Marina V - My Star

Marina V - My Star
2011, Marina V

Moscow-born California gal Marina Verenikina won a scholarship at the age of fifteen and moved to America on her own.  Marina V began pursuing her musical dreams by gigging extensively while attending college in Illinois.  On graduating, she moved to Los Angeles, and has established herself as a favorite in the frenetic pop/rock scene there.  Marina V has composed songs for films such as Fallen Idol and Truth About Kerry, and has had songs placed in Days Of Our Lives, The Good Wife, and the iPhone game Tap Tap Revenge.  Marina V’s 2007 album, Modern Fairytale, announced an artist with a world of potential still learning her craft.  On her latest album, My Star, it’s clear that Marina V has grown in self-awareness as an artist.

My Star opens with "You Make Me Beautiful", a solid Adult Contemporary Pop love song.  Built on a strong musical bed, Marina V's warm, lovely voice is framed perfectly here.  "Thursday Song" is a melancholic ballad with a pretty melody and dreamy air.  There is a grey-scale depth to the song, however, that veers widely away from cliché and into a sort of complicated beauty.  "Blue For You" is a fairly straight forward song of heartbreak, pretty but bland at the same time.  Marina V sounds like a richer voiced Tori Amos on "My Star".  The piano that spurs the song along is supported by a symphonic-style arrangement that is sonically appealing. 

By the time Marina V gets to "Unbalanced", the upbeat quasi-rocker is a welcome change of pace.  Up until this point the music has been very self-involved, and while "Unbalanced" is still an internal conversation, its acknowledgement of a world outside is step in the right direction.  Marina V shines brightest on "Tonkaya Ryabina", a traditional Russian song that is haunting in its beauty and brings out additional textures in her voice.  My Star closes with "Magical Christmas", a modern Christmas ballad about recapturing the spirit of Christmas and of youth.  It's a sweet and positive addition to the modern Christmas pop cannon; low key, but pretty and warm.

Marina V can flat out sing.  Her voice is full of textures and tones that are intriguing and lovely.  The heavy focus on ballads on My Star wears thin, and Marina V shines best on an upbeat rocker and a traditional folk song.  My Star seems an effort to cast Marina V's voice in its best light while adhering to what may be perceived as a highly marketable genre, but the song choices here generally don't do the artist many favors.  The sound is great, but there are obviously musical niches that take best advantage of her stunning voice.  It would be nice to hear more of those.

Rating: 2.5 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Marina V at http://www.marinav.com/ or www.facebook.com/marinavmusic.  My Star is available digitally from Amazon.com and iTunes.

Ali Milner - I Dare You

Ali Milner - I Dare You
2009, Ali Milner

Vancouver, British Columbia’s Ali Milner is making quite a name for herself, surfing the pipeline between the genres of pop and jazz.  With a pure voice that could brighten even the darkest day, Milner enthralls with her voice while engaging listeners with a story-telling style that is intelligent and artful. Milner got her start performing with the Vancouver Children’s Choir and has studied at the Berklee College Of Music.  In 2009, Milner released her debut album, I Dare You.  The album has earned Milner significant critical praise, and was named the Best Adult Contemporary Album at the10th Annual Independent Music Awards.  That doesn’t tell you the whole story however.

I Dare You opens with "Crystal Clear", a brilliant musical soliloquy from one used to playing second fiddle to her best friend for suitors.  Milner uses her warm, sultry, soulful alto voice to bring a great piece of songwriting to life.  "I Wanna Be Loved By You" blends reggae and pop in a memorable turn full of melody and Milner's distinctive voice.  "I Lost My Diamond" is a classic pop number couched in an upbeat arrangement.  Heartbreak is the order of the day, as Milner uses jewelry as an allegory for love lost.   "Secret To Tell" is a pop crush song with Americana elements that manages to be catchy and reserved at the same time.  Milner's voice is amazing; she could sing the square root of pie to one hundred decimal places and people would line up to listen. 

"I Dare You" is an unusually frank entreaty to love Milner that heartfelt and without affectation.  Such brutal honesty in pop music is unusual unless it’s intended to cruel, and Milner handles it all as if it were the most natural thing in the world.  "Gonna Dance" is catchy pop that's part 1950's rock n roll and part Motown.  You won't be able to resist dancing along if you have a pulse.  Milner gets a bit esoteric with "Portrait Of Dorian Grey", an intelligent and infectious piano-driven pop number that reminds you just how deep Milner is as an artist.  "I Can't Wait Forever" sways with the push-pull of heart vs. head in romantic affairs.  Milner's voice is so rich and beautiful you'll want to bottle it and sell it, or more likely save it for yourself.

