Another very impressive debut
929457
My attention to this album, by an artist with whom I was totally unfamiliar, was drawn by raves on the cover and in the liner notes from Tom Scott, Phil Woods and Mark Murphy.  If these guys rave, this artist must be sensational, right?

My verdict:  in time, she really could be.  For now, this is a very impressive debut album.

As with many debut albums by jazz chanteusses, Ms. Donatelli has chosen the relatively safe route of sticking with the Great American Songbook.  Not entirely, though:  the one original, Tom Garvin (p.)'s "A Roarin' Borin' Alice" is probably the highlight of the album.  As you might guess from that title, the song is hilarious, reminiscent of Jon Hendricks' "Gimme That Wine" or Mose Allison's "Your Mind's On Vacation".

But what sets this album apart from most vocal jazz debut albums are the charts.  We have some unique stuff here: "On Green Dolphin Street" done in 5/4 time; "You Don't Know What Love Is" recast to a rhumba beat; "Dream Dancing" done to a samba beat; and a cool scat in unison with the horns on "This Is New."  The album as a whole is very well recorded, with nice balance between the horns and the rhythm section.

As for Ms. Donatelli, she doesn't have a particularly big or rich voice; but she has a very pleasing, sensual tone, and her phrasings and intonation are as good as most seasoned old pros.  If I had a constructive critique to make, it is that at the end of some phrases, her voice cuts into a wide vibrato that is somewhat distracting.  I think that could be fixed with a good vocal coach, however.

The album strikes me at a 4-5 range.  I give it a 5, because I've heard a lot of really good jazz singers over the years improve from a very promising starting point.  I look forward to Ms. Donatelli doing the same, and encouragement is a good thing.  RC
4081115
Fantastic debut from Izzy Szyn. As a long time blogger and reviewer I've read it all. From debut novels better left on the writing table to novels and books you would never have expected were an author's debut novel. I was pleasantly surprised when reading The Anniversary Present. At times it is apparent that this was not written by a seasoned author, but the freshness of the concept and characters is engaging and draws a reader in. As always there is a villain. I could obviously have done without Lynn. She reminds me too much of every snobby repressed person I ever came across in college.

Althought this very sexy and steamy read was a first attempt with Ms Szyn, I have no doubt that we'll be hearing more about her in the near future. And I for one can't wait.
1723223
This girl obviously has a LOT of natural talent,and this debut

proves it. Every song is catchy,and each one gets better the more

you listen to them. Hopefully she'll have a tour band that will

do her justice,as I will definately get tickets to see her live.

 Keep up the good work Cheyenne,I hope you have many more CDs to release,I'll buy them!
56006
Singer & songwriter Adele's debut album is an accomplished piece of work. I've hinted at it one of my other reviews but I'll be clearer here: I'm particularly impressed that a singer so young (she's only 19, hence the album's title) would decide to look back to the great singers of yesteryears for inspiration as opposed to slavishly following the made-for-radio trends of her contemporaries. I know not everyone will agree with me but as of right now, the past is where the best music ever made is to be found.

It's my kind of music in many respects, with lots of real live instruments and lots of strings. Adele shows her confidence in the quality and strength of her voice with sparse instrumentation on a number of tracks. On the album opener "Daydreamer" for instance, the only instrument is the guitar she plays as she sings. On the next track along, "Best For Last", she does something really fresh and different, singing while she plays solo bass for the most part. There are twelve songs in total, nine of these are very ably produced by Jim Abbiss, with two, including brilliant lead single "Chasing Pavements", produced by Eg White and one produced by man of the moment Mark Ronson, (with mixed results, in my opinion).

It's all very well put together and well-intended but something's missing. It took me a while to figure out what it is and it's that old intellectual vs emotional response thing again. Intellectually, I totally appreciate, respect and even like the authenticity and artistry of what Ms Atkins has achieved here. I think she could have a stellar career ahead of her and I particularly admire the way she's (so far) refusing to conform to the stereotypes of what a female music artiste is supposed to look like. She says she's her own individual and I believe her.

