Summer In My Soul is a joyful album and Mela Kamin is simply delightful.  Not only is her singing a softer version of the bubbly Colbie Caillat, her lyrics are genuine and she has teamed up with a great group of Nashville CCM’s finest.  All dozen songs on the album were written by Kamin along with drummer/guitarist Dan Needham and keyboardist Carl Herrgesell.  The production is top notch thanks to these two seasoned veterans.

The title track opens the album with a sunny, Michelle Branch type pop number.  Kamin’s singing is pure and clear and the full chorus adds depth.  It sets the mood for the overall vibe of  Summer In My Soul which is a fun, whimsical, 90’s reminiscent feeling.  The songs are light, airy and carefree.  Kamin sounds like there is nothing more she would rather be doing than singing these songs she has penned.  “What He Does” embodies this lackadaisical style and Kamin sounds cute and playful as she happily sways around with the melody ala Leigh Nash in “Surrounded By Your Love.”  A more retro feel is channeled in “Start With One” with the heavy downbeats and synthesizers in the chorus that break the melodic flow of the song and target the listener to focus on the lyrics.  Kamin has been singing about the bravado of past prophets when really God has empowered each of us to rise above by starting with one small step at a time.

It can be challenging to appreciate the great music, song structures and inspiring lyrics all at the same time with these songs.  Kamin writes in a friendly, personal style that is flowing with inspiration.  The poignant ballad, “I Pray” is a quiet, whispery outpouring of the power of prayer with Kamin mimicking the dramatic nuances of Jaci Velasquez by singing with incredible serene intensity.  In “You’re Beautiful” Kamin rocks out more backed by electric guitars and harnesses the Nashville modern cowgirl sound made popular by songstresses Carrie Underwood and Miranda Lambert.  She even ends the song with a cute acapella vocal slide.

Needham and Herrgesell have finely polished Kamin’s debut and with the help of cellist John Catchings have added some beautiful musical interludes in “I Need To Be” and “Take Me Back.”  Any of the tunes on Summer In My Soul would play well on CCM/AC radio but “Take My Life” has the potential to be a standout praise and worship number.  It has accessible lyrics, easy accompaniment and a moderate tempo.  Plus there is plenty of room for the soloist to lead and embellish the melody and a dramatic call and response in the last chorus into the coda.

Mela Kamin is not trying to prove or improve a thing with Summer In My Soul – she is writing and singing from her heart and that truly shows in this formidable debut.

Review by Kelly O’Neil

Kelly O'Neil, Reviews Mela Kamin, Summer in My Soul

Audrey Howard & The Misters, a four-piece band based in San Francisco, California, is comprised of Audrey Howard on vocals and guitar, Beth Robinson on drums, Katie Booser on bass, and Janese Hurley on fiddle and backing vocals.  Citing influences such as the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The Pretenders, and PJ Harvey, Audrey Howard & The Misters have created a sexy, sultry, experimental sound the likes of which most listeners have never heard.  The album Sister Sara opens with the title track, a funky guitar driven melody with attitude.  The influence of Chrissie Hynde and The Pretenders is evident in Audrey’s vocals and the catchy rhythm of this track will get the feet tapping from the opening drumbeat.  “Sister Sara” is a classically written piece of music with exceptional engineering and lyrics that set forth the imagery depicted on the album cover – women of rock dressed as nuns, running through a field having the time of their lives.  The opening track sets the tone for a band that clearly has an abundance of talent, but can also have fun with it.  This is music with a message and musicians who are completely serious, but who also know how to enjoy it.  The listener may get the feeling that Audrey Howard & The Misters thoroughly love making music, most particularly with each other, and that they are out to have as much fun as possible while still retaining their cred.

“Man on the Couch” is a tune that carries a mix of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Poe, Rasputina, and an element of a band called Audrey Howard & The Misters, who are quite clearly capable of mixing and matching various sounds to create something unique to only them.  The smooth jazz undertone that begins this piece is remarkable and the vocals and lyrics have a dreamy quality that is the perfect balance to the heavier hook of the song and the grinding guitar work.  The change-ups in this track are exceptionally well done, smooth, and the overall effect is compositional genius.  “Man on the Couch,” in addition to being a great example of excellent musicianship, is also primarily a vocal track that highlights Audrey’s range and the talent of the backing singers as well.  The harmonizing is near perfect, as is the musical content, making this piece solid enough to stand on its own.

