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FAUNTELLA CROW It seems like only yesterday that Sunday Lane came along and slapped me upside the head with her Bring Me Sunshine EP, a collection of pop songs which not only carried me away but has had me following her closely since. Jessy Greene, not so much. In fact, if it hadn't been for her teaming up with Sunday in Fauntella Crow, I more than likely would still be ignorant of her existence. That speaks more of myself than Jessy, who has climbed the ladder high enough to work with Foo Fighters and Pink, among many others. See, I'm a bottomfeeder when it comes to music, which is a one-word term I have co-opted to describe how I operate. I search the depths. I turn rocks over. I look in the nooks and crannies--- the places where the mainstream media has pretty much refused to go until recently. If musicians are attached to a major label in any way, I walk right past because, truth be told, there are not more than 24 hours in a day and they certainly have enough people promoting them. They surely don't need me. To give you an idea, just this morning I was listening to Toxic Melons, a ?band? consisting of one Paul Fairbairn--- or should I say multiple Paul Fairbairn's because he alone concocted the musical potions which caught my ear. I mention this to explain why I have probably not until just recently learned of Ms. Greene's existence. She plays with the big boys. I have neither the time nor the inclination to listen to the big boys. It is how I operate. I finally ran across Ms. Greene number of months ago when Ms. Lane announced a merger, of sorts. She was forming a band with the said Ms. Greene and I, being a huge fan of Ms. Lane, was curious. I searched and found her. And I heard something which I found quite intriguing. A demo titled Holla Holla (listen here) which had just enough of Five Man Electrical Band's I'm a Stranger Here to suck me in, a solid beat (meaning that if I could dance, I could dance to it) and vocals which have me struggling to remember where I'd heard them before--- or at least, voices which were comparable. I liked it. Still do. I went no further. She passed muster so there was no need. So I sat back and waited. What happened happens all too often with the artists I like. Lane sidestepped Fauntella to team up with Thick As Thieves, recording an EP and touring with them for a short while. They are good, but I have a slight aversion to hip-hop and Lane's voice alternated with their hip-hop vocalist and in the end, I rejected them. Like I said, they are very good. There just wasn't enough Sunday Lane for me. Well, I don't have to worry about that with Fauntella Crow. There is plenty of Lane and a heaping helping of Greene as well and I guess you could say I'm a happy man. Lane has a very unique voice (when you hear it, you will hear it) and the few of my friends who have listened to her have mentioned it. I love it. A couple of them didn't. So as I sit listening to the new EP, Lost Here, I began smiling. There is something in this combination which smooths out Lane's voice--- makes it more amenable to the cretins who do not hear how wonderful her voice is--- and that might be a good thing. I am awaiting word from those very cretins now. Their silence is a good thing. I hope it means they are listening. I have been listening for a few days now. Lane is there with her voice. I assume that she has written at least a couple of the five songs because they are kith and kin to songs she has written in the past, the melodies and harmonies laid out in patented form. Greene is there also, her violin and possibly cello smoothing the edges and at times providing more depth, as it were, giving the songs lift. And her voice? It blends very well indeed. The songs are reflective and soft, written from within, and are presented simply and beautifully. Was this worth waiting for? Absolutely, but I have to say that five songs are just not enough. I will more than likely end up listening to the EP much more than I would otherwise, just for my fix. That's okay, though. These two ladies are nothing if not talented as hell and I'm hoping that the EP will spur them on. I see a glowing future for them both, as a duo and as individuals. Frank O. Gutch Jr.
Supporting the Indies Since 1969 |