Emotionally however, she just doesn't touch me. Or more accurately, her voice doesn't. Perhaps it's a cruel or unfair comparison, but while Amy Winehouse has the ability to either make me beam from ear to ear or reduce me to floods of tears - depending on the song of course - with this particular lady, I feel nothing. I hear good music; very interesting music actually, but I feel absolutely nothing and can't honestly claim to enjoy listening to it. "Chasing Pavements" and the album closer, the piano-led, spiritual sounding "Hometown Glory" (my two favourite tracks on here) both came pretty close but not quite close enough. 3.5 stars.
1903452
I think I mentioned this in a recent review (actually I know I did), but I love discovering new music.  When I got my hands on One eskimO's debut album the other day (I love these sales here) I was instantly smitten and wound up getting hold of their EP and their `Kandi' single as well.  Their self titled debut album really establishes their sound and will hopefully garner them a large fan base.  They already seem to have a legion of devoted fans, but their sound is very small and intimate, and that scares me in a way.  This is not the type of band that will demand attention and so I could see them getting swept away in the sea of great bands that fail to get recognition.

I only hope that I am wrong, for this solid debut effort deserves our attention.

Having toured with Tori Amos, the comparisons can be seen.  The have a similarly haunting sound, with ethereal qualities that seem to float into our eardrums, creating a dreamy cascade of sound.  Aside from Amos though, I see a lot of James Blunt influence here, especially on tracks like `Chosen One'; but I also see some Phil Collins and even Jason Mraz, albeit a much softer Mraz.  I even sense a little OneRepublic.

The album opens with `Hometime', a track that immediately lets you know that this is the story of an average man in an average neighborhood who goes to sleep.  The dreamlike atmosphere of the entire album plays to this initial concept.  `Hometime' has playful lyrics and soft vocals that help establish the focus of the album.  The next track, `Astronauts', is so sincere and just beautiful.  One reviewer mentioned that hearing this live brought her to tears.  There are few songs that beautiful, but `Astronauts' has the quality.  It has such depth and emotional fluency.

When I first heard `Kandi' I wasn't sure if I was going to really like it.  I absolutely LOVE it.  That whole `you think your relationship is perfect but you are oh-so-wrong' vibe that it captures is just magnificent, and the bouncy chorus brings an almost Motown flare to this track, with obvious jazz influences just milking all over the listener.

LOVE IT.

I like `Slip', but it doesn't have anything truly interesting about it to set it apart.  It can get a little lost in the rest of the album.  `Simple Day' is a simple song really, and that is both good and bad.  I like the idea behind the construction, the guitar picking and the Mraz-like rhyming, but it just doesn't pack the needed punch to make it work completely.  `Givin Up', on the other hand, works flawlessly.  It has an edge to it that I really soak up, and the airy vocals take on a serenely haunting quality that I just can't get enough of.

`Chocolate' and `All Balloons' are both very good tracks.  `Chocolate' has a nice smoothness to it, although the chorus seems a little too familiar to me (like it was ripped from one of their other songs).  `All Balloons' evokes a gentle happiness in me, so I really like the tone set here.  I even totally adore the whole "la la la" parts.

`Chosen One' is a little too James Blunt for me.  I mean, if I had heard it on the radio I would have thought it was him.

When I heard `UFO' for the first time, all I could think of was Phil Collins.  I has a very Genesis-vibe to it, and I love it.  It sounds very authentic and vintage rock.  I love the whole laid back, airy atmosphere to the song.  The closing track, `Amazing', is a nice way to close the album.  I'm not the biggest fan of the song as a whole, but the bouncy happy vibe is enticing and it shows another side to the band.  The lyrical message is endearing and charming and nicely constructed.  This also has a very Phil Collin's type sound to it.

So, I think it's obvious that I'm impressed.  This isn't the best debut I've heard recently, but it is certainly one of the most intriguing.  I can't wait to see what these guys do next!