"Breakaway" is a solid song made better by the artist performing it, while "Don't Forget To Call" is wonderfully catchy and fun pop music at its best.  Milner gets dreamy with the 1970's-style AM radio pop of "Day By Day", with a positive vibe and pleasingly lyric sound.  I Dare You bows with "Can't Change This Girl", a soulful declaration of self that's unforgettable. 

After listening to Ali Milner's I Dare You, you'll wonder how someone so good stayed out of the public spotlight for so long.  In this Indie music day and age, Ali Milner is a small fish in a world of small fish, but her songwriting and voice should place her near the pinnacle of pop music.  I Dare You is brilliant, a Wildy’s World Certified Desert Island Disc.

Rating: 5 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Ali Milner at www.alimilner.com or www.myspace.com/alimilner.  I Dare You is available from Amazon.com as a CD or Download from Amazon.com.  The album is also available via iTunes.

Sasha And The Indulgents - Love In A Box

Sasha And The Indulgents - Love In A Box
2010, Sasha Papernik

Sasha Papernik will surprise you.  The conservatory-trained classical pianist has been winning national and international piano competitions since the age of eight, but Papernik has never been able to shy away from the freedom of rock music.  Lyric ballads have grown into vibrant rockers, or been spiced up with blinding fast piano runs that strike like lightning and disappear just as quickly.  The Boston-born singer/songwriter has been haunting the clubs of New York City and New England for a few years now with unaffected pop music that's a cousin to that of Tori Amos, Kate Bush and Sarah Slean.  Papernik's band, Sasha And The Indulgents, released their second album in late 2010; a quirky eight-song collection entitled Love In A Box.

Sasha And The Indulgents opens with the musical split personality of the title track.  "Love In A Box" opens as a depressed and dreamy rumination, but transforms into a quirky, angular pop chorus that's incredibly infectious.  Papernik displays an animated, vaguely demented and theatrical style here that is hard not to get into.  "Carolina" is an intriguing dream-pop number about someone who is chasing down her dreams in spite of what family and friends might say.  It's an ode to someone who has given up everything to get her deepest wish.  There's a mild country/Americana flavor in this mellow arrangement that is appealing.  "Edges Of Your Mind" is a bit obtuse in imagery, but is built on a wonderfully vibrant piano progression. 

"I Read The Letter" is an interesting bit of piano pop, channeling the manic feel that tends to infuse Papernik's songs into an edgy and vibrant arrangement that dances on the edge of exploding.  "Would You Like Me" is a great pictorial in song of romance from the perspective of an emotional chameleon that is honest in her dysfunction.  The chorus here is highly memorable, and the dramatic sensibility of the narrator approaches a brittle break without ever quite breaching the divide.  "Chasing Hours" is perhaps the cleanest piano-pop song on the album; a gentle ballad that's full of simple beauty and emotion.  Unfortunately the production on this track isn't what it might be.  Love In A Box bows with "Ten Thousand Dreams", a dreamy, sparse number in a quasi-chanson style.  Sasha Papernik's voice is angelic here, and the atmosphere one of heartbreaking beauty.

Sasha And The Indulgents hit listeners where they live on Love In A Box, delivering quirky, unusually placed pop music full of beauty, grace and honest thoughts and emotion.  Without affectation or device, Sasha Papernik dwells on the beauty of human imperfection and nobility in song.  Love In A Box doesn't play by the rules of pop music, speaking of real lives and real people in a real voice.  If you hunger for honesty in art, then Love In A Box is gift-wrapped just for you.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Sasha And The Indulgents at www.sashatheband.com or www.myspace.com/sashaandtheindulgents.  Love In A Box is available from Amazon.com as a CD or Download.  The album is also available via iTunes.

Katie Melua – The House

Katie Melua – The House
2010, Dramatico Records

Katie Melua is one of the largest selling artists in the UK for the 21^st century, capturing hearts and minds all over the world with her albums Call Off The Search, Piece By Piece and Pictures.  Under the tutelage of composer/musician Mike Batt, Melua found her voice and a sound that is both distinctive original and commercially appealing.  After three albums and seven years, however, it was time for Melua to branch out on her own and explore the avenues of her art.  The resulting album, produced by the legendary William Orbit, is The House.  This is Melua’s most original and dramatic album to date, delivering on an unerring pop sensibility with the sort of musical quirks and originality that can turn a very good artist into an icon.