“Invisible” takes the album down a slightly different avenue with the guitar hook a bit reminiscent of the opening riffs of Pearl Jam’s song “Corduroy.”  Audrey really lets loose with the vocals in this track and the listener can get a much greater appreciation for her talent.  The lyrics of this piece are interesting, thought provoking, and open to listener interpretation.  Is she singing about another woman, or herself?  “’Cause some other woman has taken my place, she talks like me and she’s got my face. But the words fall flat and the color is gone, ‘cause I’ve felt invisible for so long.” The song abruptly ends and “Firefly” begins, showing the softly melodic side of Audrey Howard & The Misters.  A simplistic piece that is almost a lullaby, “Firefly” is romantic and child-like and Audrey’s voice is that of an angel.  The musicianship is fantastic especially once the song picks up tempo and becomes a brilliant artistic experience of psychedelic guitars and hard-hitting drums.  The second half of this piece is instrumental, which really gives the rest of the band a chance to shine.  This is an extraordinarily well-composed track.

Sister Sara continues with “Pick Up,” a softer tempo piece that lets Audrey’s voice come through crystal clear.  The quietly repetitive guitar rhythm in the background could make some listeners think of The Beatle’s ditty “Here Comes the Sun.”  This is not overtly obvious and “Pick Up” has very little resemblance to anything Beatles-related aside from that, but it is undeniably there.  The lead guitar work is strong, but it is not overbearing.  This piece is very well balanced and the sound is stellar.  Each note, each instrument, is heard with clarity, from the gentle guitar in the background to the bass line that accompanies the drums.

“Sheriff” takes Audrey Howard & The Misters into the world of rockabilly, which is an unexpected and pleasant surprise.  This track allows the listener to better appreciate the diversity of this band and the fact that they can branch out into other genres.  From post-punk rock to a bluesy jazz vibe to rockabilly, this collective crosses boundaries and meshes various sounds into a pleasing compilation of what can only be described as The Audrey Howard & The Misters signature sound.  “Sheriff” is a prime example of their talent and ability to play excellent music while having a blast doing it.  This track is sure to be a crowd pleaser and would be a treat to see performed live.  “Stride” is also a good example of this band’s sense of artistic license and diversity.  With a catchy rhythm, prominent and decisive delivery and a slightly melancholy feel, “Stride” is one of the more lyrically compelling tracks on the album.  Following in this vein, “I Was Made For Loving You” is also lyrically masterful.  A love song depicting sensual imagery and heartfelt vocals, this track is instrumentally simplistic which allows the listener to really focus on what is happening in this piece.  Sweetly sung and beautifully played, this song is brimming with emotion and talent.

The album closes with “Monday,” an upbeat track with a sense of humor that again reassures fans of Audrey Howard & The Misters that while they are professional musicians gifted with unbridled talent, they retain a down to earth attitude that endears them to anyone who listens.  “Monday” is a song that everyone can relate to and the band succinctly puts the drudgery of the work week into perspective with an artistic flair.  The banjo playing is what really makes this track tick.  It’s the added touch that makes the closing piece so exceptionally lovely.  Audrey Howard & The Misters have given their listeners a little bit of everything with the album Sister Sara, and they leave us with a sense of togetherness; A warm feeling of not having to face the world alone.  Audrey Howard & The Misters are facing it with us.

Review by Rhonda Readence

Reviews, Rhonda Readence Audrey Howard & The Misters, Sister Sara

Music is music.  It can be good, bad, or ugly.  Except for when a French man sings it.  Then it becomes something completely different.  Musical artist Burzinski has mastered the romantic, darkly melodic prose of quasi-psychedelic rhythms that are sweetly delivered with the most beautiful French accent imaginable.  His album Untimely Tales, a 9-track journey into gothic romanticism, begins with “A Dark Shape,” which proves to be soothing music to relax to.  Burzinski’s voice is deep and rather haunting and the music is slow and calming.  This piece is best listening to with closed eyes and an open mind.  “Invisible Birds” is also a rather calming and relaxing journey into Burzinski’s world as his voice resonates deeply and seductively.  This melody has a touch of sadness to it, and yet it is oddly uplifting.  Listeners may find themselves slowly sinking into a trance of sorts as the music plays and the art unravels.

