Fall Reviews 2008
Dazz: Subtle Driven Confidence
Rockin’ chicks... Who comes to mind? Chrissie Hinds, Pat Benatar, Grace Slick…Stevie Nicks? Surfer Rosa? Does Sheryl Crow count? Darcy Andersohn, aka Dazz, is a rockin’ chick in the same vein as these women. Her second album, Subtle Driven Confidence is a rock album with a soft side - lots of guitar and vocals with attitude.
The album starts rockin’ right away with a guitar and Dazz singing about being a “Bad Girl”. This is straight up rock-n-roll with a guest guitar solo to boot.
“C U Again” is a combination of Led Zeppelin and Rush. Yes, that’s right – the song has a hint of “Going to California” with Geddy Lee as the lead singer.
“Deeper I go” reminds me of a woman’s version of Tom Waits – a smoky bar filled tune, late night and too much whiskey? But then a woman is singing this, which means that this night will end with optimism.
For most of the tracks, I’m not sure what this album is trying to say. “Slip Away” is a very standard rock song, with guitar licks and solos, but the very next song “Euthanasia” is slow and sounds less like rock - softer, yet strange, like Tori Amos.
Subtle Driven Confidence seems to be a stream of conscience that starts with falling in love, being in love and not having enough time, losing your love and ends with moving on.
The first track, “Bad Girl”, is where she realizes how he makes her feel and the last song, “Never Hit the Brakes”, encourages us to go on no matter what.
Dazz is trying to show us something – real or made up. On one of the tracks, “Euthanasia”, Dazz shares her experience with losing her father. This song is a deviation from the rest of the album, in that it is much less rock and much more concept.
One thing’s for sure, Dazz is intentionally trying to take us on a journey through ups and downs.
The album’s title is “Subtle Driven Confidence”, but the album is not all that subtle. Dazz has clearly made a rock album. She burned the CD to look like a retro vinyl album complete with grooves. There are guitar solos and swaying rhythms that sound like Axel Rose and Stevie Nicks. And, overall, the album is pretty good. It is not innovative, but it is nice to get another rockin’ chick album to listen to. Dazz has included a lot of variety of sounds and quality in this album, and I think her confidence is not so subtle but she has certainly driven to produce a very enjoyable album.
Review by Karen Beaham
Women On The Move: Beautiful
This is a compilation album by a variety of women and in a variety of music styles. Fourteen women from southern California, each with her own successes as independent musicians, have come together to make an album that reflects love, laughter, tears and empowerment. This CD project, both the CD itself and subsequent concerts, was made to benefit domestic violence shelters. But don’t be fooled – this CD is not about domestic violence.
This is an uplifting CD meant to give women voices – strong voices meant to get us through the hard times and the good times. This is not a man bashing CD. If anything, given it’s countryish style, it affirms that there are good relationships, and women should not compromise themselves for a bad man
As the song, “One Good Man”, points out, there is a good man out there for you. The very next track, “Take a Breath”, is about leaving your man, but again, it does not either bash the man or victimize the woman.
This album was performed by seasoned Nashville studio musicians, and you can here the twang in every song, even the one’s that are not country.
This is a sweet album. Inevitably, the album is about hope and resurrection. Each song has a different feel, as each song has a different singer/song writer. The concept is excellent and of course the cause is great. A portion of sales goes towards womens' shelters and I recommend buying it if only for that reason.
Review by Karen Beaham
South Of Sanity:
South Of Sanity submitted for our Metal Music feature for Fall 2008, but I wouldn’t necessarily call them “metal”, but metal-inspired with a melodic, well-produced sound and clear vocals reminiscent of Alice In Chains. Don’t get me wrong, these guys can rock and play great licks, but in a grunge sort of style more than hardcore, thrash or black metal.
The lyrical ideas range from dark ideas of black angels’ invitations to Hell in “Burn” to the kind of soft-hearted angel calling a friend away from pain in “River”.
The initials S.O.S plays on different meanings to the listener like a sense of purgatory between finding the strength to go on with a hard life and throwing it all down for a mosh pit to consume.
The quality of escaping a tedious wait like a life spent striving toward greatness while never knowing just when recognition will come focuses in the song, “Diamonds”. Lyrics like, “and it’s not my choice to make for if you live or die/ I don’t have any answers please don’t ask me why/ Cuz I am just your messenger” show how in tune South Of Sanity stays with thoughts of making this life memorable and being joined along the ride.
“Hey baby welcome to paradise…don’t throw it all down the drain”
South Of Sanity would certainly rock a local venue or entertain the drive to work while played on the radio. The riffs stay smooth and still tear it up at times, but the main benefit is the melody in the vocals which cascades often in sweet soloing. The recommendations Target Audience would make for this band is to include song titles on future albums and continue pushing ahead toward greatness. It’s more than “A Roll of the Dice”, it’s the energy and passion of creating an outlet for all. Because “the faces fade away but tomorrow brings another day” – from “Somber”.
Review by Ellen E. Aldridge
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