Liz Brasher – Baby Damn
This independent artist has a full robust tonality to her vocals. An insatiable dulcet voice that necessitates repeated listening. Liz Brasher applies generous amounts of intonation & her phrasing is sharp. The melodies aren’t so much sweet as tenderly acute.
Ms. Brasher (vocals/guitars/keys) has a wonderful blend — an intimate hybrid of gospel, rock & blues. Instead of just singing words she adds a tinsel of passionate notes that help to emphasize each message. While saturating her performance with such embellishments she never loses herself in bombastic over emotive predictable staging. She does bring ample soulfulness to each performance on this album.
The 10 pieces on her sophomore effort Baby Damn (Drops April 26/Blue Elan/40:00) were produced by Joe Chiccarelli (keyboards) at Sunset Sound in Hollywood, CA. Liz relocated from Memphis, TN to Southern California & geographically the change may have been evident psychologically but her originality & creativity have lost none of their luster.
Liz has a Karla Bonoff-inflected attraction (“Lose Again,” “Wild Heart of the Young”) that retains an innocence, melancholy & emotional lift in equal quantities. Liz also peppers her music with intelligent, well-chosen words that are a few steps above the standard fare of today’s commercial mainstream fodder. Her work is far deeper & retains an expressive presence.
The majority of songs were recorded with an atmospheric touch. It enhances the allure of Liz’s performances. On “Slow Dance,” except for the chintzy drum beat — the jazzy overtones & Liz’s cognac smooth voice provide a listener with a peek into the possibility of her doing more jazzier easy-listening lounge tunes. Not pablum, but solid expressive ballads. She emits a warm intimacy, a bit spacey at the coda through her whispery breathy voice. Her enunciation is commendable.
The heaviest tune is “Pieces,” — arranged with edginess & a riffling guitar fuzz sound as tasty as rainbow sprinkles on an ice cream cone. However, the drums pack a tight beat surrounded by a seductive tempo. This one is owned by Liz & the drummer. Exceptional.
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I don’t hear the Gothic music touch as much as others. For instance, Liz doesn’t sing like Lisa Gerrard of Dead Can Dance, Jarboe of the Swans, Siouxsie & the Banshees, or Italian Gothic singer Francesca Chiara. But I understand the possibilities, not the comparisons to the Gothic genre. The set is interesting in Liz’s own individual style.
The CD package is a handsome die-cut 6-panel. The color image courtesy of Liz’s Bandcamp site & the couch image courtesy of Piper Ferguson.
Highlights – “Room To Ride,” “Be In California,” “Baby Damn,” “When I Stand,” “Empty Spaces,” “Slow Dance” & “Pieces.”
Musicians – Matt Chamberlain (drums), Sean Hurley (bass), Roger Manning (keys), David Levita (guitar), Carl Broemel (pedal steel), Carmen Vandenberg (guitar) & Oliver Kraus (cello).
A folded lyric insert is included. CD @ Amazon & https://blueelan.com/products/baby-damn-lp & https://lizbrasher.bandcamp.com/album/baby-damn + https://www.lizbrasher.com/