lisa richards - undergroundling
"First
Kiss is coincidently the first song on Lisa Richard's Undergroundling D.A.M. CD release on
MP3.com. It is also the perfect song for getting the feel of Lisa Richard's ability as a
songwriter and a performer. Less than thirty seconds into the song and I was
hooked…"
Listen to Lisa Richards sing First Kiss and what you will experience occurs on multiple levels almost simultaneously. First the upbeat rhythm and bluegrass honesty is impossible to ignore. The song does not wait to grab you with a catchy hook a minute: ten seconds in, no, it places its best stuff up front. The opening refrain is effective and memorable. Secondly, as soon as Lisa's vocals begin you will be tempted to do a quick memory search to see if you can figure out who Lisa sounds like. Don't bother. Lisa is her own self, and for that we can be glad. If you insist on reaching for comparisons be prepared to run the gamut from Delores O'Riordan of The Cranberries and Icelandic star Bjork, to country western star Dolly Parton and K.D. Lang. You will be wrong in all cases.
The very next thing that you will realize is that Lisa is an accomplished, serious songwriter. There are no shallow, gratuitous lyrics. Richard's songs are substantial, stand-alone offerings though each song on the Undergrounding album is a lyrical progression through the story of a failed relationship.
There are twelve songs on the Undergroundling CD and I wish I could go into detail on each, though I won't. It would be too much like giving away the plot of a movie you are about to see. It is enough to say that each track is a follows a general theme that adds to the cohesiveness of this album. There is none of "I'll do a song about this… and a song about that," hodge-podge that destroys the continuity of some releases. Undergroundling should be listened to from beginning to end. You will lose some of the effect if you play this cd with your player set on "random select."
The album is categorized as Pop & Rock according to the back cover on the MP3.com D.A.M. release, though I would definitely argue inclusion in that category. Call me a snob, but songs with lyrics as powerful as those found on the Undergroundling CD do not belong in the POP Rock genre. Leave that for Britney, Janet and Pink, there is no frivolity here. Folk Rock or Neo Bluegrass would be closer to the truth as long as you can include the likes of K.D. Lang, Tracy Chapman and Jewel. Lisa Richards, both as a songwriter and a vocalist, belongs is this elite company.
Lisa's song, The First Kiss has an alternative country flavor in with very real bluegrass roots. The piece is definite crossover "rise high in the charts" material. It is also a song that will win Lisa Richards many fans. It may be the strongest track on this album.
Funny About That begins with "Too much sex in hotel rooms… Hilton, Regent, Travel Lodge, you know I'm doomed… Well history and destiny now I know, I can't change the way things went, no, no. But I can change direction sure I'm sure. Thought it was a nightmare but it was just my life, funny about that." Strong writing and telling lyrics: a great song.
Invisible tells of the final, pained days of a relationship where rejection and an unfaithful partner have caused the victim in the relationship to feel invisible "I lay quietly, I have no fight …and in the darkness, I am nothing more than skin and bones and flesh and blood. I am invisible, I don't exist in this world… I'm not invisible, no, no. But those days are over, long gone… I don't think about them … too much, what went wrong. Some days I'm happy, but some days I'm not… I'm not invisible, I do exist in this world… I'm not invisible, how about you?"
Promises is a song of desperation and realization sung by Lisa Richards with the plaintive yet powerful vocal-stylings reminiscent of K. D. Lang. Promises is an excellent song with poignant, sad but defiant, lyrics that allow Lisa to showcase her vocal range and intensity. There is a tangible power to this song as well as a haunting quality that makes it and Lisa Richards impossible to forget. Chilling…
To get a more complete picture of Lisa Richard's abilities and to eliminate any doubts about the depth of her talent you need to look and listen to the songs from her independent album release Not Quite So Low (Unichappell Music). Three songs demand immediate attention: So Long is the first track on the album and shows Lisa's Texas connection through a very country western styled offering. The song works and should not be restricted just to that genre.
I Don't Think So is a dark folk ballad with thoughtful, haunting lyrics. It follows a general theme prevalent throughout much of Lisa's music… lost, failed love combined with resilience and a refusal to stay down. There always seems to be an element of redemption, an ability to put the past in its place, throughout Lisa's music. "I can talk about it, I can sing about it and I can be sad… but the past is past."
Plain Gold Ring has to be included here for several reasons. First, it is a most vocally challenging song, one that Lisa Richards performs flawlessly. Performed a capella (there is only a very restrained background accompaniment) Plain Gold Ring has the gut-wrenching lost quality of a sad and mournful folk song that might have been sung years ago, deep in an Appalachian hollow. Very powerful, very haunting, very beautiful.
What is obvious even to the casual listener, (though I cannot imagine any "casually" listening to Lisa Richards) is that there is a lot of the "artist" in Lisa's music. It is very personal and very experienced. Here is a singer/songwriter who has been places and done things. In all cases, I hope Lisa Richards continues to write music, I am already looking forward to her next album release due in January 2002.
reviewed by jack "papa" baer - dec. 8, 2001
TOP - Lisa Richards Discography
Down From The Mountain Bluegrass
This is a cd of live performances by artists that appeared on the soundtrack for O Brother
Where Art Thou?, which was widely successful.
This is a must have, with live performances by Emmylou Harris, Alison Krauss, Union Station, Gillian Welch, The Cox Family and more. Down From The Mountain is a must have addition to any serious Bluegrass collection.
Like Neo Bluegrass? Visit Lisa Richards online at:
Lisa
Richards MP3.com
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