BTW, if you can get your hands on the bonus track `Hi Low and In Between' then do that, since it is just plain beautiful.
1483997
A solid debut and they proved it again on their 2nd album "SOMA" which you probably should get if you enjoy this album!
2279778
This is a phenominal debut. Muse are fairly popular in the UK (their biggest hit so far is 11 and the album got to 14). This album explains why. It manages to combine the innovation of lo-fi indie rock brit-pop bands like Coldplay or Radiohead with the energy of grunge like Nirvana. And the result is stunning.
The whole album has an angsty feel, and there is serious passion in Matt's vocals, not least in the amazing opener, Sunburn. The lyrics are passionate and if pain could be turned into a song it would sound somewhere near Sunburn, with its heavy guitars, breaking vocals and hyptonising piano.
This is followed up by Muscle Museum, one of the best songs of recent times. The Latin-like guitar riff delicately opens it and the tune is really catchy, with a good bass line. It then breaks into another angsty chorus ('Can you see that I am needing/Begging for so much more that you could ever give/I don't want you to adore me/Don't want you to ignore me/Where it pleases you/I'll do it on my own'). This is the best songs on the album, its also fairly heavy.
Filip is the next. Its a weird track but I've grown to love it. It's chorus is beautifully dischordant and it seems to be speeding up incessantly until Matt whines 'to you' in the chorus.
Next is the first light track on the album, Falling Down, but its not a boring acoustic song, its got a ghostly feel to it. The falsetto is used superbly on this track.
Cave is another angsty rocker. It sounds really ghostly, and nearly descends into goth despite its falsetto as Matt screams 'Come into my cave and I'll burn your heart away' in the chorus. Its another memorable song.
Showbiz is also ghostly, as it begins with African drums and deep vocals, manifesting itself in a heavy chorus as Matt screams 'They make me dream your dreams/Make me scream your screams' but then the original vocal tune is played in a high octave shimmeringly on the guitar like one of those really slow metal songs.
Unintended is the second light tune, but is even more ghostly than Falling Down. The lyrics are superb and the falsetto is totally chilling. This is the first Muse track I heard and I thought they were all like this, but the album is much much harder.
Uno is next and was the band's debut single. It has superb lyrics ('This means nothing to me/ cos you are nothing to me/And it means nothing to me that you blew this away/Cos you could have been number one if you only found the time/And you could have ruled the whole world if you'd had the chance') and a painful chorus. Its the third Muse track I heard and, after Muscle Museum and Unintended, convinced me to buy the album.
Sober is similar to Filip, but with slightly less effect. However its still an excellent track. Escape starts off like Falling Down or Unintended and by the end is a bit harder. Its tune is very haunting.  Overdue has a slightly electronic feel to it, but is still primarily rock and in basic tune is similar to Cave, for example.
The final track, Hate This And I'll Love You, is really heartbreaking, and a great album closer. It sounds similar to Showbiz.
I would NOT reccomend this CD if you only like happy music, but if you like good music, I would reccomend it. The best tracks are Muscle Museum, Uno, Sunburn, Cave and Unintended, but there are other excellent tracks too.
3665675
Like many others I have been anxiously awaiting the arrival of this album and the single "My Sacrifice" only added to my impatience.  The album is definitely a step up from their last album, Human Clay, and is as good or better than their debut.  The album starts out with the towering song "Bullets", which to be quite honest sounds like a mix between Godsmack and P.O.D. Great introduction.  The next song, "Freedom Fighter" is another heavier song more akin to their debut material.  The next song "Who's got my back" starts out slowly then crescendos beautifully.  Eight minute song, but the lyrics and excellent musicianship pass the time enjoyable.  "Signs" is continues the trend of excellency, with provoking lyrics.  "One Last Breath" is a another song that starts slow, but later attacks with awesome intensity.  Then the single "My Sacrifice", a great choice for a lead single, a truly uplifting song. "Stand here with me" is the probably the weakest track, but shows Creed trying a different sound, which they definitely need to do.  The next song is another emotional one, probably the reason why it is the title track, "Weathered".  Great song.  "Hide" is probably one of the highlights of the album, with the song "Don't stop dancing", both are beautiful ballads.  Stapp's sister sounds great backing him on "don't stop dancing."  Finally is "lullaby" which is a great slow ballad.  Excellent end to this progressive album.
The album seems to go from a heavy opening to an acoustic conclusion, with a mix in between, which really gives it a progressive feel.  They have elements from both their earlier albums and some new stuff as well.  Great for any music fan, especially Creed fans.  Could very easily be the best album of the year.
4393141
Wow, what a surprising and fantastic paranormal debut. Dark mystery vibes and Victorian era inspired fantasy setting, this book was practically screaming my name when it was first brought to my attention, and even then I ended up with much more than I bargained for. That's definitely one way to make me a happy reader.

