Alessi's Ark - Time Travel

Alessi's Ark - Time Travel
2011, Bella Union

Alessi Laurent-Marke, AKA Alessi'sArk, left school at the age of sixteen to pursue a career in music, promisingher parents she's come back in a year if the music thing didn't work out.Amazingly enough, she signed a major label deal with Virgin Records before her17th birthday, and went on to record her debut album, Notes From TheTreehouse, with producer Mike Mogis (Rilo Kiley). The album did well forAlessi's Ark in England, and she continued to play out extensively, butAlessi's Ark parted ways with Virgin in 2010, opting instead for Indie labelBella Union. One EP later, Alessi's Ark released her Bella Union full lengthdebut, Time Travel, in the Spring of 2010, with a US release inSeptember.

For all of the energy andpersonality Alessi's Ark brings to the stage, Time Travel is an amazinglypassive record. Think Hope Sandoval without the smooth veneer, and this is themusical milieu that Alessi's Ark occupies for much of Time Travel. Whenshe steps out of her protective shell, the artist is engaging."Blanket" is the highlight of the album, with Alessi Laurent-Marke singingout in a voice strong and clear, showing a passion that is just too absentelsewhere. "The Robot" has a similar energy, and thrives in the quietenvironment of the album, but listeners just spend too much time waiting for Alessi'sArk to do something interesting, with too few rewards in the listening.

Rating: 2.5 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Alessi’s Ark at www.alessisark.com or www.myspace.com/alessisark.

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Megan Barbera - Zig Zag To The Sea

Megan Barbera - Zig Zag To The Sea
2010, Megan Barbera

If you're going to have a conversation about Megan Barbera it's going to start with her voice, which is an idiosyncratic blend of Edie Brickell and Sarah McLachlan.  Barbera's distinctive talent for songwriting is quickly evident, and her maudlin, melodic style evokes thoughts of Hope Sandoval.  This latter is either good or bad, depending on a listener's personal taste.  Barbera writes in imagery and rhyme, but can occasionally lose touch with the listeners at home.  With all of these thoughts in mind, let me introduce you to Barbera's debut album, Zig Zag To The Sea. 

Barbera opens with the mellow Americana/country sound and deep vulnerability of "Anywhere But Here".  In an age of computerized management of vocal quirks, Barbera's plaintive and unadorned vocal performance is a breath of fresh air.  From a songwriting perspective, this is the class of the album; subtle and nuanced without ever losing touch with the reality that lay behind it.  "Can't Love Yourself" is insightful and well-written, although Barbera tries to squeeze too much content into the melody at times.  This effort stands out, as the rushed feel this gives stands starkly at odds with the relaxed and melancholy air of the arrangement.  "Wasted" is a smooth melancholy country number with a hopeful side.  The melody on this tune is simply gorgeous; the sort to recur in your dreams.

"Shallow Well" highlights the comparison to Brickell and McLachlan above.  Barbera's vocal performance is unforgettable, although the song itself is too drawn out and slow for its own good.  Barbera recovers nicely with "A Little Hokey Pokey", a quietly catchy and fun bit of folk n roll that stands out.  Much like its name, Zig Zag To The Sea essentially meanders the rest of the way through pretty and understated songs that fail to make a big impression one way or the other.

Zig Zag To The Sea shows Megan Barbera's strengths and weaknesses as a songwriter and performer in bold lines.  At her best, Barbera is engaging and insightful, but she also appears to still be getting comfortable with herself as a songwriter.  Barbera gets so caught up in her own sense of musical melancholy at times that the she seems to forget the listener.  While artistically honest, Barbera occasionally loses her sense of song craft in the process.  Zig Zag To The Sea shows a lot of promise, but as always, promise comes to fruition with a lot of work.  There's more than enough potential evident on Zig Zag To The Sea to convince listeners to stick around to see how it all turns out for Megan Barbera.

Rating: 2.5 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more at http://www.meganbarbera.com/ or on Facebook.  Zig Zag To The Sea is available from Amazon.com as a CD or Download.  The album is also available via iTunes.

Kim Taylor - Little Miracle

Kim Taylor - Little Miracle
2010, Kim Taylor

Cincinnati-based singer/songwriter Kim Taylor returned recently with her fourth album, Little Miracle. A stark, stripped down set of folk rock songs, Little Miracle represents Taylor’s most powerful songwriting to date. The album was written and recorded in The Maid’s Room in New York City (a favorite place of Rufus Wainwright) over several days, and has the urgent emotional feel that only that sort of milieu can bring.

Taylor opens with the title track; "Little Miracle" is repetitive and catchy, about as bubblegum as Taylor will allow herself to get. The song has mild commercial appeal but isn't groundbreaking. "Lost And Found" sticks with the repetitive style but does so in a pretty melody and shows off Taylor's unusual voice. "American Child" is intriguing, exploring the dreams of parents affected by war and difficult times. The song might also be interpreted through the eyes of an immigrant family, a theme that's not lost on Taylor later in the album. Taylor delves into the depths of loss and grief on "Anchor Down", casting herself into a sea of emotion for a stark and moving vignette.

"Do You Ever Feel Lonely" intertwines a catchy melody and arrangement with a melancholy mood; an interesting juxtaposition that sounds like something that might come out of a jam session between Sheryl Crow and Bonnie Raitt. Fatalism rules the day in "If I Am Wrong"; where effort is ultimate object but the outcome doesn't seem to matter. Taylor's shining moment comes on "Fruit Of My Labor", a brilliant look at life and dreams through the eyes of a migrant worker. Taylor shows distinct depth as a songwriter here; bring the subject alive in the vibrant color of her words and her presence as a performer. Little Miracle closes with a low key but powerful love song in "Sharp Cutting Wings (Song To A Poet)", showing off more of the impressive songwriting depth that Taylor kept somehow muted through much of the album.

Little Miracle leaves the impression of an artist who is getting better as she continues to write. Taylor starts out on solid footing, but the final two tracks on Little Miracle are the sort of songs songwriters aspire to a handful of times in their careers, much less consecutively on one album. You won't be likely to leave Little Miracle behind anytime soon, but when you do it will be in open anticipation of whatever Taylor graces us with next.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Kim Taylor at http://www.kim-taylor.net/ or on Facebook.  Little Miracle is available on CD from Amazon.com.  Digitial copies are available from iTunes.