“Here” continues in this vein with what is quickly becoming known at the signature Burzinski sound; mellow, melancholy, slightly psychedelic trance music.  Some listeners may hear a touch of The Jesus and Mary Chain.  Others might think of the psychedelic pop of Slowdive.  But in all actuality, there is no real way to pinpoint the sound of Burzinksi’s music or to neatly categorize it into any specific genre.  It is wholly unique and original music that simply flows effortlessly along.  “The Narrow Road Home” is a bit dreamier than the preceding tracks and takes the listener even deeper into Burzinski’s romantic mellow-tronic vision.  The imagery this piece brings to mind is one of misty haze and shades of blue and grey.  The rhythm tends to emulate the sound of footsteps and is slightly catchy despite the slow tempo.  The feet may find themselves tapping – or walking the narrow road home.

Untimely Tales continues with the track “Curtain” and Burzinski graces the world endlessly with his hauntingly melodious voice.  The listener may have some difficulty, as has been the case with the preceding tracks as well, in picking up the lyrics.  Burzinski’s voice is deep and there is plenty of reverb to give it the haunting quality that is so endearing, but the overall sound can come across a bit muddled from time to time.  However, the sound quality improves somewhat with the song “An Untimely Tale,” which is one of the more standout pieces on the album.  The melody is crisper, the vocals are less muffled, and the rhythm is slightly varied.  The words best used to describe this song would be masterfully melancholy.  “City Lights” has a note of despondency in it as Burzinski laments being lied to, and his voice carries with it the pain in his heart.  This song is an artistic expression of self and the piano work is an exceptionally nice touch, as it gives this song strength and emotion.  This track is perhaps the most heartfelt one on the album yet, and listeners will be sure to sympathize with Burzinski’s pain and suffering.

“Using Mirrors” carries a slightly more upbeat rhythm to it and Burzinski proves that his unique mellow-tronic music is not only calming and relaxing, but also uplifting in its own way.  His vocals are stronger in this piece than in any of the preceding tracks.  The instrumentation is well thought out and the sound is quite extraordinary.  “Using Mirrors” is a very well-composed piece of music and it adds something essential to this album.  It adds a sense of calm joyfulness – a sensation that many things are possible and that anything can happen.  Untimely Tales closes with “The Frightening Door” and Burzinski leaves his listeners once more swaying to the beat of a slightly otherworldly state of consciousness.  This artist has succeeded in taking his listeners into his world – A place where music is art, and art is music.

Review written by Rhonda Readence

Reviews, Rhonda Readence Burzinski, Untimely Tales

Brandon Ashley is to the darkwave scene what Lady Gaga is to the gay club scene. He’s taken an aesthetic that’s been developed in a very small, very underground setting over the course of two decades and put it into a formula that both showcases obvious parts of his influences while rarely deviating from a pop structure. The end result is a very well crafted dance album with a built in market. Ashley claims to take influence from the glamour of David Bowie and Lou Reed, but his persona isn’t quite as well developed. That comment is made less in jest and more in quiet constructive criticism considering Ashley’s solo career is still in its infancy. His sound is unique enough to set him apart for music fans, but the mainstream may confuse him for just another Marilyn Manson. Admittedly, his sound and style have a lot in common with Manson’s approach towards music after mostly leaving his rock sound with Mechanical Animals. However, there is enough substance on Ashley’s new album, Nightmare Factory 82, for me to give him the benefit of the doubt.

The opener on Nightmare Factory 82 is the obvious hit “My Decadent Thursday”, which is a dancy mix of straight 4/4 mechanical drumming with a myriad of well produced synth sounds soaring over each other in the background. The calm, understated verse falls into a pre-chorus before jumping into a rousing, commercial sounding, sing-along chorus. It’s an old trick, but sometimes it’s just the trick. This is a raunchy sounding club hit and could be marketed as such with ease. Opening the album with this song was an easy move, but I would have liked to have seen it placed it a little further back in album to give the record a little room to breathe before blowing up with the best song right out of the gate. I just feel like this is most energetic song on the album and placing it right at the start makes the listener feel a little disappointed as the excitement and enthusiasm wane with the running time.

The second track, “One Man Therapy”, is just as pop-oriented, but a tad darker. There’s a nod to early Nine Inch Nails in the vocal approach, and the rhythm that the verse focuses around does sound like a more danceable version of NIN’s trademark industrial style, but the synths sound more like Bella Morte. “Fucked Up Jesus” and “Coma Drama”, in contrast, are much more focused around that Marilyn Manson sound on the Mechanical Animals album, though the piano break near the three minute mark of “Coma Drama” gives it a more “epic” feel in the vein of darkwave pioneers Deine Lakaien. “Fucked Up Jesus” has a great verse built around shorted out analog synth effects with foley sounds. The obvious pop-structure doesn’t seem to hinder Ashley’s creativity and the things he does within the boundaries he built around himself are quite impressive.

