This is Di Micele’s 18th album – you’ve probably not heard of her so a little “big in Oregon” thing going on, but on the plus side, she’s also got what she does nailed down; she’s had the practice.
The sound is somewhere between Americana and folk, and she’s got a powerful, but warm voice.
Opener “I Wanna Love” is an impressive tune, Di Micele’s (pronounced Dee Miss Ellie) showing off her vocals and someone (her? Andy Casad on electric guitar?) dropping an impressive solo.
After that, it’s fairly standard singer-songwriter, and just a question of whether you find her sound better than the next act’s.
However: you might be drawn by the lyrics, which are a cut above.
The twist in “I Wanna Love” is that it’s about body image: “I was taught from the time I was a little girl / This body would never be good enough, good enough, no.”
“One Little Word” is less clear: the little word might be “gay”, as she sings: “When I fell in love with her / I didn’t know that doors would close upon me / And with just one word / One little word would turn the world against me”.
The jazz-infused “Falling Through the Cracks” is a pleasant tune, the lyrics sharp: “I went to get some help cause I just could not sleep / They loaded me with benzos sent me back onto the street”.
It’s not all heavy: “Springtime (Here We Go)” is about spring, and “The Ghost of Alice” is a good story.
The latter is an early standout, purer Americana than much of the album, and some nice violin.
Having read the lyrics, this is a much better album than merely listening to the tunes might suggest: music 7/10, lyrics 9.5/10.
More info here
JMC
