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Lara Herscovitch
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Juror Number 13
La Rama Records
Release: 3/14/2006
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Rated:
Review by:
Gisele Grignon
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Verdict's in for Juror Number 13: Innocent of
overkill, guilty of refreshing talent. Juror Number
13 could justifiably be re-tagged Lucky 13. Pure, crisp,
refreshing, singer songwriter Lara Herscovitch is a welcome
alternative to the sometimes sappy, invariably overwrought
staples of folk/country wannabes: tree huggers extraordinaire
weeping/struggling/railing against Bad Guys du
jour.
And just when you think you've got this native New Yorker
pegged (a no-no after just one cut but an inevitable failing
nonetheless), she yanks the rug out from under the listener with
"Decisiónes," a light (but not lightweight)
Spanish-language tune. No gut wrenching decisions about
"Decisiónes": this
one-time would-be lawyer's voice is arresting, warm and
engaging; the guitar picking rates at least four out of five
jalapeños.
Working in Latin America, Africa and Asia has obviously
heightened more than her social conscience: whether
performing in English or Spanish, Herscovitch manages to
convey an easy, grounded appreciation for trials (sorry, that's
the last legal metaphor in this review - used judiciously (oops)
or not) and tribulations beyond her own Connecticut backyard.
That's reflected in her company, La Rama Records, which funnels
10 per cent of her CD sales to non-profit environmental causes,
and uses recycled products. Allay your fears of the tired (if
honorable) preaching and finger pointing of some
Greenies-Turned-Artists (or vice versa).
Herscovitch smartly uses this, her third effort (Sin
Tierra in 2000, and There in 2002), to
sneak in some cheekiness, irony and genuine warmth. Witness
"Mr. Officer": when was the last time YOU heard a
singer/songwriter weave in the following to a bouncy bordering
on pop-py song: "I'm not the
hippy-radical-feminist-anti-establishment-problem-with-
authority-talk-balk-to-police-officers-kind-of-left, a dog called
Barney Fife (RIP), PMS and a bladder-challenged feline," Huh?
When? Surely, Herscovitch merits a listen if only to see how she
tackles such a diverse lyrical mosaic.
Up until Herscovitch, I thought that Alanis held the title for most
bizarre word/phrase inclusion in a song, with
"antibiotics" ("Thank You"). No self-agrandization here. I don't
know of another artist who could intersperse her lyrics with the
likes of "blah, blah, do I look fat...I still like to blah, blah, blah
with you," and trigger not only a smile but a smidgen of
introspection too.
This is the perfect soundtrack for transforming a lazy, hazy
sun-soaked day into a luscious, full-body, all-senses
experience. |
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