Rating:
Genre:
Rock
Release Date: 02/08/2005
Those who like
Nellie McKay's smart, witty updating of the
cabaret style but either find her lyrics too precious and precocious or are turned off by her
rap-influenced forays will latch onto
Sylvie Lewis' debut album. Similarly, fans of the
Magnetic Fields' more recent
chamber pop releases, the late
Kirsty MacColl's masterful late-'80s/early-'90s blend of
Elvis Costello and
Carole King, and those who love
Norah Jones but wish she just weren't so darned polite all the time will find much to love.
Lewis' throaty vocals, dryly witty lyrics (
"My Rival" positions the singer as a teenager frustrated by an older woman's headstart on life, love and happiness before taking solace in the fact that at least her rival will be really old well before she is), and knack for jazzy small combo arrangements that intelligently use subtle orchestration to enhance their basic piano-bass-drums setup. Particular highlights include the dramatic
"Conversation Piece," a duet with co-producer
Richard Swift that recalls
Julee Cruise's two albums with
David Lynch and
Angelo Badalamenti, and the appealingly flirty
"All His Exes," but the entire album is a mature, richly satisfying delight.
~Stewart Mason, All Music Guide
Cart 0 items
Listen
