Amelia: A Long, Lovely List of Repairs

By Keith Hannaleck

  • Artist: Amelia
  • Title: A Long, Lovely List of Repairs
  • Genre: Folk-Roots
  • Label: Adrenaline
  • Website: www.ameliaband.com

Amelia the band, not the girl, has been making a name for themselves in the Pacific Northwest and seem positioned perfectly with their new release A Long, Lovely List of Repairs to solidify their foundation and expand upon it. In spite of the confusion that the name of the band creates, they decided that they would stick with it and it has not hindered their growth or success.

Ameila is Teisha Helgerson (vocals), Jesse Emerson (upright bass, electric bass, acoustic, piano, percussion, autoharp) and Scott Weddle (acoustic & electric guitars, electric bass, vocals, bass harmonica, glockenspiel, marxaphone, percussion, loops).

Teisha’s vocals are soft and expressive. That style compliments the music produced by her band mates. I was impressed by the overall musicianship and versatility of this band. Considering there are three people providing the music, it speaks volumes for their talents and aptitude for switching between instruments. The ebb and flow of this recording remains consistent throughout, as the vocalist does not waver from her style or tone. The band provides a lush backdrop for her to maintain that tempo and style, which is a mixture of folk, rock, and pop, with an emphasis on roots and a smidgen of country twang thrown in for some extra flavor.

“Dolores” is a nice toe tapping tune that I could imagine hearing on the radio and the lead off track “Enigmo” while delivered in a different language, could find its way to the Latin charts and end up being a cross over hit.“Thick As Thieves” is perhaps the most interesting with a nice lead off electric guitar lick. It has a contagious ring to it as the guitar reverberates and the acoustic is strumming along behind, it makes for a nice instrumental and actually the one song I could not see Tiesha singing to so it was a good choice for the only track without vocals. It is very short but I was very interested to hear more as it was quite a step away from the rest of the album. “Sugar Falls” would be another good choice for airplay. Interesting enough that familiar electric guitar weaves its way into this track as well. I have to say with authority that as much as I can appreciate the acoustic side of their work I would like to hear more of that electric guitar, it is very tasteful yet it makes a point with strong lines placed just right to enhance the lyrics. ‘Eyesore” ends up being the most pop injected tune and the most commercially viable, which I think would engage new listeners and push them to explore the rest of the album.

This is a strong release and I can see Amelia going places if they continue to develop.

Reviewed - July 9, 2008

Tracks:

  • Enimigo
  • Farewell
  • Tragedy
  • After You
  • Try
  • The End
  • Dolores
  • Thick As Thieves
  • Sugar Falls
  • The Great Escape
  • Eyesore
  • Cover the Leak
  • Needlework
  • Here We Are

Purchase this CD

About the Author:

Keith Hannaleck, known as “MuzikMan” is a Journalist specializing in independent and major music reviews and the promotion of artists via the various media outlets flourishing online. He has worked closely with artists, management, publicity directors, and webmasters to provide some of the best and far-reaching coverage an artist could have. Focusing primarily on the internet as a medium for his work, Keith has been a pioneer in the industry changing the way a reviewer with his various talents are used by many artists, PR folks, and labels. He has provided strong and valuable work to labels, artists, and publicity people, writing reviews, press releases, and biographies and much more over the years, giving the people he works with the maximum amount of exposure through several top-notch websites that post his content on their sites.

© Keith "MuzikMan" Hannaleck - www.muzikreviews.com.