The Review: Linda Stout -- Good Luck Child
I promised a full review as soon as I had a copy of the CD. Well, Linda was kind enough to send me a promo copy, so here is The Review...
The first time I heard Linda Stout's dreamy voice I was hooked. From the first enchanted chord of "Falling" to the cheerful last note of "Tell You So", Good Luck Child is an emotional experience that is at times magical, at times mystical, and completely captivating. Once you start, you can't stop listening. The music is addictive. No wonder RadioioAcoustic has already picked it up and added it to their "acoustic faves" list. No doubt other feeds and stations will soon do the same. Then, as more and more people listen, the inevitable comparisons to other artists will surface. Every one of them will fall short, though; Stout is in a league of her own. Nevertheless, think Norah Jones with a guitar or a female Kenny Rankin; this will at least get you in the same galaxy.
My favorite aspect of Stout's style is her ability to create beautiful, vivid imagery in her lyrics. She uses words like a painter uses her tubes of color: she chooses them carefully and mixes them just so on her lyrical palette. Rhythmic and harmonic brush strokes layered on a multi-textured musical canvas complete the picture. One of the best examples of this is "Falling". She draws you in with a one-word hook (and walks you through a landscape of haunting, moody, minor riffs:
Falling leaves
Falling rain
Falling for you, for you
The piano, deftly played by Cornell student Matt Robbins, adds the shadows and highlights. I'll bet it's no accident that Linda chose this song over the title cut for the first track--it's intoxicating. This one will be on my playlist for a long time.
The title track, an upbeat conga/guitar/bass groove, immediately took control of my brain's rhythm center. I was tapping my feet, shaking my head, and bouncing to the beat from the first "ponk" of the congas. This funky feel-good jam with straight-ahead vocals and seamless harmonies, carries the message that it's okay to get caught up in the moment.
"Tangled" is pure poetry. Part ryhthmic recitation, part song, this track features a gritty guitar solo by Koch Records recording artist Johnny Dowd that captures the essence of '60s acid rock at its finest.
And speaking of poetry, "Emily's Muse" is an Emily Dickinson poem that Stout set to music. The fit is so perfect that it's hard to believe they weren't written at the same time.
Stout's artistry shines in "I Don't Wanna Know". She gets hold of your heartstrings and heaves for all she's worth. The unusual arrangment, featuring the rootsy sound of a baritone ukelele, is perfect for this simple song. Enchanting vocal harmonies and the gradual buildup of guitar and bass deliver a finale that had me in tears. Such beautiful sadness. Wow!
What a delight it is to hear the work of an artist who doesn't pander to the American Idol-ized pop mentality. Linda Stout's artistic senses haven't been suborned by cookie-cutter, formulaic songwriting and chest-thumping production. This is home-grown music at its finest--real, honest, straight-from-the-soul tunes written and performed by an artist who knows what it means to be one. I do have one complaint, though.
Overall, Stout's production works well. But she made one huge mistake.
She should have released a double album.
The first time I heard Linda Stout's dreamy voice I was hooked. From the first enchanted chord of "Falling" to the cheerful last note of "Tell You So", Good Luck Child is an emotional experience that is at times magical, at times mystical, and completely captivating. Once you start, you can't stop listening. The music is addictive. No wonder RadioioAcoustic has already picked it up and added it to their "acoustic faves" list. No doubt other feeds and stations will soon do the same. Then, as more and more people listen, the inevitable comparisons to other artists will surface. Every one of them will fall short, though; Stout is in a league of her own. Nevertheless, think Norah Jones with a guitar or a female Kenny Rankin; this will at least get you in the same galaxy.
My favorite aspect of Stout's style is her ability to create beautiful, vivid imagery in her lyrics. She uses words like a painter uses her tubes of color: she chooses them carefully and mixes them just so on her lyrical palette. Rhythmic and harmonic brush strokes layered on a multi-textured musical canvas complete the picture. One of the best examples of this is "Falling". She draws you in with a one-word hook (and walks you through a landscape of haunting, moody, minor riffs:
Falling leaves
Falling rain
Falling for you, for you
The piano, deftly played by Cornell student Matt Robbins, adds the shadows and highlights. I'll bet it's no accident that Linda chose this song over the title cut for the first track--it's intoxicating. This one will be on my playlist for a long time.
The title track, an upbeat conga/guitar/bass groove, immediately took control of my brain's rhythm center. I was tapping my feet, shaking my head, and bouncing to the beat from the first "ponk" of the congas. This funky feel-good jam with straight-ahead vocals and seamless harmonies, carries the message that it's okay to get caught up in the moment.
"Tangled" is pure poetry. Part ryhthmic recitation, part song, this track features a gritty guitar solo by Koch Records recording artist Johnny Dowd that captures the essence of '60s acid rock at its finest.
And speaking of poetry, "Emily's Muse" is an Emily Dickinson poem that Stout set to music. The fit is so perfect that it's hard to believe they weren't written at the same time.
Stout's artistry shines in "I Don't Wanna Know". She gets hold of your heartstrings and heaves for all she's worth. The unusual arrangment, featuring the rootsy sound of a baritone ukelele, is perfect for this simple song. Enchanting vocal harmonies and the gradual buildup of guitar and bass deliver a finale that had me in tears. Such beautiful sadness. Wow!
What a delight it is to hear the work of an artist who doesn't pander to the American Idol-ized pop mentality. Linda Stout's artistic senses haven't been suborned by cookie-cutter, formulaic songwriting and chest-thumping production. This is home-grown music at its finest--real, honest, straight-from-the-soul tunes written and performed by an artist who knows what it means to be one. I do have one complaint, though.
Overall, Stout's production works well. But she made one huge mistake.
She should have released a double album.
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