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CD: "Unstoppable" - West Street Records

STAYING POWER

If I weren't already tempted to refer to Valerie Ghent's "Unstoppable" as "blue-eyed R&B," the giant blue eye on the cover would seal the deal. The CD came out a few years ago, but it still deserves notice, first because independent releases by necessity have a long half-life, and second because it's very good.

Ghent dips deeply into the sounds of the seventies and eighties throughout the album, but just when you think you're in for a pleasantly retro synth-soul adventure, along comes the album's most interesting and original track: "Truth" uses a dance beat, rap, traditional accordion and Russian voices to tell the story of Stalin's purges. And it works. You're not likely to find anything like this - well, anywhere else.

With "No One Else" we're back in feel-good dance-funk territory a la Steve Winwood. Ghent's a soulful singer, technically near-perfect, and an accomplished keyboardist in many styles, from synth-pop to blues. And though she does modulate her smoky vocals carefully, it's her bluesy foundation that gives her tunes much of their power.

"Survive" is a storm of synthesizers and distorted guitars, while "Oasis" and "Keep Me Strong" evoke both the smoother grooves of the disco era and the denser production of 80s pop.

Ghent's understated but thoroughly confident singing ties these eleven songs together, and the drum-machine beats and plasticky keyboard work sound surprisingly good thanks to skillful programming and expert recording. I don't find myself missing real drums at all.

The marvelous sounds of this album are built on competent but sometimes pedestrian songwriting; add a few killer hooks to Ghent's multiple talents, and this CD would truly be Unstoppable. Watch for a follow-up acoustic CD, currently in the works.

ALSO OF NOTE COURTESY OF VALIERIE GHENT:

Various Artists
We'll Carry On
A benefit compilation CD featuring 16 songs written and performed by FDNY, PAPD, WTC volunteers and local NYC musicians. Net proceeds go to 911WVFA, PAPD WTC Disaster Survivors Fund, WTC Ground Zero Relief. Available at West Street Records

Artist website: Valerie Ghent

CD: "The Way It's Got To Be"

BACK TO THE CLASSICS

It's clear from this solo effort that Emily Zuzik's inspirations come mostly from the 70's and include the best classic rock, pop and soul of the period, from Al Green (the low-key, feel-good anthem "That's My Way") to the Pretenders ("The Fall"). There's also a strong Beatles influence, and that's never a bad thing, especially in the gliding melodies of "Season to Spend" and "No More for Today."

But after Zuzik's outstanding work with the band Sexfresh, this project is a bit of a puzzler. Lo-fi recording can be charming, but here conflicting instrumental styles detract from what might have been a pleasing earthiness. The drum programming is largely to blame: not only do it and the casually-strummed acoustic guitar often fail to lock, but in the prettier songs it can be downright intrusive. "Carving My Name on the Tree" is the worst example: a really pretty song, one of Zuzik's best, marred by bad fake drums.

Another problem is that in many of Zuzik's best songs the verse is more substantial than the chorus, which hurts a low-fi album more than it would a highly produced one - a good comparison being Valerie Ghent's glossy CD, reviewed above, where hook deficiencies don't matter as much.

Zuzik's voice, on the other hand, does pretty well by the offbeat recording techniques. You might wish she'd let loose a little more, but her rich tone, wry delivery and sophisticatedly simple lyrics come through this production with humor and tension intact. Her voice embraces you warmly; her delivery makes you feel that she's letting you in on a very special joke. The effect is the opposite of the preciousness that characterizes too many singer-songwriters.

Zuzik may not have big hooks, but that doesn't mean she can't write memorable phrases. Indeed she has a gift for snaky little melodies that can insinuate themselves into the unsuspecting brain. The title track and "The Fall" are two of the best examples of this. It's just that they, and the artist's strong talent as a whole, deserve a better setting.

Artist website: Emily Zuzik

CD: "Public Record" - MPress Records

SAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE

Modern keyboard-based pop doesn't get any better than "What If," the opening track on Rachael Sage's new CD. By all rights the song would be Sage's breakout hit: to make the obvious Tori Amos parallel, it would be her "Crucify."

Unlike recent adult-pop phenoms like Norah Jones and Alicia Keys, Sage starts with the disadvantage of a unique vocal delivery that initially takes getting used to and subsequently requires close attention. Specifically, she carries breathiness far beyond affectation into a truly otherworldly space: it's as if her voice were coming to us from a planet with an atmosphere unlike Earth's. On top of that, she seems to squeeze her tones out grudgingly. The effect can be disconcerting, even menacing. It can also be animalistically sexy, but quietly so: Sage is the singing equivalent of a Seinfeldian "low talker," yet the depth and variety of passion she powers through the flattened contours of her voice can be startling.

Sage's success to date testifies to the appeal of her unusual style, but I know from experience that her lyrics can be difficult to make out in a live setting. That, fortunately, is not a problem on this crystal-clear, techno-flavored CD. Sage and co-producer Andy Zulla obviously know how to place the vocals optimally in the mix, and the production undulates from constrained to expansive with the mood of each song.

For the most part the lyrics are prosy and straightforward: the poetry of this music is in the delivery. Because of Sage's unusual voice, it can take a few listens to appreciate the songs as such, and some repay a close listen more than others. After "What If", the Marc Cohn-esque "Bravedancing" would be my choice for a follow-up single. The songs don't all measure up to those two, and some, especially on the second half of the CD, seem almost like throwaways inserted to fill up an unnecessary full hour; better to leave the diary-like musings to the beginners, and give us just the meaty stuff.

It's no accident that "Beauty Fades" with its smooth-jazz tones ranks among the album's best tracks, or that "Back To Freedom" with its serpentine vocal drone, squirming trumpet and touch of world-beat is especially appealing. The more Sage explores new stylistic directions, or experiments with her voice, the more her gifts are shown to advantage. When she takes the easy route and lapses into standard-issue confessional singer-songwriter fare, her ample pianistic skills and fine production instincts can't save her. This is half of a very good album.

Which, come to think of it, is a lot more than Alicia Keys needed to win a Grammy.

(I'm just saying.)

Artist website: Rachael Sage