Posted on: November 6, 2012 Posted by: James McQuiston Comments: 0

 

Never Try to Change You 2 is a catchy bit of pop-country that touches upon Shania Twain, Stevie Nicks, Sheryl Crow, and Natalie Cole before ending. The rapid-fire delivery of Longo’s vocals keeps the tempo high, ensuring that listeners will continue to stick with the disc. The momentum achieved by Never Try to Change You 2 is bolstered through Tangled Up. This effort succeeds because it stands out from the rest of the pack. This track pulls back through history to take hints of Tiny Tim, Elvis, and Lena Horne. You Leave Me brings Longo into a more poppy domain; the punchy drum line and hooky guitars properly highlight the vocals heard here.

Run Away is a track that was slotted in the late second half of Early Girl, but represents a must-listen. The raw emotionality that can be heard here is made all the more sanguine by the sheer approachability of Longo. The track still maintains the same compelling arrangements that made You Leave Me such a memorable effort. Forever We Change allows the lyrics to take the fore; the instrumentation is just as strong as anywhere on Early Girl but the dynamic is utterly new. Early Girl is an album that I will be keeping in my car for months to come; the different contexts in which one can understand these tracks is virtually limitless.

Early Girl is a rare example of an effort that can touch upon a wide swath of Longo’s influences without sounding disjointed or otherwise incomplete. While there are a considerable array of styles that are presented on the album’s 13 tracks, Longo inserts considerable cohesion into these tracks.

Top Tracks: Never Try to Change You 2, Somebody Saved Me, Forever We Change

Rating: 8.1/10

Gina Longo – Early Girl (CD) / 2012 Self / 13 Tracks / http://www.myspace.com/earlygirlonline

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