 Stephanie
Rearick
"The Bucket Rider" CD
Uvulittle
Records
Genres: singer / songwriter, piano pop
Uvulittle Records
PO Box 3220
Madison WI 53704
Mar 8 - 14 2004 |
The Bucket Rider is pianist/singer Stephanie Rearick's
newest album, and for a solo record it's pretty good. These
tracks are basking in dramatic, simple piano-and-voice brilliance - if
you are a fan of singer/songwriter-type pop music, and don't mind the
occasional (though obligatory) folk and classical
overtones, you'll likely find a lot of good things to enjoy on this
disc.
There are two problems I noticed on this album. Firstly, the
tracks end up becoming monotonous by the album's end - this is, of
course, due to the fact that it's all done on the same piano,
accompanied by the same voice. Especially for those unaccustomed
to this type of pop, The Bucket Rider can become bland and
repetitive.
Problem number two is related to melody. In short, there
isn't enough of it. There is a lack of hooks, and many of these
songs rely too much on atmosphere and lushness. Rearick's
pretty voice can only carry these songs so far, as they have not been
made infectious enough to stand the test of time.
However, to focus plainly on the negatives is to overlook the
positives, of which there are many. These tunes are ultimately
very pleasant, filled with pretty textures, whimsical piano swirls,
and a very rich mood. Given its genre, The Bucket Rider
is a very, very solid disc - lovers of this unique form of pop will
not want to miss out. Take note.
84%
Matt Shimmer
[Vitals: 15 tracks, distributed by the
label, released 2003] |
