Randy Phillips
- Artist: Randy Phillips
- Album released in 2006
- Genres: Acoustic, Blues & Soul, Jazz
Songs:
1) Light Your Heart
2) Too Far Down
3) It's All About You
4) Change of Heart
5) Tumbling into Blue
6) Around the Bend
7) Questions and Answers
8) Could It Be You?
9) True Story I Made Up
10) Farmer's Trust
11) Sanctuary
12) Rain
There are a couple of totally forgettable songs on this album. "Change of Heart," "Sanctuary," and "Around the Bend" are guitar, drums, and bass played slowly with a female singer, Randy Phillips, accompanying. The songs are wholly underwhelming except for the fact that the instruments are expertly played. The drums, bass, guitar, and other instruments on every song are solid, creative, and sophisticated.
Randy Phillips's voice is sweet and sentimental. It's a little Joan Baez and Linda Ronstadt, which seems okay if you're into that. Her voice isn't varied or rich, but she can convey some emotion.
Here's the thing with this album: Randy's a little folksy; she's horses, billowy dresses, and fields of poppies, which is cool if you dig it. But her band far outstrips the folk genre. The songs -- the not completely boring songs -- are backed by music that's complex and jazzy. Her band is "Come Fly with Me," a little "Girl from Ipanema," and "You Give Me Fever," while Randy's sound is a little more "Lesbian Seagull."
Peter Sprague's guitar work is top notch. I kept wanting to turn the vocals off so I could hear the band play, but I couldn't do that so I went to the record store and bought Autumn Leaves by Barney Kessel. Yes, Peter's guitar is that good.
--- Hometown CD Review 4-27-06