on lynn teeter flower

used to be one half of popular indie duo azure ray, maria taylor has struck out solo. or rather both maria taylor and orenda fink has struck out on their own. for maria, her second outing.

11:11, maria taylor’s first outing as a solo artist presented herself to the indie folks as a melancholy artist. often singing in low keys and emoting through heartache lyrics. safe the one track, one for the shareholders. smartly titled and very well done i must say. electronic beeps, sweeping crescendos and lush musical arrangement.

with lynn teeter flower, we see maria taylor stripping it down. opener, good start, sets a very positive tone for the whole album. for me, a very strong track. thus a very good start to the album. a clean getaway sees maria placing herself by the door and finally ensconcing from a relationship and then missing that someone. plain guitar accompanied with her voice very haunting and emotional.

the rest of the album does not disappoint much. no stars talks about her meeting the devil and how she imagines him to be. while replay is a snappy and tap worthy tune sung about how a guys life is lived through the movies and how it mundanely replays and should be erased.

just like 11:11, lynn teeter flower has a standout track. for 11:11 it was one for the shareholders. lynn teeter flower has irish goodbye a song that sticks out not like a sore thumb but a fresh track. she even had someone rap on that track which is what makes it interesting.

lynn teeter flower really sees maria taking on a number of new things. for one, this albums has somewhat a positive light compared to 11:11. songs on this record are more straight forward. but there is still that same longing and melancholy in her voice which makes maria such a good person to sit and reflect with. but the stripped down her is definitely a good move. almost like a jazzy sounding norah jones minus the jazz infused tunes.

now all thats left is to see what orenda fink comes up with.

picture the picturesque

this post should go without the visuals then.

what frustrates me is the fact that technology can really screw you up in the face.

i have alot planned for this space it is only action-ing the plans that seems arduous.

fiona apple is playing in the background. serious intense stuff.

its times like these i wish i could be more coherent.

indiemind reviews GHOSTS

yes she is one of the founding members of the ever changing girl group sugababes. i just had to establish that first. but what has siobhan donaghy, who walked out on the sugababes during a promotional tour in Japan, been up to?

well if you must know, she traveled around, dealt with the repercussions of being a young starlet in the entertainment industry (i.e. depression), bumped into a producer friend from her now defunct record company london records, performed under the anagram shanghai nobody and soon after that released, revolution in me.

(the revolution in me photoshoot and one of many album covers)

revolution in me was one of the most critically acclaimed but underrated album of 2003. initial buzz was positive, first single overrated charted well in the UK charts but subsequent single, twist of fate failed to garner enough recognition for siobhan. plagued by spates of bad promotional management, revolution in me, slowly but steadily fizzled into pop oblivion and so did siobhan. but not in the eyes of her fans.

fast forward fours later, we are preparing for the release of ghosts. siobhan donaghy has worked hard making this record in the remote regions of france working with producer james sanger. and in the midst, getting signed to parlophone one of the leading record companies in the UK representing the likes of kylie minogue and jamelia.

(one of the many new photos of siobhan surfaced on the net giving us a new her)

like any new singer trying to make it, she worked hard in the online community. posting new songs and collaborations on her myspace. offering her die-hard fans hope that siobhan is still around and making music. songs such as sometimes and first single don’t give it up were posted on her myspace account which was received with wide and much anticipated fanfare.

with a new sound, don’t give it up really sets the new siobhan donaghy in motion. her first single which will be released in april, is a song of beautiful and sweeping soundscapes. don’t give it up is lyrically smart and stems away from the very saturated pop music that is around. you could almost feel the conviction in her singing, which has improved much more since revolution in me. in the end you get a haunting, strong and unique pop song of great quality.

(single cover for don’t give it up)

having listened to the advance copy of ghosts, i must say, siobhan has definitely parted with her revolution in me days, but not entirely. firstly is the stark difference in the production team. revolution in me had cameron mcvey holding the reins of the production. which gave the record what i personally called “alternative reinvented”. it was edgy, raw and smartly confessional.

ghosts sees siobhan working with james sanger who had worked with the likes of dido. james sanger in my opinion gave siobhan a lift in her sound. he has made siobhan sound clearly and more emotive in her singing. the general feel of the album is positive. with opener don’t give it up setting the tone of the album.

second track, so you say, the second single, is very radio friendly and has a very powerful chorus which would make people remember. there’s a place is a very mystical track with the intimacy of siobhan’s vocals, swishing crescendos and guitars. i must say this track is pretty impressive and very haunting.

sometimes, one the tracks that leaked onto her myspace. is a very upbeat song. this is siobhan being playful and bashful which is new for siobhan. “you tell me you love, then tell me you don’t”, is evident of that. it is a very refreshing siobhan here.

moving on to 12 acid bar blues. this track tells the story of how siobhan got online got a ticket and went on the wrong holiday. this track is lyrically interesting and is i must very country sounding. which shows diversity in ghosts. the guitars and her voice make for a very good live performance to look forward to.

make it right is a telling song of how siobhan feels that people should just be straight with her. “don’t pacify just punish me” now that is kinda smart.

now the second part of the album is one that really shows how strong ghosts is as an album. coming up for air is a very strong song. you’d have to hear it for yourself to know what i mean.

goldfish is single worthy in my opinion. as childlike the title might sound. this song is really a sad and emotive song. it samples the engine whirring sound from sometimes which makes it very interesting. i hope she does this as her third single.

medevac, halcyon days and ghosts are epic tracks. this three songs closes the album really well it sets the tone for the end of the album. enough said.

at the end, ghosts is truly haunting and quite diverse in sound and lyrics. siobhan has done a really good job with james sanger on this one. all that is left now is just to see how it does when it gets released. for siobhan really does deserve the recognition.

indiemind spotlights on ghosts

the possible almost confirmed album cover for siobhan donaghy’s cover.

she is back and better than last time.

the review soon to come.