Anyway, one thing you should know about this book is that everything happens for a reason. I wouldn't have enjoyed this one so much if not for all the information that was given to me in the introduction, and likewise I would not have appreciated Lenoir for who he is at the end had not acted like such a jerk at the beginning. On that note, this story definitely includes one of those mystery plots that will have the reader flipping back the pages to a previous spot in the book, just to marvel at how the author had been dropping bits of clues and other details from the very start. I was still genuinely shocked at how things turned out; the answer came as unexpectedly to me as it did to the inspector.

Darkwalker also impresses me on the fantasy side of things. Lenoir works out of a city called Kennian, part of the Five Villages area, described as a rather backwater part of the book's world. The setting reminds me of turn-of-the-19th-century England, home to a population that largely does not acknowledge the existence of the paranormal, making the thing hunting Lenoir all the more creepy. There's also a group of people and culture called the Adal, a society of pastoral nomads persecuted for their outsider status as well as the actions of a few bad apples. The subject of Adali magic plays a big role in the case, and Tettensor has also crafted a very thorough and rich history for her fictional race. I am overall very pleased with the amount of world building presented in this book.

Everything in the plot just came together so well. Once you reach the point where the story takes off, it doesn't slow down. After making it through the introductory chapters, I was quickly drawn in by the intrigue and mystery, especially when I was treated to a brief glimpse of the brilliant and passionate detective Lenoir used to be. I found I could not bear to put this book down during the final hundred pages, and stayed up into the wee hours of the night just to finish.

Of course, there is still the big question of Nicolas Lenoir's past, which did not go fully addressed. So I was so glad to see this would be a series, even though this book can certainly be read as a stand alone with no cliffhangers or glaring loose ends to worry about. I would love to see further exploration into his character and this world, or heck, even stories about Lenoir that take place in an earlier time. Regardless of what comes next, I'm really looking forward to book two!
4125308
A terrific debut for a detective series that continues to grow stronger and deserves to be better known (it is not hard to imagine DC Smith on Masterpiece Theater). I have now read from this first book through to Luck and Judgement, and agree with other reviewers that Grainger has an exceptional story-telling ability. His handling of dialogue is superb and his light touch with the narrative moves the story forward with just the right amount of author-supplied detail, leaving the reader to imagine the rest.

I particularly enjoyed the relative lack of gore and the focus on procedure, notably the interviews, formal and informal, where DC's skills come through in subtle ways. DC is not a flash character, nor is he a loud-mouthed maverick riding on his exceptional prowess as an investigator. Grainger gradually builds our affection for a man who many of us would not notice in a crowd and does so without the all-too-common domestic melodrama used to round out law enforcement characters. And then there is the wit, sharp and on target, and rarely gratuitous.

Frankly, there have been many British detective series writers debuting in recent years, some of whom I really like (e.g. Sharon Bolton, Jane Casey, and Elly Griffiths). But there have also been some not-so-good efforts, that I won't name, debuting on Kindle and possibly bypassing editorial oversight (as an author I would not put a book-length work out there without some form of editorial review).

I don't know exactly how Graigner is doing it, but he's produced three delightful novels in a row and I'm eagerly awaiting the next.
2121712
I highly anticipated this release and was not disappoionted, This solo debut from sam heally of the brilliant scottish band North Atlantic Oscillation is worthy of serious accolade.  It is complex and melodic, echoing something of the majestic and epic seen often within the neoprogressive genre. The songs are creative and nuanced and there is not a dull moment.
1797795
This debut e.p. is just a taste of the great things to come from this band. I try not to get overly excited about bands anymore since so many these days suck you in with a great first album then quickly become a steaming pile of crap, but these guys seem more promising than most.

