Customer Reviews

Craving the Second

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is pianist/songwriter Cheryl B. Englehardt's second album. Her first album, 'SOAR' (2006), was a good album.

But 'Craving the Second' (2007) is phenomenal! A comment I read was that this was the album where Cheryl "found her voice" and I would totally agree with that. Her vocal performances exude much more feeling and intimacy than those from her first album.

By the way, all of the music and lyrics were composed solely by Cheryl.

Cheryl also performs all piano and keyboards.

The album starts off with a creative piece titled, "Hi", which is less than a minute in length, but is a really effective work to pull a listener into an album which is so good, you will probably find yourself asking why this album didn't break through somewhere along the radio chain to critical acclaim.

If you enjoy listening to music using headphones/earphones, you're especially in for a great treat. The mixes, done primarily by Chris Jordao at The Cutting Room in NYC, make full use of "space" and has everything from small talk scattered all over the stereo mix (the opening song, "Hi," is a good example of this) to various percussion instruments well-placed throughout various mixes.

Track 2, "Keep" is my favorite song from this album. Kudos to drummer Shawn Pelton, who consistently drove this song, from 10 mph to 80 mph, then back down to 10 mph again, all with absolute control of the accelerator! "Keep" has the most beautiful piano opening!

Track 3, "16 Walls", was the single from the album and is a very powerful song. Kudos to drummer Josh Dion for driving this song from the start right through the finish line!

Following the huge "16 Walls" is simple, upbeat yet intimate "Day Dreamer."

Track 5, "You Want To," begins with a really catchy bass and drum riff and Cheryl gives yet another intimate vocal throughout the number. Tight vocal harmonies and great, laid-back guitar solo.

Track 7, "Wrapped Up", is a catchy little ditty with a nice shuffle feel to it.

Tracks 6, 8, 9, 11 and 12 I can go either way on those.

However, track 10, "We," is a GREAT 2 minutes of Cheryl singing a capella in multi-part harmonies. This piece is a great example of how far we've come with digital audio and home computers. She recorded and mixed this tune (along with track 1, "Hi") in her home studio.

"Craving the Second" has become a favorite album in my collection!