Lori Diamond & Fred Abatelli - True

Lori Diamond / Fred Abatelli - True
2011, 5th Chakra Records

Bostonian Lori Diamond and NewYorker Fred Abatelli are a testament to a time, not so long ago, when MySpacewas a vibrant community. The two "met" on MySpace in 2007, and beganwhat has turned out to be an extremely successful musical collaboration.Diamond has a golden voice and a gentle touch at the piano that shows itself inthe beautiful and fluid songs she writes. Abatelli offers the perfectcounterweight to Diamond's songs on the fret boards of both bass and 6-stringguitar. Two of Diamond's prior albums, Bound and Mystery (withAbatelli), have earned rave feedback from fellow artists and media alike. OnOctober 22, 2011, Diamond and Abatelli release their second album, True,building on their reputation for great songwriting and seamless playing.

Lori Diamond and Fred Abatelli sharean undeniable chemistry in their music. What was readily apparent on Mysterycomes fully into bloom on True. The album itself is easy tounderestimate. Diamond and Abatelli's songs never truly blow you away, but areof such consistent quality in melody, lyric and arrangement, that you canalmost lose track of how well-written they are. Diamond's voice is a pureinstrument, calling to mind folks such as Sarah McLachlan and Joni Mitchell.Her phrasing and tone are ideal throughout the album. Abatelli contributesquietly throughout the album, enhancing the framework of each song with subtle,yet palpable work on both the bass and guitar.

True opens with The Inside, a gorgeous, five-and-a-halfminute ballad. The sounds Diamond and Abatelli create here are beautiful,layering voices and instruments into a mellow, but dynamic weave you simplyhave to hear. From there on it out its one solid performance after another,from the soulful "True", the Latin sounds of "All ComesRound", or the efficient beauty of "Never Too Late" The pairoffer up a lovely piano/guitar instrumental in the form of "Love's EarlyDays", painting in musical pastels an impressionistic portrait of thegentleness of spirit that accompanies new love. Diamond raises the bar vocallyfor "Choosing Peace" and "Your Face". The former is agorgeous, fluid performance that perhaps exceeds any of her prior recordings,and the latter is just a vocal "Wow" moment.

Lori Diamond and Fred Abatelli won'tgrab you by the shirt and make you listen; rather, they create subtle songsfull of beautiful movement that slowly draws you in. Diamond's voice ismesmerizing, and her piano work is enhanced by the eminently subtle guitar workof Abatelli. True shows a duo continuing to improve on a chemistry andshared musical vision that had previously proven quite rare. True is thesort of album that inspires impatience to hear what Diamond and Abatelli mightdo next.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Lori Diamond at www.loridiamond.netor www.myspace.com/loridiamond. True is available on CD through Diamond's website.  Downloads are available through the link below.

            MP3                     

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Kristina Westin - In The Back Of My Mind

Kristina Westin - In The Back Of My Mind
2010, 7P Machine AB

Swedish vocalist Kristina Westin first rose to prominence as lead vocalist for The Valets, who took Popstad '98 by storm.  Later as an alt-country vocalist, Westin was a finalist in the Swedish Championship of Country Music, but Westin has found her home in pop music.  Westin is a big deal in Stockholm, with regional television appearances and in-demand gigs on a regular basis.  But Westin has set her sights westward with the release of her newest CD, In The Back of My Mind.  With a voice that's been described as a cross between Norah Jones and Dolly Parton, Westin will grab your attention quickly, but it is the subtlety and depth of her songwriting that will make you want to stick around.

Westin opens with "I'm At War", a wonderfully honest and straight-forward song of anger.  Westin avoids the aggression and histrionics that often pass for dramatic embellishment with an honest statement of intent that is compelling and refreshing in a brilliant pop song that is the perfect introduction.  "What A Night" is a solid pop number that finds Westin dancing through the upper notes in a fluttery, breathy voice that is atypically lovely, and contrasts with the solid alto she delivers in mid-range.  The song is a bit repetitive, with a percussively melodic chorus that works well as a counter to the circular lyrics.  "Fever" is a pure pop/country number about desire that could cross over easily to the US country charts.

