duggup

Allison Crowe is from Canada and has recently released her sixth album “Little Light”, now I will be honest and say I hadn’t heard of her until a friend mentioned her song “Disease” that is at www.myspace.com/allisoncrowe. We were discussing how dissonance can really add to a songs emotional impact. I championed Juliana Barwick as an example of how the tension added by looking at the spaces between the “pretty” notes could make a song carry a far greater emotional impact. My friend countered with Allison Crowe, if you are interested compare the version of “Disease” at Jamendo with the version that is at MySpace. The impact of the MySpace one is so much more potent, she takes enormous risks with her perfomance and creates a much more interesting version of the song compared with the earlier version.

Don’t panic though, there is a lot more to her than just a bunch of weird chords, she has a truly intense singing style and her voice is genuinely captivating. Allison’s version of Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah (which surely is on it’s way to being the most covered song of the millennium) will have the hair on the back of your neck standing up. Another song covered is “Time After Time” (always one of my favourite Cyndi Lauper pieces), the light and shade of this track is just wonderful. When she hits the chorus you really know it. A great performance.

Her originals is where the fun is though. She wanders through genres as the mood appears to take her. Rock, folk, jazz, all there all strongly represented. “Skeletons and Spirits” is another song that lets her explore her dynamic range and stretch a bit.

Here is a vid of “Hallelujah” from YouTube. One voice, one piano one take …

Now over at Jamendo you can download a copy of “Little Light” and slip her a few bucks if you like it (you will… trust me). While you are at Jamendo, check out the “Live At Wood Hall” CD

Highly Recommended

Websites at www.myspace.com/allisoncrowe and www.allisoncrowe.com/ and www.jamendo.com/en/artist/allison.crowe/

thatch is fascinated by guitars, music, guitars, production, silly noises, guitars and used to be a musician. Did I mention the thing about the guitars?
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