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This is an extremely mellow piece of work with magnificent vocals and exceptional instrumentals. There is a good range of unique sound on this ten-track disc and everything included is original.
It opens with the title track, a melancholy number, which nicely showcases Joan’s incredible range. “Eternal Flame” is bluesy and soulful with a decidedly gospel feel. “The Ride” has delicious harmonies, a bit reminiscent of the Indigo Girls. “I Defy” is a beautiful duet featuring Joan and Antony with some very nice horn work. “Christobel” is one of the more upbeat tracks here with haunting background vocals and some crazy distorted violin. “Save Me” is rich with passionately-rendered vocals and lovely piano stylings. This track reminds me a lot of Tori Amos. “Anyone” is a soft, romantic song with nice vocal harmonies and more fabulous horns.
A bonus disc (The B Sides) with six additional tracks is included. I actually like it more than the first one. They cover David Bowie’s melodic “Sweet Thing” nicely. This one is upbeat and danceable with some nice solid guitar work. The pace picks up even more with “Happiness is a Violator” (for Condoleeza Rice). As you may have guessed, this one has some strong political undertones, yet it still manages to be cheerful. “Endless Supply of Poison” is a very short, fast number that stands out and screams punk.
Although, for the most part, it’s a bit too mellow for me, there’s plenty of talent here and it’s perfect fare for a dinner date or just a quiet evening at home.