The House opens with “I’d Love To Kill You”, perhaps one of the most anachronistically sensual songs you’re likely to hear.  Melua mixes images of violence and sexuality in a disturbing monologue that will unnerve or titillate you depending on your disposition.  The stark, simple arrangement serves only to empower the message and paints a picture of a love that borders on insanity.  “The Flood” is dark, mysterious and beautiful.  There’s an almost spiritual theme revealed in Melua’s parallel between the washing away of a great flood and the releasing of bonds on the human spirit as the song moves between a sorrowful dirge and an uplifting new age/pop dance beat.  “A Happy Place” keeps essentially the same rhythm and melodic structure as “The Flood”.  The theme here is about humanity’s constant yearning to find a happy place and is therefore subjectively a complement to “The Flood”, sharing elements of theme, melody and structure.

“A Moment Of Madness” finds Melua exploring the cabaret style familiar to fans of Sarah Slean.  Melua injects a gorgeous dramatic sensibility into a suggestive art house tune with a distinct baroque feel.  Melua explores the juxtaposition of hope and heartbreak as seen through shared experience in a tune that sounds like something John Lennon may have penned where he still alive and working today.  “Tiny Alien” finds Melua communicating with a baby in utero, wondering at who it will become, what it feels and thinks.  It’s an amazing bit of songwriting, highly personal and yet universal in its theme.  “No Dear Of Heights” is a confident love song that revels in faith and certainty that a relationship is meant to last.  Melua’s performance shows a conviction that is compelling.  “The One I Love Is Gone” is bluesy and forlorn but sophisticated.  Katie Melua delivers a true wow moment here with a vocal performance that is starkly beautiful and thoroughly in the moment.

“Plague Of Love” explores the pleasure and pain of unrequited love in a compact and breezy but significant pop song.  This is brilliant songwriting, blending masterful lyrics with the sort of smart, angular pop arrangement that’s outside the box enough to be noticed but accessible enough to garner the attention of radio programmers, licensers and fans.  “God On The Drums, Devil On The Bass” hits the spiritual realm again, using Judeo-Christian imagery as a sort of parallel of yang and yin, and placing human behavior in between.  The song is entertaining with enough of a mid-tempo dance beat to perhaps crack the club scene with the right remix.  Melua’s vocals here are oddly sensual.  Melua closes out with “Twisted”, a solid pop entry, and “The House”, a pensive, dark internal conversation set to music.  This quietest moment evokes Melua’s best vocal performance on the album, including a chilling high note that will ring in your mind well after the last notes fade.

Katie Melua has come a long way since Call Off The Search, expanding upon her folk and pop roots into a truly artistic pastiche of pop, rock and singer-songwriter styles.  Melua embodies the eclectic spirit of such artists as Kate Bush, Tori Amos and Milla Jovovich, while writing intelligent and coherent pop that is atypically accessible.  It isn’t a stretch to say that Melua has one of the most intriguing voices in pop music today, finding its way into the nooks and crannies of your soul.  The House is Melua’s finest work to date, a Wildy’s World Certified Desert Island Disc.

Rating: 5 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Katie Melua at www.katiemelua.com or www.myspace.com/katiemelua.  The House is available from Amazon.com as a CD, LP or Download.  The album is also available from iTunes.

Amy MacDonald – A Curious Thing

Amy MacDonald – A Curious Thing
2010, Melodramatic Records

At the tender age of twenty-two, Amy MacDonald is sitting on top of the world.  Beginning with the release of her debut album This Is The Life in 2007, the onslaught of critical acclaim, airplay and awards has been nothing short of breathtaking.  All of this from a small-town Scottish singer/songwriter who is the antithesis of celebrity-elite culture. This Is The Life was full of ebullient pop songwriting and MacDonald’s amazing voice.  It would be so easy to simply try and re-create that sound, but MacDonald does not sit pat with her sophomore effort, A Curious Thing.  MacDonald dug into her old notebooks for unfinished gems after two years on the road in the company of her highly talented band, and has taken a giant leap forward artistically without compromising her pop sensibilities.

