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Cheryl Bliss
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The Sweet Soul Light
Grab A Mic Records
Release: 6/14/2005
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Rated:
Review by:
Morley Seaver
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Cheryl Bliss' new record is like receiving an ice-cold drink after
walking across the desert. She has an intoxicating voice you
can just get lost in. Combined with the excellent material, this
makes for a great record. This is the Austin, Texas
singer-songwriter's second record, and it sounds like something
that would be produced by somebody way older.
The music is mostly of a ghost-world type of ambience that has
both similarities to Bjork and Kate Bush. Her voice sounds as
fragile as a crystalline glass, although she can rock out at
times. The record opens with "Fast As I Can," a relaxed mid-
tempo cut that introduces us to her voice, which can shift to
near-bird like at the drop of a hat. The next cut "Last Chance"
is one of my favorites on the album. It has Bjorkian
Homogenic-style percussion that starts things off
nicely. They along with other astral-like sounds weave in and
out throughout the song. The sleepy vocal is simply too
compelling to ignore.
Following next is "Wild Wild World," which is reminiscent of
Bjork's "Play Dead." This is a tremendous cut that features
some cutting guitar, which differentiates it from the rest of the
record.
"Take What You Need" continues the streak of great material.
More bouncy than the other cuts, the chorus really makes a
play for your ears. "Ultrabrite" is the only up-tempo cut and
while it is not my favorite, it serves to change gears at the right
time. The rest of the songs are all up to snuff with each one
assuming their own personality, a little different than the
next.
From top to bottom, The Sweet Soul Light is an
exquisite piece of work. |
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