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Imagine Melissa Etheridge not growling,
Alanis Morrisette not whining, Blondie making sense and you get
an idea of what you get when you put "Motorbaby" in
your CD player. This trio, fronted by Sharon Middendorf's vocals
and guitar, and backed by Ron Mancuso on bass and Lez Warner
on drums, came together on NYC's lower East Side back in 1994.
Sharon had already fronted several bands before finding what
looks like the right combination.
Sharon says Chrissy Hynde was a major influence,
but the album is no pretender, it has brass of its own, and Sharon
establishes her own style from the opening cut, "Lose Your
Mind." A solid opening bridge leads to Sharon's soft yet
forceful vocals. Vocals that are crisp, clear and lyrical is
something she does have in common with Chrissy. The refrain will
put it's hooks into you.
The songs are short and simple. Sharon
is no Bob Dylan, but the music will grab you with it's infectious
nature, often mindless wanderings that just slip in the crooks
and crannies of your mind, rock candy. Mancuso and Middledorf
mixed the album and I was impressed with the tightness of the
sound. The guitars and drums were balanced and never overrode
the vocals or each other. This is one of the best sounding albums
from a technical sense I've heard in a long time.
My favorite cut on the album is "Ultimate
Height," with it's haunting opening sequence that screams
for your attention. "Slam Train" rides the rails into
your brain. Radio friendly "Keep On" is the first single
release, a Morisette-sounding tune sure to appeal to fans of
her type of music.
I think "Marlene" refers to Marlene
Dietrich and it's tag line "the whole world thinks you're
a whore" may refer to the sultry style of her singing which
Sharon tries to emulate on this song. "Dance" your
feet will urge as songs like "Northern Lights" and
"Inside Out" pulse through the speakers.
Sharon is able to take her voice soft at
a moment's notice from a hard edge, and her nonverbal sounds
add to the feel of this album, especially on "Sea of Fire"
and "Ultimate Height." One of the best performed songs
is "Innocent," each word a razor blade cutting through
your complacency.
This is the kind of music we've needed
to breath life into a pop world saddled with Spice Girls and
Backstreet Boys. Gun the "Motorbaby" let's rock. |
