Lindsay Aline - Illusion (2009)

I was recently approached by the management of Lindsay Aline requesting that I review her debut album, Illusion. 

Upon first listen I'll be the first to admit this is not normally the kind of music I would listen to.  It's generally a bit too light for my tastes.

That being said there's no denying Ms. Aline's talent her voice is reminiscent of Evanessence's Amy Lee.  Her style is closer to My Immortal than to Wake Me Up Inside. 

There's a haunting yearning in her vocal delivery on most songs.  While there is some variance of style from song to song there's a bit too much similarity for my tastes.  All of the songs are relaxing and easy to listen to and could easily stand on their own.  But the sum of the whole does show a lack of variety.

All of that aside, this is Ms. Aline's debut album and as far as debut albums it's certainly a worthy outing.  I can't help feeling that she's holding back though.  As I listen to songs like What Would It Be Like (easily my favorite on the album or Pop My Collar with its beautiful muted trumpet backing her hauntingly beautiful voice. I can't help but feel Lindsay is giving but a glimpse of herself...  She's giving just enough of herself to whet the listener's appetite.  There is an undercurrent of untapped potential that resonates under each song.  Even if that talent is never FULLY realized Lindsay is talented enough that she'll have a respectable career.  But if she ever really taps into her full potential she will be a force to be reckoned with.

If you're looking for a relaxing Sunday afternoon CD, Illusion should certainly fit that bill, but I do challenge Ms. Aline dig deeper, the talent is undeniably there.  She's given us a taste of what she's capable of, next time I hope she feeds us the meal. (7 out of 10)

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Lindsay Aline

Joseph Williams - The Two of Us (2006)

Truth be told, Joseph Williams could release an album of him singing the Greater Manhattan Yellow Pages and I'd probably love it. And while the market does seem to be saturated with covers albums, what's the harm in one more.

The Two of Us refers to Joseph's voice and the piano that accompanies him on every song. There's no drums, no guitars-- these interpretations are laid bare which allows the listener to fully appreciate Joseph's golden tenor vocals.

Admittedly some of the songs chosen for this album are head scratchers (Aerosmith's Don't Want to Miss a Thing and Celine Dion's Because You Loved Me for example), but the head-scratchers are forgiveable given Joseph's pristine delivery.

While his voice has deepened since his brief tenure in Toto (1986-1989) and he may not have the high range he once did, he does compensate for the loss of his higher range by occassionally sleeping to the depths of his lower register showing he's almost as capable a baritone as he is a tenor.

In all honesty though, there are no real surprises on the album, but this is not the type of album one would rush out and by if he or she were looking for something new or different. This is a celebration of the human voice and the piano, when laid bare there's a beauty in the simplicity of the arrangements that allows Joseph to really show off his vocal strengths.

The highlights include Now and Forever which is at least as good, if not better than Richard Marx's original version, Elton John's Your Song, Boz Scagg's We're All Alone, and the Righteous Brothers Unchained Melody.

On the whole this is that perfect CD for a quiet evening in with that someone special. Beautiful, peaceful, and relaxed music focusing on its delivery. The only real flaw is in the production, there's some feedback and distortion on some songs that should have been caught and fixed before the album's release.

Ben Folds - Songs For Silverman (2005)

He is often compared to, and in many ways, similar to Billy Joel. Much like Joel his songs tell stories, his songs are rather open for different interpretation based on the feelings and mindset of the listener. However, their lyrical styles are nearly polar opposites. Ben Folds writes the songs Billy Joel would have written had he come of age in the 80s and 90s instead of the 70s. There’s a certain Generation X detachment in Folds songs that sets him apart from predecessors and makes him unique.

In his latest outing, Songs For Silverman, Ben Folds waxes poetic about subjects as various as religion, relationships, parenthood, and the passing of friends/mentors.

Lyrically and musically this album is a departure from Rockin’ the Suburbs, it lacks the wit but replaces it with a bit more of an emotional punch. At first listen, I was aching for the fun and the less dour tone of Folds previous works, but with each subsequent listen this album has tiptoed into my psyche with a gentle subtlety. Folds may not be telling any “new tales” in his songs, but he tells many of the tales of life we’re all too familiar with in such a refreshingly deep and personal way that he makes his stories ours as well.