Here it is, the last four reviews of the nearly 100 submissions we have received for the LA Music Critic Awards for the first half of 2017. When we return from Los Angeles, we will be sorting through those reviews to select the nominees for the awards, which will be announced in early July. Two of the artists reviewed today will be performing at the winner’s showcase on June 20th. We hope to see you there.
Artist Name: Janey Street
Album Name: In my own Skin
Label: Blue Élan Records
Genre: Singer-songwriter/R&B/Pop/Blues
Track Listing: 1. Wrap my Mind Around You; 2. When you are Loved; 3. In my own Skin; 4. Guilty Pleasures; 5. Undone; 6. Sex is Easy Love is Hard; 7. I Wanna Love you Deep; 8. Mixed Up; 9. Wreckage; 10. Waiting in the Wings; 11. Dignity; 12. Under the Clock
Publicist: MAD Ink PR
Review: Janey Street, once a protégé of the legendary Clive Davis, continues to shine with the release of her latest project, In my own Skin, on Blue Élan Records on June 23. The combination of Street’s songwriting and her confident soaring voice make this album a musical treat. It has a retro sound with equal parts pop and R&B/soul, and brings back memories of the days when radio stations just played songs, not genres. Street has penned some of the best songs this reviewer has heard in quite a while, and we believe that any song on this album could be a monster hit on radio and deserves placement in television and film. It is definitely the type of album you put on repeat and listen to from start to finish. While every song is amazing, we particularly like the sounds of “Wrap my Mind Around You,” the title track, “Guilty Pleasures,” “Sex is Easy Love is Hard,” “I Wanna Love you Deep,” and “Wreckage.”
Recommendation: Janey Street is an American icon and deserves the attention of every music lover. We highly recommend that you preorder this album now so that you will be sure to Get it as soon as it is available.
Artist Name: Meresha
Album Name: Enter the Dreamland
Label: Self-released
Genre: Dance
Track Listing: 1. Enter the Dreamland; 2. Stardust; 3. Jungle Potion; 4. Violet Night; 5. Lights Out
Publicist: None
Review: Meresha is a young up and coming artist with a firm grip on what makes great dance music, despite her young age. Her sound is tight, with a great beat for dance, but with a groove that makes it perfect for radio as well. She couples that with well made music videos that capture the spirit of the song as well as give you a visual treasure. All five songs on this too short EP are wonderful, and you can throw this one on repeat and dance, dance, dance. This young artist has captured our heart and imagination and we can’t wait to see how her career progresses. She is a modern-day combination of Selena and Shakira, and ready to conquer the music world.
Recommendation: We think this one is a true keeper, regardless of what genre is your favorite. Her music transcends those boundaries. We think you should definitely Get it.
Artist Name: Fallow Land
Album Name: Pinscher
Label: Self-released
Genre: Indie Rock
Track Listing: 1. Yang; 2. The Softboi Wields Guilt like a Floral Knife; 3. Faux; 4. 410 S. Morgan
Publicist: Noisy Ghost PR
Review: A creative project of Ann Arbor born musician Whit Fineberg, Fallow Land is the result of his coping with several major changes in his life – moving to Chicago, losing a friend, the end of his band and the closing of a relationship. He brought in Evan Veasey to play guitar, added Chris Bathgate to do the producing and recorded his EP at High Bias Studios with Chris Koltay as audio engineer, Matt Bayles as mixer and mastering done by Ed Brooks (Death Cab for Cutie). The resulting EP is a beacon of hope in the sometimes depressing world of indie music. This band has the potential to take off and is already head and shoulders above its peers. We think the future looks pretty good for Fallow Land.
Recommendation: We think you should definitely get this EP when it is released on June 30. Make a mental note to follow Fallow Land. We think they will be around for a while.
Artist Name: Shannon Hurley
Album Name: New Day
Label: For Lenore Records
Genre: Positive Pop
Track Listing: 1, Make a Move; 2. Number One; 3. New Day; 4. Who do you Think you Are?; 5. Someday; 6. Solitude (feat. Bissen); 7. Soul; 8. Stronger Still; 9. Here I Am; 10. Fairytale of New York (feat. Brandon Schott)
Publicist: None
Review: Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you should know that Shannon Hurley is the voice of the DIY indie artist. Besides her solo work, she has collaborated with her husband Ben Eisen to form Lovers & Poets, as well as with countless DJs on numerous remixes of her earlier work. On this her fifth studio album, Hurley is just approaching her potential, creating positive pop music that stands out from her peers. The positiveness flows through all 10 songs on the album, and provides the perfect soundtrack for reflection and introspection. She also makes amazing music videos that bring her creative vision to light. We love all of these songs, but were particularly attracted to “Number One,” the title track, “Solitude,” “Stronger Still,” and her amazing duet with Brandon Schott on her stirring cover of The Pogues feat. Kristy MacColl classic, “Fairytale of New York,” which was requested by her fans. With the release of New Day on June 30, we believe that her fan base is about to grow larger still.
Recommendation: This one is a definite no-brainer. Preorder this CD now so you can Get it as soon as it is released.
