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CD
REVIEWS:
JENN LONDON EP
(self-titled,
2005)
J. London Imports
by Nick Wolven
Rude girls of rock ‘n roll have to strike
a tricky balance between the aggressive impudence of the
quintessential rock star and the candyshop sensuality of a
typical female celebrity. Jenn London’s new EP reminds one of a rude girl trying on a
diva’s dress. Her
sweet-and-sour voice sneers and snaps its way through sarcastic
verses, then peps up suddenly in each chorus to deliver a catchy
hook. In the
choruses especially her voice has a pert, cute tone that
contrasts surprisingly with her sharp-tongued delivery: you tilt
your head as you listen. Previous
recordings hid her vocals in a jumble of effects; she seemed to
be singing from the corner of a room full of synthesizers.
The production on this effort is straight-up rock, with
London’s babydoll-on-a-rampage voice set squarely in the
center of the stage--an arrangement that should appeal to those
who like a seasoning of rude girl aggression with their daily
pop hook.
Nick Wolven is a contributor to
WomanRock.com.
photo: Wayne Herrschaft
FOR THE LOVE OF C...
Gina
Cutillo
G Records
Gina Cutillo holds nothing back on her debut solo disc, a
project that was produced by the indie rock diva herself, and
recorded on her very own label.
The sound is built on a pure
guitar/bass/drums foundation, a 4/4 fix for rock addicts who
can’t get off on a product with a glossy, overproduced and
polished mix.
The penetration of “Love In A Frame
Captured” and the disc’s opener “Another Way” offers the
raw energy usually only found in live recordings, and this
“purist” element serves the compositions well.
Lyrically, Gina wears her heart and sexuality on her sleeve with
first person one on one love songs that read like passion
letters from a romantic who knows the true power and risk of
allowing one’s self to love fearlessly. “Fade To Love”
ventures into the undertow of self-examination, “I won’t
have it any other way-so in love I cannot save myself…” Meanwhile,
in “The Sky Opened Up” rains sunshine on the rush that comes
with recognizing one’s soul mate.
For Gina Cutillo, love equals empowerment,
as these songs expose a writer who is unafraid to ask for
(or even demand) what she wants from her lover. Yet there
is an underlying vulnerability in Gina’s message that brings
her down to Earth and makes her accessible to the mainstream.
For The Love Of C is a bumpy ride, but a journey worth
taking.
Dan Brown is the entertainment editor of Good Times
Magazine and the founder and editor of IndyZine.com - The
Online Magazine For Independent Artists.
OLD WORLD UNDERGROUND, WHERE ARE YOU NOW
Metric
(Everloving Records)
by Tracy Fay
New wave synthesizers fused with punk
rock riff give Metric’s debut album an indie rock sound
without pretension. Emily Haines’ vocals bounce from
coquettish to depressed cheerleader and the existential, war
focused lyrics remind us there is more going on in the world
then who’s in and who’s out. It’s nice to see a band
design their own vision of what they think we should be
listening too and Old World, Underground seems to do be
doing just that. It has the dance tunes that radio loves with
the street cred of an indie rock band, so why isn’t this band
famous yet? Stand out tracks include “Dead Disco” and
“Combat Baby.”
Tracy Fay is a contributing
writer for Womanrock.com.
©
1999-2005. WOMANROCK.com. All Rights Reserved.
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