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Album Details

• Artist: Crystal Brandt
• Album: Voter
• Label: Mungler Winslow
• Year of Release: 2004
• ME Rating:
• Reviewed by: rbidet on 2005-01-10

Crystal Brandt has a lot to offer anyone willing to forgive her over-serious manner and uncomfortable familiarity to po-faced chanteuses like Fiona Apple and Cat Power. She would be described as folk-influenced I guess, but mainly because of her choice to record almost solely on unaccompanied acoustic guitar. These songs don't lack for hooks but the enjoyment factor is often undercut by the forced seriousness of Brandt's performances. A little less of the wounded poetess and a bit more fun would go a long way to making Voter a more enjoyable experience. "Bear Mountain" ditches the guitar for a lonely piano and a breathier vocal making it sound more like a record of a bruised emotion and less like a pissy liberal arts student. But it also sounds a lot like Cat Power, which is fine, but it's further evidence that Crystal Brandt needs an identity transplant, pronto. Many of the songs just aren't compelling enough to stand so naked, though the more swinging "Long Tall" comes close. Brandt has songwriting, lyrical and vocal ability for sure, but her insistence on presenting her material in such a sparse environment, and of adopting the pose of a coffee-shop folkie does her few favors.

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