Tristen, Charlatans At The Garden Gate

by:  Thomas Zinder

I stumbled on Tristen at a small club in Santa Fe and later learned how long and hard she worked on these 11 songs. There are songs here that will stick with you a long time because of their clever lyrics, deceptive vocals, beautiful hooks, and alluring harmonies. This is a terrific record, not someone's toss-off, but a combination of talent, insight, and experience, put together by some folks who clearly live to make good music. 


A native of Chicago, Tristen left the confines of the windy city after graduating from college.She set out for Nashville where she sought out a more granular, organic music scene.There she grafted influences from music and people she found in the city's grittier establishments.
She soon began recording with the help of friends, and based on the strength of a 5 song hand packaged EP sold at her many self booked tour dates and home town gigs, Tristen began to draw attention from local press and national taste-makers.

Paste named her a 'Best of What s Next' and American Songwriter praised her music, noting that Tristen's 'strength seems to reside in her ability to be musically versatile. Utilizing various orchestrations, Tristen weaves a glistening web of thoughtful and extremely mature melodies that tremble with undeniable power.'

For there part, the Nashville Scene has described Tristen's sound as encompassing 'the sweepingly delicate Kate Bush to the 50s pop of Sylvia Robinson of Mickey & Sylvia fame.'

Now signed to the indie label American Myth Recordings, Tristen is touring in support of a 7 inch for the single 'Eager For Your Love' which was released on February 1st.

Jacqui Sutton, Billie & Dolly

by: Harriet Goldsmith, Senior Contributor

What do Billie Holiday and Dolly Parton have to do with each other, well in short it is the brainchild concept of debut vocalist Jacqui Sutton, and she brands her unique sound as Frontier Jazz and calls herself a Jazzgrass Chic.  Jazz and bluegrass melding is not a new concept completely, it has been performed instrumentally by Béla Fleck, but what Sutton offers is the next step, a vocal reading that you can hear the joy in her voice coming through each cut.

Sutton employed composer Henry Darragh to assist her with putting her ideas down on paper.  The two have cooked up a jambalaya of tasty sounds and textures.  Even though the CD is named Billie& Dolly the two namesakes only bookend the release, Billie’s “God Bless the Child” is cut #1 and Parton’s “Endless Stream of Tears” closes out the journey.  In between the bookends are songs from the American Songbook, from the world of musical theater, and a science song written for children.

“Black Hole” comes from a collection of songs about the science of astronomy by contemporary composer David Haines, Sutton gives it a swampy feel supported by horn lines and the swank of banjo.

“Risk” from bluegrass man F.M. Turner a cut featured on his album Igniter is re-treated by Sutton at a slower pace with elements of R&B grooves splashed across the canvas to create a new work of art. 

The songs from composer Danny Ashkenasi are included in this embodiment of work,” Keeper of Your Love”,  ” Sweep Me Off My Feet” and  from the play, beTwixt, beTween & beTWAIN “Mississippi Song” is included from the Ashkenasi catalog and given a swampy torch song feel, with the twang of the banjo.  Sutton soars vocally as sounds of plucking and high register delights fill this delicate cut, joined by the cello and hints of horns dancing in the background, the listener is transported to the banks of folklore.

More than just a CD, Billie & Dolly is like listening to a play, with each cut having its own story.  I could easily see the theme set to a play, almost a story of America.  

Josh Groban, illuminations

by:  Sherrie Jackson

I came a little late to the Josh Groban party; he already had three albums out and the Christmas one on the way. I think that may be why changes in style and mood from album to album don't bother, or delight, me as they do fans who've been there from the beginning. I recognize "Illuminations" is a hard right turn away from previous efforts, but there is a lot to enjoy here. 

"Hidden Away" and "Higher Window" are real surprises for me; they're simple, beautiful songs, and not unlike the song "Awake" from the album of the same name; however, the melodies are very strong here and the lyrics feel close to home. "Straight to You" is starting to look like my favorite song of his: the interpretation is sublime, the instrumentation inspired, and I like that he stays in mid-range, which reinforces the lyrics of the chorus. 

"Voce Existe Em Mim" is the coolest song he's ever done. Had he stuck to the previous albums' formula, this could have had the track 1 spot. Obviously the beat is killer. And do the chords in the chorus sound distinctly...Native American? Even cooler. There are a lot of amazing layers in these songs, some of which require the use of headphones to fully appreciate. 

"London Hymn" is where I started to think I understood the underlying inspiration JG was working from. I don't know too much about his musical roots - I know he loves the theater - but it's hard not to think he owns a lot of classical music. When you hear pieces like Rachmaninov's "Vespers" or Sibelius' "Andante Festivo," it's extremely easy to make the transition to "London Hymn" or "Straight to You." 

