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Reviews: Karen Thurber ~ In A Dream
Posted on Saturday, October 08, 2005 @ 07:10:29 PDT
Topic: Reviews
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Artist: Karen Thurber
CD: In a Dream
Home: Santa Barbara, California
Style: Eclectic/Rock/Folk
Quote: "A James Taylor fan wouldn’t be disappointed."
By J. Wallace
It’s hard to categorize this album. New age rock and roll? Neo-hippie electric folk? Whatever you call it, the songs are well-played, the lyrics are quirky and the production is good. In A Dream appeals to a certain type of listener. A James Taylor fan wouldn’t be disappointed, but those fussy Dave Matthews Band people (you know the type, the ones who say they’re listening to “Dave”) would probably give this a pass. Let ‘em.
For the rest of the fans of acoustic jams and jazz/bluesy riffs, Thurber offers tracks like “Beloved," “Conversation,” and “Journey,” which actually has some DMB flourishes. In fact, if DMB sang this one, it would probably wind up getting played ten thousand times on the radio.
Topically, the album goes a bit bipolar at times. “Needy Love” wants a potential suitor to take a hike, but the latin-flavored “Cosmic Tease” changes gears to a more sultry tone. ‘Cosmic tease brings me to my knees.” Thurber croons, “I’m going off the deep end.”
“Don’t Hesitate” has a bit of the Texas blues tossed in for good measure, and the final track closes the disc out with a sentimental vibe. “To My Surprise” actually has a dash of melancholy, but overall it’s a hopeful track.
Thurber’s backing band handles the music gracefully, she also chimes in with her own acoustic guitar work. The disc is almost too musically eclectic at times, but overall the presentation is good, and the songs are ordered for maximum enjoyment — there’s no sonic overkill detracting from the experience.
It may be hard to categorize Karen Thurber’s new album, but fans of these kinds of sounds will be pleased to know there’s another artist to add to the electric/acoustic sort-of-hipppie jazzy-jam list.
http://www.karenteed.com
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