A Curious Thing opens with “Don’t Tell Me It’s Over”, detailing heartbreak in process with an urgent feel.  MacDonald is revealed as a dynamic vocalist with the sultry alto of Cher yet some of the vocal eccentricities of Kate Bush or Tori Amos.  “Spark” is pure pop goodness; an acknowledgement that she’s okay with either spiritual themes or allusions.  “No Roots” is a lonely rumination on all the events of a human life in a sad cast.  “No Roots” becomes a song of searching without a specific goal; it’s well-written and introspective yet simultaneously upbeat.   “Love Love” a dynamic pop/rock number about being in love about an all-encompassing love and an inability to share it with the subject.   In “An Ordinary Life” MacDonald discusses the whirlwind of celebrity lifestyle and takes great pride in maintaining a simple life away from the stage.  MacDonald captures the blend of excitement and angst that comes with living in the public eye in discussing the importance of maintaining a private space for herself and her loved ones. 

“My Only One” is an incredibly mature love song recalling good and bad times and putting them into perspective.  Literate and well-developed, “My Only One” is the sort of song you expect out of a twenty-year vet in songwriting.  “This Pretty Face” gives priority to inner beauty over outer; an establishment of terms about what is truly important in relationships and life in general.  “Troubled Soul” is a song of recognition; of recognizing another who understands you and finding happiness there no matter the circumstance.   “Next Big Thing” has a dark and urgent feel; a driven pop/rock number that explores the darker side of the pursuit of fame.  “Your Time Will Come” is a song of encouragement to a loved one who is going through a period of soul searching.  The message could be trite, but MacDonald avoids the usual pitfalls to find a sweet and heartfelt moment.  “What Happiness Means To Me” is the official closing track, a stripped down moment of reflection that is honest and pure, a step inside MacDonald’s emotional inner sanctum that is nothing short of beautiful.  MacDonald follows this up with a hidden bonus track, an amazing cover of Bruce Springsteen’s “Dancing In The Dark”; A “wow” moment that features MacDonald’s voice with a single acoustic guitar.

Amy MacDonald shows significant growth on A Curious Thing, developing her depth as a songwriter and artist. The leap forward from her debut album, This Is The Life, is nothing short of breath-taking.  This is a significant statement considering the quality of This Is The Life.  A Curious Thing is the sort of album that serves as a career benchmark.  Two years ago you might have been forgiven for wondering if MacDonald would maintain her immense popularity in the UK, given the propensity of pop music fans and programmers toward short memories.  After hearing A Curious Thing, you’ll realize that the sky is the limit for Amy MacDonald.

Rating: 4.5 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Amy MacDonald at www.amymacdonald.co.uk or www.myspace.com/amymacdonald. A Curious Thing is available from Amazon.com as a CD, Deluxe 2-CD Set or Vinyl.

The Jezabels - Dark Storm

The Jezabels - Dark Storm
2010, The Jezabels

Sydney, Australia quartet The Jezabels have had a whirlwind year, landing opening gigs for artists such as Tegan & Sara, Katie Noonan and Josh Pyke while promoting their 2009 EP She's So Hard.  In the process The Jezabels grew into headliners themselves, selling some pretty impressive rooms along the way.  Led by vocalist Hayley Mary, The Jezabels bring an eclectic sound on their latest EP, Dark Storm, the last of an EP trilogy.

The EP opens with “Dark Storm”, a stark and lovely tune with a disturbing edge.  The song has a hidden pop sensibility; it won’t necessarily be your favorite the first listen through but it is the song that will keep you coming back.  Vocalist Hayley Mary intrigues while sounding like a cross between Kate Bush and Stevie Nicks.  “Mace Spray” is crunchy-but-ambient pop.  Hayley Mary’s vocal is distinctive and disturbing, full of an asymmetric beauty and a hard edge that’s sort of like chewing on tin foil.  “Sahara Mahala” is an edgy pop love song with a serious hook and a deep sense of mystery.  “A Little Piece goes a bit too far vocally, with Mary stretching for some soprano notes that were perhaps ill thought.  The Jezabels close with “She’s So Hard”, a vocally intriguing but lyrically obtuse song that shows elements of Sarah McLachlan and Bjork.

The Jezabels show an intriguing mix of rock, pop and Lilith Fair pastiche on “Dark Storm”, one of the more intriguing musical introductions we’ve made this year at Wildy’s World.  The EP itself has its ups and downs, but Hayley Mary has a voice that could become iconic.  Voice aside, there’s enough here to keep you in the loop enough to want to find out what The Jezabels do next.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about The Jezabels at http://www.thejezabels.com/ or www.myspace.com/jezabelsband.  Dark Storm is available on CD from Amazon.com.  Digital copies are available via iTunes.