The songs are very technical and melodic which is what drew me into this in the first place. Its heavy and easily moshable. Good screaming mixed with excellent clean singing vocals. There are even a few honest to goodness guitar solos! Thats something that is sorely missing in music these days.

Cries In Vain and Just Another Star are easily the best 2 tracks on this cd, but the others are great too. Definetly worth checking out. Nice anime style cover art too.
418884
Kelly Driscoll's first release as an artist is outstanding start to her brilliant music career. Her writing is very impressive. Her memorable lyrics are sophisticated well beyond her years. Listeners will fall in love with songs like "Anyhow", "Fly Me Away" and my favorite, "Gravity". Kelly proves she has another edgier side to her writing with songs like "Girls Like Me" & "Forget Her". Her collaboration with producer, Matt Noble, has been a great success. It's clear they have a lot of chemistry together. Each new song they write/record together is evidence of more and more chemistry, building the style we've come to know as Kelly's "sound". I'm looking forward to hearing more from this amazing new artist.
4771858
I can definitely see comparisons to The Black Keys with Beware of Darkness. To such comparisons I might point out similarities to The White Stripes, Cage the Elephant, and newcomer - The Virginmarys. There is certainly a distinctive flavor of savory blues to debut album ORTHODOX.

"Howl" - Such a powerful, sexy opening track! Heavy and fast with an undeniably catchy hook (it's been stuck in my head the past two days). The guitar screams classic rock as Nicolaides shouts and Cupito hammers away on the drums.

"Ghost Town" - Slow and sinister simmer. More great Biblically seasoned lyrics, delivered by Nicolaides's raw vocals. And the cello? Ace.

"Amen Amen" - More superb vocals, this time the lyrics are uplifting. Get out the lighter and start swaying. The piano sets it at a slower pace but there are some awesome riffs that carry on throughout.

"Heart Attack" - I really wish I had the lyrics booklet right now, I'm pretty sure I'm missing some clever writing and it will be a few play throughs before I fully appreciate it. The pace is blistering and the fuzz adds a different texture.

"Morning Tea" - Yeah, I'm chuckling, there's definitely some clever writing on this album. This is a slow burner, punctuated by interesting spikes. It could just be me but do I detect a hint of Zeppelin?

"Life on Earth" - A much slower song with Nicolaides behind the piano. This track belongs in a smoky, dimly lit, late night club in the city.

"My Planet is Dead" - This track is what brought on the Cage the Elephant comparison. Definitely a nice way to pick up the pace after "Life on Earth," filled with more snarky lyrics and an interesting bassline from Curcio.

"Hummingbird" - And this track bears some similarities to Jack White's solo BLUNDERBUSS. It's got a minimal, bluesy, somewhat folksy vibe to it.

BONUS TRACK

"Be My Exorcist" - Well worth the MP3 purchase. This track carries that same punishing energy and raw vocal fury of "Howl" accompanied by a face melting guitar riff that warbles as Nicolaides states, "I don't think I'm gonna make it through this life alive!" It's a thrilling end to a phenomenal debut.