The CD comes packaged with an accompanying DVD with a video for the song “My Decadent Thursday”. The video looks pretty and directed well, but it’s literally the only thing on the DVD, which seems like a waste to me when they could have just added the video as an enhanced feature on the CD itself. The marketability makes sense, as someone in Ashley’s camp figured out that half naked women still help sell records, but the inclusion of a separate DVD would be much more understandable if they had included more content on the second disc.

Review written by Ian Wise

Ian Wise, Reviews Brandon Ashley, Nightmare Factory 82

Alaskan singer/songwriter Sjofn’s debut album, Secret, currently available through UK’s Parallax Sounds, showcases her skill at song crafting. Her simple guitar strumming or drone-like picking and clear little-girl voice set the tone for this album. The title cut, “Secret,” and “Let Me Be” are naked tracks with just Sjofn’s voice and her solo guitar work.

Most of the songs are equally naked and somewhat simplistic, but Sjofn is able to complete a thought and deliver that with skill. “Work Song,” with its banjo, washtub bass, and Paul Monsarrat’s clarinet is an odd combination. But it is characteristic of the creative risks Sjofn is taking with this album. The addition of Paul Monsarrat’s clarinet on “Hey Ho,” “Vagabond,” and “Ordinary Girl,” in particular, is a musical leap, without dropping into jugband or klezmer. It’s an unexpected touch that slips the work into something other than standard folk or Americana and well into Sjofn’s own creation.

Besides’s Monsarrat’s clarinet, he also plays banjo, tin whistle, and washtub bass. Christina Brown also assists on washtub bass, Leif Ericson adds fiddle, and Jesse Gunn plays electric guitar and fatcat strings. Their skills are most noticeable in “Preacher’s Son,” where Sjofn’s guitar and vocals are enhanced by the addition of Leif Ericson’s mournful fiddle.

But it is in “Missouri,” a breakup song, where the full band’s talents shine. This is only one of two tracks on the album that have backup vocals. It also has more production that any of the others, including Monsarrat’s clarinet but also two guitars, an electric guitar, and also shaker and a few licks from a hand drum. Very nicely done. So Sjofn can create multi-layered arrangements. She just chooses not to most of the time.

Sjofn does experiment. There are two cuts on the CD that I would simply call theater pieces. Married People” begins with a monolog by Sjofn and ends with one line repeatedly sung. It’s very brief. The last track on the album, “Ahh” tells a story though sounds such as walking out of the rain, wolves,  a door opening and closing, a heartbeat, glass breaking, a scream, a shot, then a rewind. What follows is a mix of sounds that don’t seem to have much to do with the first group of noises. But it’s very intriguing.

All of the seventeen songs on this album are very short. In fact, the whole album is only 44 minutes long. There are no long instrumentals or elaborate poetic rants. But what is there is interesting to listen to and that’s saying a lot. Instead of mimicking a lot of the fluff that’s on disc, Sjofn has chosen to use a simpler vehicle and let her songs, her voice, and unusual instrumental choices carry her work. It’s really a bold idea. It’s no wonder then that Sjofn has been in demand at folk festivals all over the globe. It will be interesting to see what else she will pull out of her bag of tricks in future albums.

Review by Janie Franz

Janie Franz, Reviews Secret, Sjofn

Ria, Mike Grutka’s third CD, offers a glimpse into the writing life of this Saratoga Springs NY singer/songwriter. The twelve songs on this album, all Grutka originals, range from love songs to rock ballads about ambition to songs that chronicle self-discovery.

Though the CD indicates that Grutka tours with a band consisting of Josh Radigan, Greg Nash, Mike Steiner, and Steve Barmash, there are no band credits on the liner notes. From the quality of the backup, however, it appears Grutka used digital and electronic sources combined with his guitar. He has recorded and produced everything himself and even does his own vocal backup. This has allowed Grutka the freedom and the responsibility to create a sound that represents his unique musical intention. There’s no one else to praise or blame about this album. It rests on Grutka’s merits alone.