"Stay Another Year" is a beautiful, dreamy pop number with cascading vocal harmonies that are reminiscent of Fleetwood Mac.  Westin's unaffected voice is beyond beauty at times, particularly so on this tune.  "Up In The Air" is built on a rock-solid melody, contrasting this against the uncertainty of returning to a relationship that's failed before.  The narrator has set herself straight, but doubts if her former partner has.  Westin reaches resolution with "I'm Walking Away", a wonderfully catchy tune that's a potential hit in waiting.  The narrator calls out a lover and kicks him to the curb for his behaviors.  Once again, Westin takes the refreshing route of telling the story and dealing honestly with emotions as a storyteller rather than trading in the currency of vitriol.  Westin's lyrics are cogent, and are married to an arrangement, and particularly a chorus, you simply cannot shake. 

"Where Do I Go" finds Westin exploring her next steps in a relationship; knowing better but wanting to trust him again.  The chorus is a bit repetitive but otherwise solid.  "Reasons" finds Westin trying to understand all that has happened in a melancholy ballad that alternates between fatalism and hope.  The singer/songwriter vibe here is impeccable.  "Please Get Away" finishes the cycle, so to speak, allowing Westin to move on to a new phase.  That phase starts with the delicious pure pop of "Pretty Girls".  Westin acquires a sultriness to her voice born of confidence, and a Holly Hunter sibilant S that's appealing.  In The Back Of My Mind closes with the "Untitled", a simple, gorgeous love ballad that's stripped bare, leaving just guitar, Westins voice and a subtle musical fringe that simply underscore the beauty of the melody.

Kristina Westin displays the subtlety and grace of a pure songwriter on In The Back Of My Mind, combined with class and presence of a professional performer.  In understated and personal fashion, Westin wraps listeners in tales of love lost, love found, and the myriad emotions that fill the spaces in between.  In The Back Of My Mind is the sort of album you live with for a while; it certainly qualifies as a Wildy’s World Desert Island Disc.  This is an instant classic.

Rating: 5 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Kristina Westin at www.myspace.com/kristinawestin or www.facebook.com/kristinawestinmusic.   In The Back Of My Mind 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.

Phoebe Legere - Ooh La La Coq Tail

Phoebe Legere - Ooh La La Coq Tail
2010, Mysterious Ways / ESP Disk

Rule #1 - never start a review with the statement "there's no one quite like....".  The first thing that will happen is you'll get thirty or forty e-mails, usually from a small group of a dozen or so Google-happy music buffs who live for refuting such statements.  Besides, it's trite and overdone.  That being said, there is quite literally, no one like Phoebe Legere.  One of the most original jazz pianists of generation, Legere has never stood still long enough to be classified definitively.  A classically trained pianist who fell in love with jazz, Legere studied at the New England Conservatory in high school.  Her four-octave voice also led her to sing with the Boston Symphony Orchestra at the age of sixteen.  Signed by EPIC records as a teenager, Legere has gone to build a significant catalog of work in jazz and electronic music.  The Pulitzer-Prize nominated composer gets back to her roots on Ooh La La Coq Tail, blending French Musette, Jazz, Pop and Baroque Chamber styles in a whirlwind of class and charm.

Ooh La La Coq Tail opens with "Que Rest T'Il De Nos Amours?” a healthy dose of French cabaret jazz.  Legere's low-key, nuanced arrangement sidles up next to you and gathers your attention with a warmth and sensuality that's intriguing.  Legere's beautifully clear voice is the perfect complement and spoil to the arrangement.  "I Love Myself When I'm With You" features Legere in a duet with George Leonard.  His Steve Lawrence-inspired talk/sing style is a perfect complement to Legere's vocal glamour in a number that sounds like it was spawned from a 1940's movie musical.  "Under Paris Skies" features Legere in a stunning vocal performance in the chanson style.  Legere's voice is full of intricate tones and textures, providing a spine-tingling 'wow' moment. 

Legere starts out "Prelude To A Kiss" in a breathy, forced alto below her comfortable range.  Once she breaks out into her upper register you'll forget the slight detour, but the opening isn't a great reflection of what Legere can do.  "Sometimes It Snows In Las Vegas" is a piano-driven pop/jazz number.  Legere handles it with aplomb.  Legere launches herself into "Hot Sicilian Pizza Boy" with an enthusiasm and wit that is simply stunning.  It's an entertaining turn, and gives listeners a glimpse of the pure magnetism Legere communicates on stage.  "Sex Is Love" explores differences in perspective on the world's favorite past time.  This is great songwriting, plain and simple.

