Amanda Grace – Give Me Away
A peculiar blend of retro performance coupled with a solid modern contemporary thrust is what’s forged on Amanda Grace’s musical anvil. “Give Me Away,” takes a 50s schmaltzy touch & runs it through a radiant ceiling fan that spews out a strong authoritative showcase. She’s got my attention. Ok, so it’s just one song but then “Wouldn’t Be You,” comes with its prickly guitar stabs, incisive melody & Ms. Grace’s exceptional vocalizing. This is going to be a smooth ride in 39 minutes.
The 11-free style tunes on Give Me Away (Independent-Drops Feb 14) are consistently bestowed of energy, originality & all kinds of fanciful delights. Even the third tune “Hey Pretty One,” has fully developed rock muscle & Amanda knows how to deliver punches. Am I being too graphic & violent? Ah, so what? The songs are strong & assertive.
The Minnesota native developed into an artist who knows how to write, sing & record without losing any gravity. She’s not growly like Janis Joplin or as smooth as Norah Jones, but she has music that has Emmylou Harris’s diversified vastness to its soundscapes. Her voice has a resounding timbre. She’s good on the fuel-injected songs & slower ballads (“Love Yourself”) with a voice that emotes with just enough sophistication & relevancy to be…sincere.
There’s little to even suggest a gluttony of performance. This artist paints with a broad brush but she has so many vibrant colors to her music. All the little musical dots & dashes that she throws into each just illustrate with the appropriate hues. She does this on “The Last Ones” & the stunner — the old 1967 Frankie Valli (The Four Seasons) classic “I Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You,” which Amanda resurrects with beauty. It’s a dusted-off beautiful old Victorian doll. They say the true test of a singer is when they cover someone else’s classic song – Ms. Grace gave us a graceful surprise.
This CD is filled topic-wise with good thoughts, reinforcement, optimistic swipes at humanity, buttering up the bruises of toxic situations & finding & recognizing love in places few may even look. To make good music & good love with others — it’s a collaboration. Life is one such collaboration. Family, friends & even strangers.
“Best Part of Me,” proves Ms. Grace can go down to the deeper tones like Cassandra Wilson. This is a powerhouse tune with juice. A goosebump song. This has emotional properties many great singers can only aspire to.
Highlights – “Give Me Away,” “Wouldn’t Be You,” “Hey Pretty One,” “Love Yourself,” “The Last Ones,” “Mother’s Lullaby,” “I Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You,” “Best Part of Me,” “Rain or Snow” & “All We Need.”
Musicians – Individually listed on each song at the Bandcamp site. Music samples & CD available @ https://amandagrace1.bandcamp.com/album/give-me-away