The songs are radio friendly, though often lyrically obscure. It is mainly the way Grutka has arranged and produced each song that has created a listenable sound. It falls flat, however, in “The Sea” where the vocals are obscured by the synthesized melody, the loud drum track, and even the electric guitar, which may or may not be digital. It’s a shame because the song really tries to say something. Unfortunately, the lyrics themselves are disjointed and don’t complete the thought the song is aiming for.

This is a problem with a lot of songwriters/poets. There is an assumption that if you put pleasant sounding words together, they will make some spiritual or intellectual sense. The title track, “Lifetime (Ria),” which happens to end this CD, is just that, a string of words and phrases to a beat. Oddly, it works in a haunting sort of way, yet still the meaning is deeply buried.

Grutka, however, can write a seminal thought as “Goodbye” attests. It’s a simple song that has a heart-tugging melody, superbly delivered by Grutka’s vocal style. The production is restrained, though there is a lot going on for the ear to hear. It is mainly the simplicity of the vocals and the guitar that make the song stand out. Very nicely done.

“Actress” is another gem on this album. It’s upbeat, yet with an inner melancholy woven into the lyrics. “Everything” also is another peppy tune with darker undertones. Here, again, Grutka uses a lot of single line phrases that aren’t necessarily completed thoughts, but for some reason, they work. It’s as if the mind completes the gestalt of the thought in spite of the sparse lyric. In contrast, “Same Thing” has a Beatlesque feel while it points to a sort of spinning, non-movement of a life.

Ria starts slow but hits its stride in the middle. Despite its lack of lyrical polish, the album works, mostly because it creates a mood that is infectious. It will be interesting to see what Mike Grutka does with his next album, which is waiting in the wings for release.

Review by Janie Franz

Janie Franz, Reviews Mike Grutka, Ria

Stephen Lee cites musical powerhouses such as Earth Wind & Fire, Marvin Gaye, and Prince as influences to his sound, and truthfully his voice is every bit as soulful and pleasant as the legends he admires.  On his 2010 single, “Online”, Lee combines his beautiful voice with the sounds of technologically polished R&B that incorporates digitized self-harmony effects and thumping beats.  The song even has a great build with the final repetition of the chorus building up to some fantastic vocalizing, keyboard effects, and a small choir of overdubbed vocals.  Regrettably, Lee’s talent for singing and the great arrangement don’t help the song fully rise above its lackluster lyric.

Lee’s lyric is an understandable cry of frustration over the growth of social networking sites and the substitute they’ve become for actual, physical, social interaction.  Though the meaning is particularly relevant to year of 2010, as time goes by it will become less so.  Parts of the song are already dated as Lee sings of MySpace and instant messenger, the former of which may not be around past 2010 and the later of which has gone past its prime.  The chorus contains no less than four technological mentions, “Connect on MySpace/Friend you on Facebook/I guess I’ll text you/Watch you on YouTube.”

The growth of technology makes lyrics like this date very poorly very quickly; for example, the 1996 Rush album Test For Echo features the song “Virtuality” with lyrics including “Net boy, net girls/Send your impulse ’round the world/Put your message in a modem/And throw it in the Cyber Sea.“  Though still maintaining an element of truth, the lyrics have not dated well and sound antiquated by today’s standards.  Ultimately, the same thing will happen to Lee’s lyric as technology quickly evolves and the social networking fad beings to taper off.

Beyond the technological roll call, the rest of the lyrics are fairly basic. The first verse’s rhyme scheme is predictable and some of the rhymes even halfhearted as Lee ends the lines with face, date, communicate, and way.  Lee tries to convey a very timely message, but does it in a way that will not stand the test of time.  In his defense though, if Rush, one of the most successful bands of all-time can’t craft a decent lyric in the same vein, then Lee is in good company.

The saving grace of Stephen Lee’s “Online” is that outside the lyric, everything works well.  The beat and arrangement is danceable and goes above and beyond by featuring a musical build.  Lee’s greatest asset, his beautiful voice, is at the very least featured in fine form.  The last minute of the song is the best part as Lee soulfully croons and lets his voice explore its range and power.  It’s just unfortunate that his beautiful voice is used to sing a woefully weak lyric.  Still, there is enough talent elsewhere in the song to make it a mostly enjoyable listen.