There are other strong songs - "If I Walk Away," "War at Home," "L'Ora Dell'Addio." The French song was just okay for me, as were "Bells of NYC" and "Galileo." He does use quite a lot of falsetto this time around, which is...interesting, and sometimes it's lovely and sometimes I kind of raise an eyebrow... "The Wandering Kind" sounds like Jim Brickman, and I just don't go for that kind of piano music. Something, instead, along the lines of Enya's "A Day Without Rain" would have completely made my day. 

While I understand the frustration of the fans who were hoping for a different style and selection of songs, some of the highly negative reviews here are just silly. One reviewer said it was the worst singing they had heard, maybe ever? If that is the case, whatever criteria they are using is so far from the realm of actual musical adjudication as to be basically worthless. Even his most over-eager fans are still right: he has one of the best voices, period. It doesn't help anyone to demean him for the sake of a one- or two-star review. 

I applaud him for trying new things, for taking a risk in a new direction, and I feel as though with this album I understand better who he is, as a person and musician. Hopefully he will get the overall sense that this was a success by his definition, and continue to find happiness giving of himself in the coming years. 

Celtic Woman, Lullaby

by:  Jim Gardner

This is a nice addition to the Celtic Woman collection but I was disappointed that there are only 10 tracks on the album and out of the 10 tracks only 6 of them are new and the other 4 tracks are reused from previous albums. They also don't include any tracks by new Celtic Woman singer Lisa Lambe. I don't see why they waited so long to release this album as there are songs on here by Lynn Hilary who left Celtic Woman a few months back right after Alex Sharpe left. But the biggest disappointment about this CD was the packaging that the record label decided to put it in, they didn't put it in a standard jewel case, they packaged it in a cardboard digipak and it does't include a booklet with artowrk or lyrics either. 


For the price that they are charging as i bought 2 copies last night for 11.99 at Best Buy they could have packaged it in a jewel case with an artwork booklet just like all their previous albums. All in all for the die-hard Celtic Woman collector such as I it is a must have.

Eminem Strikes Back With 'Recovery'

by: D. Reid

If you have been let down or disappointed by the last few efforts by Eminem, don't count him out just yet. 'Recovery' is, in my opinion, probably one of the best albums since his debut, if not the best of his entire career. Gone are the immature pop hits that have occupied his albums since Encore (Deluxe Edition). In their place are really deep songs that aren't really hardcore rap or hip-hop but certainly aren't weak, forgettable pop songs that made it onto his album in the past. On a few tracks of 'Recovery' he acknowledges that his past efforts, especially 'Relapse', weren't that great. He also states that with 'Recovery' he wanted to raise the bar and return with something that would silence his critics and reassure his fans that he was back to true form and better than ever. In my opinion, 'Recovery' does just that. It's a deep and personal album but better produced than Relapse and features some of his best lyrics and raps. If you thought Eminem had lost his edge, give this album a listen because I think it's clear that he found it again. 

The Good: For me, what makes 'Recovery' such a great album is how personal it is. There are a lot of tracks that deal with his personal demons such as his toxic relationship with his ex wife, the death of his close friend, his inability to deal with fame, his addictions. Unlike with 'Relapse' that seemed to lack any real feeling or personality, this time around he holds nothing back and combines revealing lyrics with some great beats that gave the album a real epic feel, starting with "Cold Wind Blows" where he starts off the album proclaiming his return and striking out at some of his adversaries and critics (including, of course, Mariah Carey) and the album ventures into personal territory from there. "Talkin' To Myself" shows off a different side of Eminem as he reveals his insecurities and admits that he envied the rise of rappers like Lil Wayne and Kanye West and wanted to tear them down just because he was starting to fall off his pedestal. He goes so far as to apologize to them for wanting to rip them, which seems very mature and new for an artist who used to go after everyone and anything in the past that irked him even in the slightest. "Going Through Changes" is a track where he admits he needed help and that he had issues with addictions; "Space Bound" deals with his fears of being alone and isolated and how those fears impact his relationships with others; "25 to Life" uses the metaphor of a relationship gone sour with a woman to describe his relationship with hip-hop. There are also some upbeat/triumphant tracks such as "You're Never Over" where he eulogizes and celebrates the life of his friend Proof and is able to turn a dark situation into motivation to go on and accomplish big things; "Cinderella Man" features a boastful, proud Eminem who proclaims that mediocrity isn't acceptable in his career anymore; "No Love" deals with him getting over being dissed and ignored by a woman he loves and how he won't let her actions bring him down. There are definitely a wide variety of emotions at play on 'Recovery' that shows off Eminem's insecurities, issues and his strengths and makes for a great listen overall. 

The Bad: A few tracks didn't work as well for me and disturbed the flow of the album. "Won't Back Down" featuring P!nk sounds like an attempt at rock and a freestyle session - it was okay but I had no desire to listen to it again after hearing it for the first time. "Seduction" and "On Fire" felt like filler tracks. There are a few tracks, such as "W.T.P." (white trash party) and "Seduction" where Eminem tries to be flirtatious and attractive through lyrics and it just felt awkward and out of place. 

