Neara Russell's Noise And Silence Review

Neara Russell's album Noise and Silence has been in my car's CD rotation for a few weeks now (I was lucky enough to score an advance copy - hehe). I have been simultaneously impressed and inspired by this self-produced 13 track effort. It's poppy in a sideways manner. You can tell she's got some real pipes, and there's wittiness throughout her lyrics. My favs on the album include "Never Never Never Never" and "Shattered Glass." BTW, you'll be singing that "never never never never" bit a lot if you listen to the song a couple times. It's that catchy. "Shattered Glass" and "Blush" both have some nice rising crescendos in them where the production comes up to the perfect intensity for her vocals (and harmonies!) to crush it over. The best moment on this album though is in "Look For Something" where she simply says "I desire a peace of mind / I search for something." I think it's an appropriate place, in the middle of the album, for that kind of inner reflection. I think it helps ground the rest of the set, and gives me some context to better understand the complex rhythms, eclectic sounds, and intense visual expressions in the rest of the tracks.

For anyone who loves Tori Amos, Imogen Heap.. maybe with a little more sunshine and innocence.. you'd be well served to get Noise And Silence on iTunes or wherever you can!