I've been waiting for a chance to buy a physical copy of the album but after seeing Beware of Darkness live this weekend at Rock on the Range in Columbus (and meeting them!) I couldn't wait anymore. The live show was so energetic - my only regret is that they had such a short time slot but not to worry, I suspect Beware of Darkness won't be playing side stages much longer. I had to go ahead and buy the digital version. The upside to ordering the MP3 album on Amazon is that it comes with bonus track "Be My Exorcist" and the music video for "Howl". You can still get the physical copy cheaper, and I'll probably buy it later on just because I'd like to support these guys in any way I can. It's amazing the range these guys have. From gritty heavy rocker "Howl" to ultra sad "All Who Remain", from the piano driven lounge song "Life on Earth" to the folksy "Hummingbird" it's all so moving. I haven't been this excited over a debut in a long time. The next time your friend wants to shuffle through ATTACK & RELEASE for the thousandth time slap the iPod from their hands and introduce them to Beware of Darkness through ORTHODOX.
2004194
There have been some fine debuts lately of some extraordinary young pianists.  the good thing is that there seems to be a trend lately of pianists who are more than merely fingers, but brains and heart.  Anti Sirrala's Naxos disc of Schubert Lieder trans, comes to mind(and his ondine debut of Brahms op 5 may be that works definitive recording).  Alexandre Tharaud has been around a while, but his recent disc of Bach on Harmonia Mundi was exceptional, and F.F Guy has recorded excellent prokofiev and beethoven.  Arcadi Volodos is another great pianist with a tone and virtuosity that may exceed Kissin's.  All these pianists share a simialr quality, one that more famous pianists such as lang lang lacks, but tries to force on his audience in live performances with exagerated grimaces and swaying that makes you want to laugh more than anything else.  Yundi li may be worth watching, but he needs to be careful to avoid being over exploited and despite what anyone else says, Evgeny Kissin is todays most gifted and promising pianist.  And now there is Yvgeny Sudbin.  This debut of Scarlatti is hands down the most exceptional debut i have ever heard.  The first track is extraordinary in its control, its voicing, and excitement. This is young mans scarlatti, a thinking mans scarlatti, and though all of the previous names could play the notes, I doubt any could play it with such conviction and manical intensity.  K 27 is another case in point.  It may be one of the greatest tests of any who claim to be great scarlatti players.  The notes are simple, but the performer has to decide how sentimental and beautiful they want it to be, most fall somewhere between Gilels extremely slow, though murderously beautiful, version on BBC, or Michelangeli's excersie(it was written as an exercise)like version, which is like a player piano.  But Sudbin has his own take on this sonata, making it entirely his own.  Niether over sentimentalizing it or making it lose its charm.

He plays all the repeats in all the sonata's, and does an extraordinary job of making it souond fresh and different each time so that casual music fans will be hard up to notice.

Follow this man, his career is sure lead him to the mountain top of pianism
4784664
Not a blues record per se, Johnny "Clyde" Copeland's daughter's debut album is a tough 63 minutes of blues, blues-rock, R&B and swaggering soul stompers. Shemekia Copeland has a terrific voice for this kind of music, strong and versatile, and she is backed by a fine combo which includes keyboardist Brian Mitchell (piano and organ) and top-notch guitarist Jimmy Vivino.

"Turn The Heat Up" is a wonderfully accessible album; it draws from classic soul and blues but presents its material with a rock n' roll-like edge, and Shemekia Copeland delivers it in a delightfully bluesy no-frills fashion.
The Uptown Horns appear on a few songs, lending additional juice and texture to the already muscular title track, and everybody with a taste for soul and R&B should be able to find something to groove on here.

A couple of songs are a bit too long for their own good, and "Turn The Heat Up" is ultimately too predictable to be truly magnificent...you can't help but feel you've heard this music before. But it is a really, really solid debut album, and the most impressive thing about it is perhaps the consistently high quality of the material assembled here. There is not a single real clunker here, and that's a rare feat by any artist.

It took me a while to really appreciate this album; at first I thought it formulaic and repetitive, but it started to get to me around the third or fourth listen. Shemekia Copeland has plenty of talent, the songs she sings are very well-chosen, and she is fortunate enough to be working with a really great band.
The many highlights include the aforementioned title track, the soulful slow numbers "Married To The Blues", "Ghetto Child" and "Salt In My Wounds", the swinging R&B of "Suspicion" and "Big Lovin' Woman", and the grinding blues "Has Anybody Seen My Man". But everything is worth a listen, really, even if everything isn't equally memorable. Guitarist Vivino plays some terrific liquid guitar fills, and Brian Mitchell's piano playing is never less than excellent. The seven-minute slow blues "It Don't Hurt No More" could have easily overstayed its welcome, but it doesn't, thanks mainly to Shemekia's vocal prowess and Mitchell's piano. This is a really good album.
2278101
there is something about Birmingham,England that produces fine blues musicians. Joanne Shaw Taylor is from there and on this,her debut CD,she continues that fine tradition with a powerfull set of guitar,songwriting and singing. Her guitar is upfront more on this one than on her succeeding releases. Thats a good thing as it shows off her impressive skills on her instrument. That said, I cannot think of a  more impressive debut this century.