Legere offers up "Nancy", a love song with surprisingly uncertain pacing.  It's not a bad song, but something just doesn't go right in the dynamic built here.  Legere recovers nicely on "Playing Me Like A Piano", an innuendo-laden jazz ballad that Legere makes even better with her voice.  "Just One Of Those Things" is presented in French as an up-tempo number.  Legere instills the song with verve and a sense of class that's unmistakable.  Ooh La La Coq Tail closes a solid rendition of "Paris Je T'Aime" and a lovely piano instrumental entitled "Earth Singing World".  Here Legere blends styles and substance in expansive piano passages that display her subtle style, extreme melodicism and sense of freedom on the piano.

Phoebe Legere is a treasure; a name touted by musical cognoscenti but often not recognized for her talents outside of a core group of fans and music professionals.  While artists such as Diana Krall and Norah Jones have earned raves and racked up millions in album sales for pop-influenced jazz numbers with strong connections to the American songbook, Legere continues to challenge boundaries and classification every time she sits at the piano.  Ooh La La Coq Tail has a couple of quiet moments, but Legere consistently provides excellence in both her compositions and performance.  This album is a definite keeper.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Phoebe Legere at http://www.phoebelegere.com/ or www.myspace.com/sexbrain.   Ooh La La Coq Tail is available digitally from Amazon.com and iTunes.

Caitlin Canty - Neon Streets

Caitlin Canty - Neon Streets
2010, Caitlin Canty

Vermont native and New York City resident Caitlin Canty spent a number of years singing backup and working the production booth before stepping to center stage. The resounding cry from crowds on New York's Indie scene has been "What took you so long?” Canty charms with a soothing delivery and intimately soulful voice, earning comparisons to Patty Griffin, Jack Johnson and Norah Jones. Canty recently released a collaborative EP, Neon Streets, with instrumental backing from string-rockers Darlingside. The album was co-produced by Darlingside and Canty, and is the first of four collaborative EPs in the works for Canty.

Neon Streets opens with "Halo", a declaration of independence of sorts based in cynicism about faith and a natural distrust of things than cannot be seen. Canty has crafted a gorgeous melody here and an almost anti-McLachlan arrangement steeped firmly in acoustic instruments that somehow reaches for the same ethereal sound. "Neon Streets" is a remarkably pragmatic tune about fears and common sense; failing to acknowledge threats until they threaten. You might call it an anthem for quiet bravado. Canty has a low-key, cool delivery that's as convincing as the lyrics here and a pleasant voice that wants to straddle the gap between an alto's depth and a soprano's grace.

Canty explores the existential angst born of the transition between youth and adulthood in "Shore", where opportunities abound and it’s never clear which doors are already closed. The song is reflective of a generational ambivalence born of broken dreams and fear of the future. "Thin Moon" uses the weak light of a waning moon as a parallel of a relationship guttering in the currents of two lives moving apart. Canty's depiction here is stark and haunting, laden with emotion and yet apart from it all at once. "Two Hands" is an ode to independence; to not needing someone else in your life to be fulfilled. It's a brilliant tune that's self affirming and highly melodic. Neon Streets closes with "Carried Away", hitting the essence of longing and beauty in a stark arrangement that's reminiscent of early Ani DiFranco.

Caitlin Canty impresses with Neon Streets. Her low-key approach belies an intensity that emanates from Canty like heat from a furnace. Canty's focus is piercing at times, a quality that should come through even more clearly in the live environment. Her ability to project that feel even in pre-recorded media is unusual. There's little doubt that Caitlin Canty has a future in music; it's more a question of getting the right opportunity. That being said, Canty isn't going to blow anyone away musically. It's simply not her style, but her quiet musical resolve will certainly turn some heads.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Caitlin Canty at http://www.caitlincanty.com/ or www.myspace.com/caitlincantymusic.  Neon Streets is available from Amazon.com as a CD or Download.  The album is also available from iTunes.