| CD REVIEW (This review was also published at www.701.com) |
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| I was very impressed with this double-CD offering (although I haven�t yet heard her 2002 debut, Magdalene�s Garden) all the more so considering the personal background of this attractive, spiritually-minded young woman. Having conquered a major problem with substance abuse over a decade ago, she is living proof that true talent and a hard-working dedication to one�s profession will always override the adversities of the past. In fact, although she prefers the �here and now� (one of the tracks on the lyrics-enhanced I Am CD), she has also made a successful living as a future-oriented clairvoyant. I would encourage listening to the instrumental (with celestial chanting) Grace-titled CD first, because of the lightly pervading spiritual essence that gently coaxes the listener to just relax and anticipate the vocal possibilities of what I Am will offer. It also features a bewitching keyboards-based composition called �Light� (performed by Rob DeBoer, who, along with fellow Boomtang Boy Tony Grace, co-wrote several of the songs). The mystical imagery produced by Grace also serves as a great de-stressing tool. Bipolar personalities will either embrace it or run fleeing in terror � it�s that intense in potency. Blessed with an articulate, sweet-toned, multi-octave vocal (reminiscent of Natalie Imbruglia or Chantal Kreviazuk), Colette relies more on the use of sustained notes than the frivolous, never-ending trills of other divas, a label that has taken on a derogatory connotation lately. The vocal crescendo on �Here and Now� was a bit strange, though. I Am is a much more commercially-viable and diverse collection of songs, all appealing in their melodies and rhythms, with the wistful �Beauty in Hard Places� and exotically-themed �Marianne� being the tracks you will want to come back to again and again. I least liked the title track, but fans of electronica will dig it for the innovative instrumentation. An even better track in this regard is �Black Swan�, which was adapted from Marina Carr�s play, �By the Bog of Cats�. The CD closes with the heavily percussive �Find My Way Home (A Song for Marc)�. There is an international representation of musicians participating here, and Ms. Baron-Reid takes great care in thanking everyone involved, both personally and professionally. |
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| I AM / GRACE - COLETTE BARON-REID (2004) |