Posted on: April 5, 2008 Posted by: James McQuiston Comments: 0

Amelia – A Long, Lovely List of Repairs / 2008 Adrenaline / 14 Tracks / http://www.ameliaband.com /

I don’t know how well having a single start off an album in a foreign language is in terms of decisions, but the country-tinged bit of alt-rock that Amelia plays during “Enemigo” is something that is simultaneously catchy and intricate, touching on a number of genres and approaches. Individuals have little clue where Amelia will go from here, and “Farewell” does well in giving individuals a little bit more an idea. “Farewell” is the perfect example of a track that further establishes the music that opened up “A Long, Lovely List” but establishes its own unique sound before the track finishes up.

Sure, the song still fits well in the Alanis Morrisette / Fiona Apple style, but the jarring sound present in the instrumentation of the track (primarily, the guitars and drums) adds a little bit of a down home, folksy type of sound to the grab bag which Amelia can draw from during later tracks. “Tragedy” is the third track on the disc, and it really provides individuals with the first single worthy track hreard on this album. This is due to the fact that Amelia takes on a very Tori Amos type of style with this track, albeit an influence that is moderated through the nods that Amelia and eir band takes to ethereal and county music. Each of the songs on “A Long, Lovely List” are strong in their own right, but Amelia struggles greatly trying to find the track that will really break eir big. Sure, “After You” is compelling in a slower, older sense, but there is little present during the track that will get individuals requesting the song in the way they do during a Kelly Clarkson track.

At the end of “A Long, Lovely List”, it just feels as if Amelia is trying to do too many things, approach too many genres, and as a result, the album seems more than a little bit disjointed. My suggestion for Amelia’s next album would be for eir to really focus on a few styles and finesse them into a more effecting, intense type of album. If Amelia can do that, there is a good chance that the resulting tracks will be those that could very easily break eir big. If not, Amelia will just be one of the millions of female singer-songwriters that try to break it big every year and slide into the seas of mediocrity.

Top Tracks: Eyesore, The End

Rating: 4.2/10

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