Regular Columnists

Artist: Colleen Coadic
Album: The Opposite Only Better
CD Review: Is this really not Edie Brickell singing? Well, the voice is quite like it, plus the music is very pop, while the soul of the CD is the lyric. Lyrics.

‘I burned all the wreckage of memories / just a little heart soil on my self-serving sleeves / returned from the dead / reclaimed my wings / crashed into sunset.’ Those are the first words, from ‘Splashpoint.’ While the music might have a slightly folk construction (or maybe it’s Colleen’s raw, unfiltered, smooth voice that gives that mistaken impression), the music often works in electronic elements in the back, behind the electric guitar, where Sean Cobb sits with his synth programming.

‘Flakes’ gives a few moments of electronically distorted vocal notes in an interesting way; not that Colleen needs an extra hook, but the songwriting is only enhanced like this, not hidden. ‘Flakes fall on my cold window, bare pretty to see / flakes on my tongue bitter / melting my humanity.’

She’s got good breath control, this girl. Must be tiring to sing word-filled songs like ‘This Late Night’ to audiences All the time. ‘This late night / this creeping silence / this filled mind / this aching head / I am pushing for no reason / choosing what is bad for me.’ Of course in person Colleen might not be able to replicate her sensitive and perfectly timed backing vocals; or maybe she can.

Very prestigious album, full of songs you want to hold onto for days, songs you want to quote to others. And it is an album well-produced and put together like a smart puzzle. Like Queen, time went into this studio production, and it’s quite a feat of dubs, mixes and expert performances.

Actually – nothing to complain about. No songs really to put on top of the heap. It’s all top. Check out the website.

www.colleen.org
colleen@colleen.org