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EP: "Owning Up"

VOICES CARRY

Aimee Van Dyne's well-produced five-song EP revives the neglected subgenre of rock harmony.

The two songs up front are the strongest. From the opening snare strikes, the dark rocker "Not Even You" captivates, fusing upbeat lyrics with a somber melody and minor-key harmonies. When the CSNY-like backing vocals enter in the second verse, the effect is magical.

The spell continues with "Why Should I Care," which performs the opposite trick of putting an ode to loneliness in a sunny musical setting. (The lyrics aren't printed, but are available at Van Dyne's website.)

Van Dyne's own voice is on the wispy side, and her vocal performances bear the stamp of a first-time effort: overly careful-sounding. But with Nina Schmir and Kathleen Hunt fleshing out the sound, the voices meld into a thing of beauty. This combined creature helps make "Owning Up" and "Lonely Me" a bit more substantial than the lightweight pieces they'd be if performed by a solo singer. But they don't measure up to the first two tracks, and the EP closes with its weakest song, the pedestrian "Tearing Apart," which in spite of some interesting harmonizing is too uninspired a song to be effective.

Though uneven, this EP does suggest what Van Dyne can accomplish at her best. I should also note that it provides only a colorful shadow of the effect her vocal trio produces at its live performances. Fans of Fleetwood Mac, CSNY, En Vogue, or any pop group known for fine harmonies should pay heed. There aren't many artists doing this these days, which makes Van Dyne's contribution all the more welcome.

Artist website: Aimee Van Dyne

CD: "KNUCKLEHEAD" - Humsting Records

CRAZY RHYTHM

The prolific NYC quartet Crazy Mary hits their stride with this collection of offbeat musical fun and games. Equally adept at styles from rock to soul to Middle Eastern fusion, and most anything in between, Crazy Mary has a skewed take on the world that's sure to put a smile on your face. "When the Shit Hits the Fan" and "Designer Dog" are among the standout tracks, but so long as you make sure to take off your serious listening hat and put on your cap-and-bells instead, you'll have a good time picking your own faves. Recommended for anyone who likes a little Zappa with their Residents, or vice versa.

Artist website: crazymary.com

CD: "Minor League Deities" - Aunt Farm Productions

MAJOR LEAGUE TALENT

This is one precocious kid. "Better Than Me," with Davis accompanying herself on the banjo, sounds almost like a newly created folk ballad. I've been listening to a lot of traditional and trad-inspired music lately, and that track really blew me away.

Vocally, Davis resembles Allison Krauss, but it's her stylistic versatility and unerring vocal touch that make the entire album a pleasure to listen to, from the smooth, magic realism of "Cocktail Wieners" to the bluesy "Lucinda" and the gospel-inflected a capella duet (with Claudia Schmidt) "Still an Angel." It's a cliche to say that a singer has skills beyond her years, so I'll just say that Rachael Davis is a fantastic young artist who deserves all the recognition she's gotten so far and is destined for great things.

The CD's one shortcoming is its scarcity of really strong material. Too many of the songs meander musically (though the wise and witty lyrics make up for that somewhat). But the main exceptions - the ballads "Dancin' Shoes" and "Eighth Lit Window," along with the abovementioned "Cocktail Wieners," which is basically a sweet, smoky rewrite of "(You Give Me) Fever" - show that Davis does have it in her to write great stuff for herself. While she develops, she might do better to leave off her weaker songs and record instead some judiciously chosen covers, or work with more co-writers.

Of course, an artist this young with this much talent can develop very quickly, and "Minor League Deities" is already a couple of years old. If she ever comes to my part of the woods I'll be looking forward to hearing what she's come up with in the meantime.

Artist website: rachaelbdavis.com