In all, the number of good tracks with depth, feeling and good production definitely outweighs the weaker tracks. I was really impressed by this effort from Eminem and have had over half of the album on repeat. This is definitely worth checking out and worth purchasing. 

Listen To These: "25 to Life", "Going Through Changes", "You're Never Over", "Space Boud", "No Love"

Marsha Ambrosius, Late Nights, Early Mornings

by:  Nishelle Ette

Marsha Ambrosius was one half of UK Neo Soul duo Floetry, and also co-wrote the Michael Jackson hit "Butterflies". With such pedigree, I had high expectations for this, her debut CD, which unfortunately are largely unmet. It comes some 3 months after her former bandmate Natalie "The Floacist" Stewart's stunning debut. 

Not to say it is a bad album. The mood is largely slow paced with most of the songs barely distinguishable from the next. Standouts include the title track (with tinkling piano and Ambrosius singing in a higher register), lead single "I Hope She Cheats On You (With A Basketball Player)" (with bitter vengeful lyrics), the lilting soul-searching "Lose Myself" (a ballad version of a Lauryn Hill song from the "Surf's Up" soundtrack), the retro soul ballad "Tears", and the heartfelt piano ballad "The Break Up Song" with soaring vocals and soothing harmonies, the album's standout! 

Her cover of Portishead's "Sour Times" lacks the icy cool of Beth Gibbons' delivery which added to it's haunting allure, while her inclusion of yet another version of "Butterflies" (it was featured on Floetry's debut CD) seems rather redundant. It doesn't add much to the original, but it at least raises the tempo of the album and adds some much needed groove. 

Like I said, not a bad album, but it promises more than it delivers. 3 and a half stars.

Lucinda Williams, Blessed (Deluxe Edition)

by:  Rudy Palma


With the eminent status she has achieved in American song Lucinda Williams could not be blamed for coasting a bit. Much time has passed since the two decades of largely unheeded obsessive perfection that predated her late-90s breakthrough. 

How fortunate that "Blessed" finds her lyrical and melodic powers at their zenith. Fresh, blazing inspiration is especially evident in spite of her droll, cool-as-cucumber delivery. 

The tempo is subdued, but not in the vein of "Essence" or "West," which were immensely tortured and soul-searching by comparison. A decidedly less precious approach to the songs' overall execution plays to their strengths because Williams' outlook, while still immense with thought and world-weariness, is less clenched and more relaxed. Clipped, factual acceptance is therefore fitting in its thematic dominance. 

"Buttercup," one of the few upbeat selections, does not set the stage with its classic rock feel and almost boisterous sense of levity as Williams criticizes a former flame in a nonetheless dignified manner. Its chorus is ingratiating with full throttle guitars and percussion. "Seeing Black," written for Vic Chesnutt, does not cast judgment on the troubled singer/songwriter's suicide but scratches the wounds of those left behind. She probes his motivation with a series of unanswerable questions amid searing guitar work from Elvis Costello. 

The shrewdly observed, expertly executed title track finds affirmation in unlikely places - "we were blessed by the neglected child who knew how to forgive/we were blessed by the battered woman who did not seek revenge" - and exemplifies Williams' signature incisive simplicity, the backbone of her talent. It informs more than a few songs here, also among them "I Don't Know How You're Living," typical of her slow-burning, marinated, downbeat best. Her vocals wrench as she contemplates what has become of a former love without any bitterness or self-pity - just acceptance of what has happened - and declares her continued good will. 

"Copenhagen" is lullaby-like and huggably warm as it offers an olive branch to an estranged friend, while "Born to Be Loved" is deceivingly simple as it insists upon its title phrase. "Soldier's Song" comes from the perspective of a departed serviceman and the family he has left behind. Her sparing matter-of-factness maximizes the songs' effectiveness. 

"Awakening" is a swirling, epic tour de force with deadly serious percussion and guitar work. Her vocals, hanging loose and icy in the mix as she repeatedly declares her intentions to accept the unchangeable are bone-chilling in their funereal restraint amid the song's topsy-turvy arrangement - and appropriately so, since the song is a death of sorts in its resolution to put an end to habits that, for more than half a lifetime, have proven unsatisfying. 

"Kiss Like Your Kiss" with its summery, meditative imagery sounds like a safe haven in the storm as it waxes love and comfort. It is the most resolute, unambiguous closing track of Williams' career. 

"Little Honey" had many incredible songs, but it was more a hodgepodge than a fully focused, clearly inspired album. "Blessed" is a welcome return in that regard. Her major artistic assets are in full evidence, but she also demonstrates a personal growth that provides a unique listening experience from those she has previously offered, all the while matching the quality of previous albums that cemented her reputation such as "West" and the evergreen "Car Wheels on a Gravel Road." "Blessed" is destined to join that much-lauded company.