Alana Grace – With One Word

Alana Grace – With One Word
2009, Fragile Heart Records

Alana Grace is a wunderkind.  The singer, songwriter and working actress shows incredibly depth for her twenty years.  Based in Los Angeles, Grace came to national prominence when her song “Black Roses Red” was featured on the soundtrack of The Sisterhood Of The Traveling Pants.    Since then, Grace has appeared at Bonnaroo and Coachella and has even graced the cover of Teen People.  In 2009, Alana Grace released her sophomore album With One Word.  The album features Grace’s pleasing voice applied to somewhat pro-forma songwriting.  The cream of the crop is “Paranoid”, with Alana Grace channeling a bit of Amy Lee in an edgy pop tune that’s ready for prime time.  “Mess Of You” sounds like radio fodder, but Grace presents it with real energy.  “Black Roses Red” is included here as the final track, and it’s easy to see why this was a breakout track for Alana Grace.  The song has a chorus that sticks with you, and Grace fills the vocal line with an edgy and vibrant energy that taps you on the shoulder and insists you pay attention.  Much of the rest of the album is pedestrian; neither particularly exciting nor imposing.  Grace’s voice is a pleasure to listen to, but the songwriting throughout With One Word is uneven.  When she’s on, Grace is capable of writing highly infectious and enjoyable pop songs, but no one bats a thousand.

Rating: 2.5 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Alana Grace at www.alanagrace.com or www.myspace.com/alanagrace.  With One Word is available from Amazon.com as a CD or Download.  The album is also available from iTunes.

Kirsten Price - Brixton To Brooklyn

2010, KPI, Inc.

Kirsten Price - Brixton To Brooklyn

In case you didn't fall in love with her the first time, Kirsten Price is walking by again.  The seriously soulful British-born vocalist ups the ante on her sophomore album, Brixton To Brooklyn.  Price came to our attention last year with her debut effort, Guts & Garbage, showing a depth of talent, a smoldering voice and a penchant for material that was danceable and commercially viable.  Price is all of the above and then some on Brixton To Brooklyn, keeping to a taut pop aesthetic while diversifying her sound with the power chords of rock and roll and the dance beats of a club maven.

Brixton To Brooklyn opens with "With Or Without You", an urgent bit of rock and roll with a dance beat and featuring Price's soulful voice.  It's fresh, hip sound with enough attitude to fit in alongside bands like Evanescence and Paramore but also appeal to Top-40 radio.  The song is extremely commercial in sound without sounding like that was the point.  The chorus will stick with you.  "Moving On" finds Price in restless territory.  Vocal doubling and heavy production tricks are used, but Price's voice crackles with a fire that can't be generated by a computer as she explores heartache and denial.  "Give That Girl" is edgy pop with dark shadows, ripe for remixing for the club scene.  It's not Price's best songwriting but is very commercially viable for more dance-oriented outlets.

"Broken" finds Price traveling down a more cynical path in a down-tempo ballad that sounds as if it were written specifically for radio.  Price's voice is outstanding as always, but "Broken" just doesn't stand up to the rest of the album.  "Take Me To The Top" is pure dance/pop, ala Kylie Minogue but with more edge.  It's an overly simplistic songwriting turn that could become a big hit.  "Gone" features some interesting classical-style piano work but is otherwise unremarkable.  After "Gone" things devolve into a pure dance pop record that's more about sinewy sensuality than concepts such as melody, composition or thoughtful lyrics. 

Brixton To Brooklyn starts out strong but defaults into a simplistic dance cycle for the second half of the album.  This is what Price is aiming here for, and that's understood going in, but Price's past material suggest she's capable of much more than such cynical attempts to be radio and club friendly.  By taking this path she makes herself a part of the pack when she has the potential to stand out.  Brixton To Brooklyn is remarkable for Kirsten Price's voice and presence.  Some of the songs here will undoubtedly make some noise in the dance clubs and on popular radio.  Price is successful in attaining the sort of low hanging musical fruit that is easily accessible and consumable, a path that's certain to keep bread on the table.  But if you listen to the first half of Brixton To Brooklyn in particular, you'll quickly realize she's capable of so much more.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Kirsten Price at www.kirstenprice.com or www.myspace.com/kirstenpricemusic.  Brixton To Brooklyn is available digitally via iTunes.