Tag: vocal

“Inspired by sex dreams…..”

I admit it, as soon as I heard Brandi Carlile say that her new song Dreams was inspired by sex dreams, I was hooked in. Luckily, the music is great and I have stayed around just for the fun. I got lucky and the One2One network got me a free download of her entire album. I liked it so much, I turned around a bought a copy for a friend as soon as it was available.

True Confessions? I am a die hard Melissa Ethridge and Indigo Girls fan. ( kill me, I am already over it) As such, I was doomed to love this album. In “Looking Out“, the rocking beat pushed hard and adds to the desperation and ache that echoes in her voice while she belts out lyrics like: “I’ve got a new interpretation and it’s a better point of view… you were looking out for a landslide and I was looking out for you…” …. “I close my eyes and think of you, I take a step , I think of you, I catch my breathe – I think of you….” “when you are outside looking in, you belong to someone”…. This contrasts with the quiet vocals ( almost a yodel in some places) accompanied by ukele in “Oh Dear” “It’s only you that my heart desires, only you alone that can break my fall…”. Then of course there is “Dreams”, not quite folk, not quite country, not quite rock but 100% wonderful. “I keep it to myself, I don’t know what it means- I can’t argue with dreams– I have dreams”. If you have any love in your life for a female folk rocker type of musician, this is a must listen, must own album.

Your Songs, My Songs, a trip down memory lane


I am apparently exactly the demographic being targeted in the latest Harry Connick, Jr musical collection ( album? CD? Download?) from the One2One network. I was very lucky to get a copy of the new set of songs to review and had a blast with it from the first play through. This is a set of songs that were fresh and new and popular as I was a kid growing up. Listening to this immediately flashes me back top a calmer, safer and more pleasant time– how can you not love that ? As a matter of fact, it reminded me so much of my childhood that I gave my free copy to my Dad as a part of his recent birthday celebration.

While Harry soars with “ All the way” and “Can’t help falling in love with you” and you can not help but sing along when he gets to “Besame Mucho“. I was not thrilled with his rendition of “Some Enchanted Evening”– but in fairness ever since I saw South Pacific as a child, no one but Rossano Brazzi is allowed to sing this song and have me like it. He was also just not quite right for “First Time Ever I Saw Your Face”– but it takes a strong take to overcome Roberta Flack in my mind. I would have ended the collection with “And I Love You So” instead of pushing on, but I am an incurable romantic.
It has been a couple of years since Harry has released anything other than Christmas music, and this sweet little album is a good plunge back into the waters. I will quietly qualify this by saying that I also recently picked up the new Michael Buble and that is currently showing as many plays in my iTunes library as Harry is– even though it came out a month or so later… if you have to pick just one retro dream album- go with the Buble. If picking up a couple works, I recommend them both.