Review by Heath Andrews

Heath Andrews, Reviews Online, Stephen Lee

With recording production par excellence and soaked in Marshall modern rockpop guitars, Sean McCarthy is assuredly professional performance grade.  His spot-on lead vocals are rendered in unquestionable confidence, backed by a consummate team of musicians and engineering.  And the songs? Well… they’re pretty darn good.  Here and there maybe even close to great, but not quite.  Like 96.3% of modern pop and rock music, the vast majority of the essential songwriting content here is derivative.  REM, Bruce Springsteen, Steve Earle, Switchfoot, and many, many more are heard. Imitation is the highest flattery.  Those who are familiar with pop hit music since the Beatles will easily recognize pieces and patches, segments, sections and melodies, vibes and vocals that we have heard over and over through the years.  And who can fault Mr. McCarthy for putting out more of a good thing?  Still, it is always oh-so refreshing to hear artists push and struggle for uncompromising originality and uniqueness, what little there may be of it left to find.  After so many decades of so much so fine, it is a tall order, to be sure.

Track by track:

1. I know it’s only rock-n-roll, but this particular one is known as “Found Mary.”  She strives for a glorious and celebratory feel, and is somewhat successful in achieving it.  Heavily chiming, rhythmically consistently predictable lower register and high bell-like rock rhythm guitar(s) abound.  They drive the trad-rock beat home more or less throughout this arm-waving party crowd let loose.  During the verse, the lead vocal melody is slightly more buried in the mix than might be ideal, but it’s a fine pop note sequence, with happy 6ths and some subtle, poignant major-7 injections that tend to tug at heartstrings.  Likely a rousing, get-up-on-your-feet, crowd pleaser, this one.  Crank it up and dance!

1. The lead vocal is plenty on top here, especially during the backed-off backup instrumentation in the first verse, and beautifully executed.  “Pretty” again seeks to touch deeply in a traditional pop-rock kinda way, and will certainly succeed for what may be an appreciable percentage of the audience.  With just a few more dynamics than the previous track, this song offers a semi-innovative chord progression behind part of the pre-post chorus, and a plaintive progression for the rest.  “I will give you everything in this heartbeat” is a poetic line that any open-hearted woman will soak up and glow in, when uttered by her beloved, sincere man.

1. “Sunday Morning” starts in a sparse, sad soft synth draped with a hopeful melancholy.  Steadily building by gentle percussion, chimey fade-in guitars and methodically added layers of atmospheric drone, we keep thickening the stew, waiting until after the 2-minute mark to solidly land and resolve into the major key pay-off hook groove chorus sing-along section.  Musically, like much of this CD so far, the chorus of this tune seeks to inspire us reaching up and out into a triumphant spirit of hope, with soaring add-2/9’s, a very common and essential ingredient in most guitar-based, modern rock music.

1. We all need a little “Sympathy”—agreed.  And Mary is back to help tell the story.  Sammy, the working man, breaks down from a lack of familial relations, and it sounds like a healthy, good and true thing for him to do!  We gotta acknowledge our deep feelings, my friends.

1. It was not a good scene, so he adamantly belts out “Goodbye” and good riddance to her, feeling (bitterly?) light and optimistic about his fresh new start.  Powered and fueled by choppy staccato rhythm guitar machine gun blasts over a thumping beat, we march out into our brave new world.  It may have been good while it lasted, but it’s definitely time to leave, and this departure is done with expectant, exciting conviction.  Enough of those under-the-breath comments.

Review by Mike Ososki

Mike Ososki, Reviews Everything Has Past, Sean McCarthy

Minneapolis-based singer-songwriter Nic Stevens’ debut release, Willow Run, embodies poignant tales and powerful music. The five-song EP’s musical accompaniment can be easily envisioned in an arena setting while his inspirational and spiritual lyrics bring to mind bands like Switchfoot and Lifehouse.

In fact, Stevens’ indie rock sound blends uniquely with his soaring vocals. While it’s hard to place him into one genre, his uplifting, gospel tendencies seem to beg of the Christian genre while his music lends more towards rock and singer-songwriter.

Either way, one thing is clear: his music is uplifting. It comes as no surprise then, that Stevens credits “life, love, and Jesus” as the inspiration behind his debut EP. With song titles including “Perspective,” “Reality” and “Own” Stevens takes the listener on a journey. Never sounding too preachy or lackluster, listeners are comforted in knowing that he doesn’t have it all figured out. Within each song, Stevens weaves stories of characters in a constant search while they question the meaning of life.

“Perspective” kicks things off at full force with guitar and percussion before Stevens’ vocals enter on the track. A powerful number, at times, the musical accompaniment overshadows his singing and the listener struggles to make out the lyrics.

