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Pick of the Week: AmeliaBy Keith Hannaleck - July 13, 2008
iBerkshires Columnist
A Long, Lovely List of Repairs
Amelia the band, not the girl, has been making a name for themselves in the Pacific Northwest and seem positioned perfectly with their new release, "A Long, Lovely List of Repairs," to solidify their foundation and expand upon it.
In spite of the confusion that the name of the band creates, they decided that they would stick with it and it has not hindered their growth or success.
Amelia is Teisha Helgerson (vocals), Jesse Emerson (upright bass, electric bass, acoustic, piano, percussion, autoharp) and Scott Weddle (acoustic and electric guitars, electric bass, vocals, bass harmonica, glockenspiel, marxaphone, percussion, loops).
Helgerson's vocals are soft and expressive. That style compliments the music produced by her band mates. I was impressed by the overall musicianship and versatility of this band. Considering there are three people providing the music, it speaks volumes for their talents and aptitude for switching between instruments.
The ebb and flow of this recording remains consistent throughout, as the vocalist does not waver from her style or tone. The band provides a lush backdrop for her to maintain that tempo and style, which is a mixture of folk, rock and pop, with an emphasis on roots and a smidgen of country twang thrown in for some extra flavor.
 Keith 'Muzikman' Hannaleck
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"Dolores" is a nice toe-tapping tune that I could imagine hearing on the radio and the lead-off track "Enigmo," while delivered in a different language, could find its way to the Latin charts and end up being a crossover hit.
"Thick As Thieves" is perhaps the most interesting, with a nice lead-off electric guitar lick. It has a contagious ring to it as the guitar reverberates and the acoustic is strumming along behind; it makes for a nice instrumental and actually the one song I could not see Helgerson singing to, so it was a good choice for the only track without vocals. It is very short but I was very interested to hear more as it was quite a step away from the rest of the album.
Tracks
| 01. |
Enimigo |
08. |
Thick As Thieves |
| 02. |
Farewell |
09. |
Sugar Falls |
| 03. |
Tragedy
|
10. |
The Great Escape |
| 04. |
After You |
11. |
Eyesore |
| 05. |
Try |
12. |
Cover the Leak |
| 06. |
The End |
13. |
Needlework |
| 07. |
Dolores |
14. |
Here We Are |
"Sugar Falls" would be another good choice for airplay. Interesting enough that familiar electric guitar weaves its way into this track as well. I have to say with authority that as much as I can appreciate the acoustic side of their work I would like to hear more of that electric guitar. It is very tasteful yet it makes a point with strong lines placed just right to enhance the lyrics.
"Eyesore" ends up being the most pop-injected tune and the most commercially viable, which I think would engage new listeners and push them to explore the rest of the album.
This is a strong release and I can see Amelia going places if they continue to develop.
Keith "MuzikMan" Hannaleck of Adams offers up his best-listening bets as a regular contributor to iBerkshires. For more reviews, www.muzikreviews.com.
Genre: Folk-Roots
Label: Adrenaline
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