Regular Columnists

Artist: Andie Perkins
Album: The Mercy Seat
CD Review: Oooohhh, what a voice. Andie reminds me a lot of Natalie Merchant, with a slight twang, yet has that same quality of gently falling off the end of a melody line. The CD begins with "Long Enough For Love", a midtempo pop/rocker about someone who almost finds love, yet each time her lover leaves too soon. My favorite here is the uptempo "His Baby Blues", in which Ms. Perkins sings "He has a wider view, His voice draws me back from the edge and I see it through, His baby blues." It's one of those nice moments in songwriting, in which a real simple moment is made special through description. Kind of like a musical smelling the flowers as you walk by.

Ms. Perkins chose a really great section of players. They support her musical vision, without trying to overdo it or overpower her in any way. It's a fine line that is crossed all too often, so kudos to herself and the mix person. A fine example of this is the background vocals in "Tripped Up", in which a doo-doo-doo line is sung not to be obtrusive, but just to be complimentary. And it works. Overall, such a pleasing listen brought forth to us from a sweet voice a vision in her music. It will be nice to see where Ms. Perkins takes us with her vision. From here, it looks to be quite a pleasant journey indeed.

Contact: (703) 683-8440
Aprocaccino@aol.com
http://www.AndiePerkins.com