“Own” follows suit with a softer approach. With delicate guitar finger picking and soft vocals, Stevens shows his strength in ballads. “I seem to have forgotten my distance from perfection,” he sings before the music picks up.

The piano-based “Reality” is a moving tale of a girl looking for her purpose to life. Something many can relate to, Stevens’ impassioned vocals combined with soaring music strike a chord.

“Overcome by an emptiness/Wishing for a purpose to life/ She keeps following her broken road/Hoping one day she’ll fly free/Her life is an open book/Listening everywhere for her role/ She tries to play all the parts/Losing who she is meant to be,” he sings.

While it is uncertain if the girl in the song finds herself, the uplifting music comforts and convinces the listener that she has.

“My Beautiful” picks up the pace with an energetic electric guitar feature before Stevens comes in singing, “It’s a beautiful day, it’s a beautiful day, my beautiful.” An optimistic number, the track’s heavy guitar and percussion accompaniment offer a new sound to Willow Run.

Stand-out track, “This Town” closes the album. A moving song, Stevens continues to question his life, but seems to have found himself. A fitting way to end Willow Run, the slow piano and additional music accompaniment brings the album full circle and leaves listener satisfied and wondering what is up next for Nic Stevens.

“Faith and love have let me down/But the hope of better days is live and strong,” he sings optimistically.

With a fall tour scheduled and another album release in the works for 2011, Nic Stevens shows no signs of slowing down.

Review Written by Annie Reuter

Reviews Nic Stevens, Willow Run

Nothing but good karma for Linda Bonadies’ sophomore set Karma. One would never guess that this talented singer/songwriter took a 15 year absence from music.  The superb quality of these ten songs would suggest that Bonadies has been writing and singing all her life.  Her maturity lends itself to both her lyrics and vocal performance – but there is nothing matronly about Karma. Bonadies’ panache gives her music an unassuming, friendly vibe, like that of a good role model or mentor.  Her voice is stripped of any girlish qualities but rather exudes confidence and a graceful presence, like Stevie Nicks minus the excessive vibrato (thankfully).

The opening title track is catchy and upbeat with repetitive “da da daas” that cannot help but get stuck in your head.  The straight ahead melody is a simplistic definition of karma itself: what goes around comes around.  David Coe’s electric guitar solo in the bridge continues this accessible trend by only slightly straying from the melody with his embellishments.  Ultimately Karma ends with another tune at almost the same tempo to neatly wrap the album and bring it full circle.  “Lead With Your Heart” continues with the realistic, self-analyzing lyrical advice that brushes up but never slips into the realm of cliché.

Sandwiched in between these two numbers is a fabulous array of adult contemporary gems.  Bonadies conveys that life is not always rosy in “Runaway Train.”  The well-written instrumental opening is accentuated with piano atop quick percussion.  By the second verse a nice string arrangement has entered the mix.  As the song progresses, so does the wall of sound until the coda where the electric guitar plays over the percussion and ends with a stinger.  The most unique track on Karma is “Stir Crazy.”  It strays from the pop realm and hinges on a more hard/Goth rock feel with a heavy amount of echo effect on Bonadies’ voice and a repetitive, singular note melody.  The suspended cymbal and strings add to the dramatic effect and is an excellent departure from all the other songs on the album.

One of the most delightful qualities of Bonadies’ songwriting is her exquisite ability of making the most of her background vocals.  “Take Nothing For Granted” exhibits excellent vocal layering wrapped around Kerry Takahashi’s lovely cello work.  The background vocals in the innocent love song “For A Night” have an endearing Carpenters quality, minus their signature oboe/trumpet solo.  The countermelody in “The Way It Is” is first rate with more notable acoustic guitar work by Coe.  Bonadies’ confident vocals are never grating but can at times have a rough curl around her “r” sounds.  This makes the duet “You” with Tony Burnett not work quite as well.  Both vocal deliveries are great but their voices are not the best compliment for each other.  At times Burnett’s vocal line is above Bonadies’ yet her voice is not quite so low that it makes for the song to have an overall excess of treble sounds.

Nonetheless, the blend on the entire album is great, Bonadies’ songwriting skills are phenomenal and the music loving community is incredibly fortunate to have such a talented artist back in our midst again.

Review by Kelly O’Neil

Kelly O'Neil, Reviews Karma, Linda Bonadies