“I Stand” by Idina Menzel
Spicy Latina and Tony Award winning actress/singer/songwriter, Idina Menzel, sounds to be the vocal love-child of Shakira and Dolly Parton. This debut album is filled with pop tunes and heartfelt ballads – intimate yet universal stories of life, its challenges, relationships, and of course the subject of love.
Grammy Award winning producer Glen Ballard, who has worked with the likes of Alanis Morrisette, Annie Lennox, and Celine Dion, says, “it’s very rare when you have somebody with Idina’s vocal skills who also writes so eloquently about what’s important to her. I knew I was working with a first-rate writer. She has stories to tell and they’re really worth hearing.”
Menzel built her career on two defining Broadway roles – her performance as “the green girl” in “Wicked” and her part in “Rent” as Maureen, an outspoken bisexual performance artist. Now begins her music career. “For the first time in my life, I had a feeling of complete artistic freedom,” she says.
However, only a handful of the tracks really stood out to me. While I liked a lot of songs, I didn’t really have the desire to listen to many of them over and over again – except, perhaps, for “Better to Have Loved” and “Gorgeous”.
Though I really liked the melody of the title track, “I Stand”, I have to say that I found the lyrics to be somewhat awkward. This was my first taste of Menzel’s style and perhaps I was only hearing her unique songwriting fashion. I have to give her points for managing to work in much more complex feelings and metaphors than your average Britney-style pop star.
The third song on the album, “Brave”, really brought out the Dolly Parton quality that I noticed in her voice. “Gorgeous” was a high point of the album – upbeat and slightly sad, with a glimmer of hope.
The remainder of the album goes more onto the dark side, exploring feelings of anger, fear, despair, and regret. “Perfume and Promises” finishes off the album, depressingly bluesy.
Track List:
1) I Stand ?????
2) Better to Have Loved ?????
3) Brave ?????
4) Gorgeous ?????
5) Where Do I Begin ?????
6) Don’t Let Me Down ?????
7) I Feel Everything ?????
8) Forever ?????
9) My Own Worst Enemy ?????
10) Perfume and Promises ?????
“The Rise & Fall of Ruby Woo” by The Puppini Sisters
This threesome is truly a blast from the past! The Puppini Sisters - formed in 2004 by Marcella Puppini, Stephanie O’Brien, and Kate Mullins - dress in 1940’s glamour and present tongue-in-cheek versions of classics on this, their sophomore disc.
“Our second album is most definitely a step forward,” comments Puppini. “Our collective musical influences, which range from Tom Waits to Ennio Morricone, are more and more evident in what is becoming our own, distinctive sound.”
The album kicks off with the 1960’s pop hit “Spooky”, reinvented as a high-energy, live drum-and-bass track. It is followed by a version of The Bangles’ “Walk Like an Egyptian” that displays the style, talent, and humor that the Puppini Sisters are known for. Also check out their unforgettable rendition of Beyoncé’s “Crazy In Love”, and the frenzied take on “It Don’t Mean A thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing)”.
Aside from these covers, “The Rise and Fall of Ruby Woo” also has a collection of highly original songs written by the trio, including “I Can’t Believe I’m Not A Millionaire” and “Jilted”. The Puppinis watertight harmonies are as strong as their love and respect for music from a bygone era.
