Music Reviews
New and familiar names in the music scene show promise with new releases
By Lara Hendrickson and Braden Howell
Features Editor and Sports Editor

Leona Naess — “Leona Naess”
Vogue calls her voice “breathy and bittersweet” and the description is perfect. The London-bred, New York-based Leona Naess said in a press release that while her self-titled album is her third, it feels like her first (Naess’ first record was titled “Comatised” and her second “I Tried to Rock You But You Only Roll”). With her sparse and earthy mood, Naess exudes honesty and sings the words of a woman who has been there, done that. Generally mellow, there are songs on the album where you can hear the pick click against the guitar and the hammers push into piano strings. Naess said in a press release that she was inspired by Bob Dylan, Neil Young and Roberta Flack because their artistic freedom pushed her to simultaneously take risks and keep things basic. With her sweet voice, the album is the same type of easy listening as Grammy award-winner Norah Jones’ “Come Away With Me” album. Definitely worth listening to.

Smile Empty Soul — “Smile Empty Soul”
Before listening to the CD, one must note that the songs are named with titles such as “Bottom of a Bottle” and “With This Knife” and “The Other Side.”

Basically, this is no Norah Jones.

Smile Empty Soul is a band straight out of the bedroom community of Santa Clarita, Calif., outside Los Angeles city limits. The trio consists of three men who joined in high school through their “love of music.”

The self-titled album was not exactly unpleasant to listen to, but it was slightly boring at times. The album provides a few heavy-metal type tracks in the mix of an array of rather mellow songs (of course, thrown in there are some profane lyrics.) However, all the mellow songs sound, well, exactly the same. “Smile Empty Soul” is not exactly a recommendable album, but not un-recommendable either. Very helpful, we know.

O.A.R. — “In Between Now and Then”
Every O.A.R. fan already has it, and every non-O.A.R. fan needs to get it. “In Between Now and Then” is the band’s major label debut, having made the transition to Lava/Everfine Records and a testament of the band’s commitment to their type of music.

While most fans were concerned that the band would lose touch with the sound that made them popular after joining a major label, the members of O.A.R. have proved they know what they were doing and produced another musical masterpiece.

In addition to their concert favorites, such as their first single, “Hey Girl,” the CD comes with a bonus DVD feature, a live show recorded in Irving Plaza in New York.

“In Between Now and Then” has the potential to take O.A.R. from a well-known college favorite to a worldwide success. The band excels at making music that is “comfortable” to listen to.

Unlike so many bands that try to make it big, O.A.R. has not had to alter its sound to please an ever-changing legion of fans. The band stays true to its sound, and with “In Between Now and Then,” that legion should grow even bigger.

Honey Tongue — “Take Me Anywhere”
This Seattle heavy-pop foursome quit their day jobs several years ago to become the next big thing in music. Consisting of three men and one woman, Honey Tongue has made several TV and radio appearances in the past year-and-a-half. In 2000 and 2001, Corona beer selected Honey Tongue from more than 800 independent bands for sponsorship. Jenn Ayers fronts the band as the lead singer and carries the same type of I-Am-Woman presence as Courtney Love but is a little less crass. The music has a pop sound while still retaining the energy of straight-up rock and roll. Though not exactly popular yet, the band has a music video for its single “Senator,” and has won several industry awards including being named last year’s Touring Band of the Year at the Seattle Area Music Innovation and Excellence Awards ceremony. Take Me Anywhere has definite potential to become a household name.

Robert Earl Keen — “The Party Never Ends — Songs You Know From The Times You Can’t Remember”
This CD is an essential for any Robert Earl or Texas country music fan. At first glance it would appear as though it is a “best of” compilation, but the CD is marketed as a compilation of songs from Keen’s “indie” years.

It is filled with the songs that have become concert classics and road trip anthems. It’s difficult to listen to any song on the CD and not be overcome with some sense of nostalgia. Of course, as the title indicates, you may not remember the last time you heard the song but not because it was so long ago.

There songs that cemented Keen’s reputation as a Texas country mega-star, as well as a few favorites that may have been forgotten about through the years. There are also live versions of “The Front Porch Song,” “Copenhagen,” and “The Bluegrass Widow.”

The rest of the tracks are original tracks from earlier Keen albums, but it’s nice to hear the studio versions of some songs that have been lost in the enthusiasm for his live shows.

Keen has not lost his ability to come out with new material. His live shows are still as crowd-pleasing as ever, and this album reminds us how he got where he is.