Celtic feel.  Dressner's voice is at its best here, fitting well in the atmosphere she's created.  "Find Me" is more of a low-key rock number.  There's a conflicting raft of emotions here, detailing both a desire and an "I'm Over You" motif, intermingled in a revolving emotional swirl.   Dressner closes with "How Am I Supposed To Feel?", a personal workout of emotions following the loss of a loved one.  Loss and loneliness conflict with hope and a need to move on in an utterly personal and beautiful soliloquy that is as universal as it is personal.

Annie Dressner has one of those voices that draw you in.   Her personal nature as a songwriter connects immediately with listeners, who are able to find parallels in their own current or past struggles, thereby building a bond.  Strangers Who Knew Each Other's Names shows an artist who may never walk the red carpet of super-stardom, but will create enough life-long fans along the way that will keep her comfortable enough to spend her life building a body of work that may someday surprise people.  This is a promising start.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Annie Dressner at www.anniedressner.com, www.myspace.com/anniedressner, or www.facebook.com/anniemakesmusic.  Strangers Who Knew Each Other's Names drops on July 19, 2011.  The album is available for pre-order on Annie Dressner's website.

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.