It’s been a while since my last review and I have been looking forward to this album for quite some time, when suddenly I returned home from work one evening to see a package addressed to me that contained my Lisa Crawley CD. I am writing this review from first impressions so here we go!
Four tracks in and I feel very immersed and incredibly happy at the tunes that are meeting my ears. I feel as if I have been friends with Lisa for a long time and can understand the things she goes through as she sings about them. Lisa has a voice that cuts through to your core and touches the emotions of joy, melancholy and peace. Very talented musicians were recruited for this album and it comes out in the well mixed and mastered tracks. Lisa’s piano playing is top notch and her fingers work magic on the keys playing every style from Jazz to Folk to Pop. The song Stranger is my favourite of the album so far. It explores sad and heart felt emotions that seem to mean a lot to Lisa. The piano playing, violins, trumpets and soft Jazz drumming all work together brilliantly to create a fabulous track.
It is about this stage in the album that I am thankful for the excitement that I expressed when waiting for this album. The pieces are great and I eagerly enjoy each song as it comes, goes and leaves me awaiting the next one. My mind fills with happiness while listening to the track Trying out Tonight, a very fun track that explores some crazy and unique instrumental pieces that I have not heard else were. Straight after this I’m struck with the beautiful piece of music, Better Lands, that uses mainly piano and Lisa’s fantastic voice. I can hear the smile in her voice as she sings and it feels great for me to have the honour of reviewing this fabulous music that would be better described as art. The songs she has written are the perfect length where she can tell a story in the lyrics and play with your emotions using piano but not so long that her ideas start to drag, very smart and very impressive.
Lisa’s style of song writing is a very direct verse, chorus, verse, bridge arrangement and it works wonderfully. I am also really appreciating that every song on the album sounds different from the others. I’m reminded of artists like Brooke Fraser and Nancy Sinatra in her style of song writing and use of vocals. Lisa is of international quality yet home-grown here in NZ. Once again it is so privileging to hear such talent and quality of music from artists born and bred right here on home turf.
Performing reviews has worked out to be better then I originally thought. Never would I have had the opportunity to listen to great music such as this and then have my opinion read by like-minded or potential fans. This album has made a fan out of me for life which may never have happened if not for my reviews taking place. I will be doing another review of Lisa Crawley’s gig on her NZ tour while she stops in Auckland at the Paddington and I simply cannot wait. Such lovely music and through her lyrics she sounds like an awesome person. Really excited to see what the future holds for this talented woman.
Jesse Reeves.
Indie-pop chanteuse Lisa Crawley has been immersed in music since the age of four.
Numerous albums, EPs and singles later, her refreshingly honest onstage presence and
emotionally authentic pop songs enchant the hearts and minds of an ever-growing
global audience.