jed ryan
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The Best Pop Album of 2009!
JULIE CLARK: Meet the Girl Behind the Best Pop Album of 2009!
Virginia native Julie Clark and I met while the charismatic songstress was in New York City in March. When Julie gave me a copy of her new CD "Change Your Mind", her friend/traveling companion told me, "This will soon become your favorite album!" She said it with such casual confidence that I knew it would be true-- even though as a music writer, I'm listening to dozens of albums at any given time. I couldn't wait to find out. Let's just say that the promise was fulfilled. From the first few notes of "Change Your Mind", the title track, the listener is hooked-- in a big way. The opening song's blend of guitar, keys, and banjo create a symphony of perfection. Yes, you read right: There IS a banjo (courtesy of Bill Gurley)! Setting the stage for most of the rest of the album, the kickoff of Clark's new CD is zesty, invigorating, and very catchy. Then, there's Ms. Clark's voice: breathy, unblemished, and delicately beautiful. (If you must have a comparison, think of Jewel-- without the quirk factor.) Her delivery is always smooth and flawless, as evidenced when she sings lyrics of the title track: "We change our hair, we change our clothes; and things so deep down they don't show. Old days we leave behind, lead to new ways that we find... If you wanna change your life, you change your mind". Clark's voice is complemented perfectly by her expert choice of musicians (including great synergy with her harmony vocalist Jess Willoughby) and equally expert production, but there's more than that on "Change Your Mind". What makes this album stand out is Julie's ability to translate the personal into universal and make it sound so fine. A few of the songs on "Change Your Mind" are overtly biographical, many are deeply candid, and all of them are unyieldingly earnest... but none of the music is overly precious to the point of being pretentious, or sounding like she's writing songs solely for her own catharsis-- a trap that too many indie artists fall into. This is music for everyone, baby... Most of Julie's own personal reflections set to music are likely to speak to each and every one of us. It's radio-ready pop that can rival any of Julie's peers on the charts today. In fact, I'm going to be so bold as to say that Julie Clark's "Change Your Mind" is the best pop album of 2009-- male or female, straight or gay, indie or major label. Yes, my readers, I know that we're only one third of the way into the year... but any music that gets delivered to me from this point on will have some pretty big pumps (or boots, or20cha cha heels...) to fill.
Clark gets to sing some some commentary about our American icon for the next track, "Superman". Is she singing about the death of the Man of Steel as a metaphor for death of values in America, or maybe as a statement about our country's absence of a hero? Maybe... But why ask why? Just enjoy this lyrically indulgent and oh-so-smart gem of a song. For the banjo-heavy "Growin' Up", she sings something of a shout-out to her older brother. It's a dusty but treasured family photo album (NOT a digital picture frame!) come to life. So many different feelings are intertwined, from the more pleasant aspects of nostalgia to tales of childhood angst ("You found yourself a potpourri, of charming ways to torture me, like selling copies of my diary..."). "Jacket" emerges as one of the sweetly sexiest songs you're likely to hear in a while, but it's very much an unblemished type of sexiness (Think Sixpence None the Richer's 1999 "Kiss Me"...). "If It Weren't For That" is a song inspired by Julie's own struggle with weight in the early part of her life. Julie told me that she only performs this song on special occasions, because it is indeed so deeply personal. While the story behind the song will strike some listeners as heartbreaking, Julie emerges no less the strong for it, clearly ready to share her story in hopes of maybe helping others dealing with the very "now" issues of childhood obesity and body image, especially for young girls. "If It Weren't For That" is like the musical equivalent of a hand-painted ornament: every detail seems meticulously thought out, from the occasional electronic raindrops that fall like tears, to the haunting cello in the bac kground. Next up is "Long Way Down", an upbeat song which re-creates that giddy, priceless feeling of being with someone who you're really into... but with just a touch of nervous apprehension! ("Flirting with you's like walking on a ledge, perfectly safe until you reach the edge; Thirty flights above the ground, that's how I feel when you're around; But if I stumble, if I fall, it's a long way down...") Whether you're 16 or 60, you'll relate. "Courage of Our Convictions" is an unambiguous rally for equal rights for our community. The song is not heavy handed, confrontational, or angry-- but rather a call to arms for mutual respect, understanding, and love-- even for our would-be adversaries . One day, we will have an equivalent of a Great American Songbook of LGBT Equality, and this should-be-classic song deserves to be in it:
"Oh my dear brothers, and sisters too,
Workin' to make a change long overdue;
We're gonna fight for freedom,
yeah, yeah we're gonna fight for love.
We're gonna fight 'cause
nothing less than equal's good enough."
This song also showcases the range of Julie's voice to its best. "I'd Do 'Em All (If I Could)" is a playful romp. For this one, Ms. Clark truly lets loose; we envision a rare unplugged moment in the studio with Julie and her bandmates as she sings, "I'd do 'em all if I could, clap your hands if you think you would; every record-- every song, every chorus--sing along; every rhythm-- every key, every style-- don't limit me; I'd do 'em all...". This song is a true delight, keeping up with the zest that Julie promised us at the beginning of the album.
A recurrent theme on Julie Clark's "Change Your Mind" is beauty: the beauty that society imposes upon us and the so-called "beauty" for sale in magazines versus real beauty-- the ultimate of which is the beauty in ourselves that we all hopefully discover on our journey through life. How fitting it is, then, that "Change Your Mind" is-- as you may have guessed I'm gonna say-- a real beauty of an album. And, it's ready for your discovery.
Jed Ryan
DishMiss.com
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