Customer Reviews

Dawn of a New Day (Snyr)

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Crystal came to our attention with her debut single You Can Let Go and now she follows it up with this charming debut album.
Crystal has a great tone to her voice which reminds me a little of Pat Benatar,with some of her uptempos having a little rock vibe to them.Such as Try and the current single My Roots Are Showing.Both cracking songs.
She also includes some lovely ballads like Tender Side and What Do I Have To Do,her vocals particularly shine on this song.
She also does a great version of Hank Williams classic Your Cheatin' Heart.
Produced by Scott Hendricks(Brooks&Dunn and Faith Hill) and 3 of the 11 songs written by Crystal herself,this young woman may have a promising career in country music.Highly recommended!

Prime Cuts: You Can Let Go Now, Tender Side, Your Cheating Heart

One of the glorious advancement of country music is the expansion of its racial boundaries. Of late, country radio has embraced African-American Rissi Palmer and now we have Native American Shawanda being signed to a major label in Nashville. For starters, Shawnda is a born full-blooded Ojibwe on the Wikwemikong reserve on Manitoulin Island in Ontario, Canada. Apparently her last name means "dawn of a new day," which has been capitalized here as the album title and track. With such a weal of cultural heritage, one would wish Shawanda or producer Scott Hendericks could weave more of her background into the texture and fabric of these songs giving her an edge over the countless newbies Nashville churns out each year. Rather, Shawanda has chosen the tried route of releasing another cookie cutter country pop offering that the Hills, Rimes and McBrides are putting out. Vocally, Shawanda isn't a laureate; though it'll be fair to say she does have a full-bodied range that just the right grit to command one's attention assiduously.

Given that this is a Nashville pop-country CD, there are still a few shiny moments: most deserving of mention is the lead single "You Can Let Go Now." A tearjerker of a ballad, "You Can Let Go Now" chronicles the precious moments in a girl's life whereby her daddy has to painfully let her go. Shawanda's slightly gravel vocals with just the right cracks is the perfect vehicle to carry the heartfelt emotions of this gorgeous song. Given that the CD consists mostly of rousers, the gentle 70s styled balladry of "Tender Side" is welcomed. Most telling is the opener "Evolution," a biographical tale of the musical influences that have helped shape Shawanda. Interestingly, Shawanda name drops Patsy Cline and Aretha Franklin as her influences. Definitely echoes of the Queen of soul can be heard on the bluesy "What Do I Have to Do" which tells of a woman desperately trying to get her hubby's attention in a tepid relationship.

Most familiar to country fans would be Shawanda's take of Hank Williams' "Your Cheating Heart." Shawanda's almost Kim Carnes-like growl and her in-your face confrontational demeanor actually works, giving this classic an august read so befitting of its lyrics. However, the rest of the CD verge on the ordinary. Surrounding with cascading guitars and pounding drums, "I Need a Man" is as insightful as the title suggests. Despite the delightful banjo picking opening lines of "You Can't Take It Back," the song quickly morphs into one of those non-descript pop anthems.

By falling into the temptation of trying to secure singles ready to be embraced by radio, "Dawn of a New Day" becomes pretty predictable. Yet what is most infuriating is Shawanda's background and her experiences are enough to spurn album loads of songs that could make her a name of her own. Nevertheless, as a Nashpop CD, there are its moments. Good but not essential.

This woman has one of the most unique voices you will ever hear!
I am just mesmerized by her voice and also by her wisdom beyond her years that comes across. If you are not moved by 'You Can Let Go' then you don't have a pulse. And her take on 'Your Cheatin' Heart' is original and brilliant. i recommend this album to anyone, it is that good!

I ordered this CD for my Mom, Had no clue who Crystal was but her music is Beautiful. Once i ordered it, it said i would recieve it in a month or so since i picked standard shipping but it arrived in little over a week. Great CD great surprise. =)

I r4eceived this beautiful and awesome cd a while back and the cd is awesome and of course Crystal Shawanda is a very beautiful and awesome singer. I hope she makes more music. I Love You Crystal, From Georgia Boy Steve.

Bonjour,

Ayant un gros penchant pour la country-rock, je recommande vivement cet album, où la voie rauque et chaude de crystal Shawanda donne à la country ( que celle-ci soit rock ou balade)tout son piquant et toute sa saveur.
Artiste qui diffère des autres artistes country féminins par une sonorité de voix particulière . Celle-ci nous change de la country féminine où les aigus dominent souvent.....TRES PROMETTEUR.....

Crystal Shawanda's husky voice stirs your emotions and tears at your heartstrings with each note she sings. I'm looking forward to what she brings out next.

Evolution-4.5 out 5- this is a great song telling the story of the way
she became the way she is rockin country girl and this song has a great
beat to it great way to kick off a album

My Roots Are Showing-4 out 5-this a good song of a guy that loves a woman but
better love even when her hair starts to go gray

Tender Side-3.5 out 5- this a change of pace song then the other the first two songs
about a girl showing her soft side but still is her tough self but when the guy comes around
she is a softy and falls for his smile

Baby You're Back-3.5 out 5-has a good beat about a guy that always comes back
when she wants him to stay away

Dawn Of A New Day-3 out 5-no matter what happens there always a new day

You Can Let Go-5 out 5-this a great song about letting go in life and the hard ships of what
letting go to the ones u love weather it giving your daughter away at her wedding or
having to let go of your parents as there about to die

I Need A Man-3 out 5-about a girl that needs a strong man that can handle her
and not be afraid to love her

What Do I Have To Do-a girl trying to figure out what will it take for the
guy to talk to her and try to do anything he likes to get him to just notice him

Your Cheatin Heart-3 out 5-this a hank sr. song that i think she should have left alone
it don't sound bad but it just so hard to cover a Hank Sr. song

Try-3 out 5-is a song about trying to change someone but it don't work but u can keep trying

You Can't Take It Back-this is a song about what u do in life u can't take back the bad things u do
even when u want to change

ASIN: B001APH10G
Crystal Shawanda a native Canadian owns a soulful and emotional voice, but if you are looking for traditional Country sounds this CD is not for you, the most enjoyable song in my opinion is You Can Let Go, a perfect ballad very well sung by Crystal, this song made a good position on the Charts recently, there is a cover of the legendary Your Cheatin'Heart but too rocky this time to my ears, anyway if you don't mind your Country with a rockin'edge you should try this album, mainly by You Can Let Go a musical masterpiece.-

cd is great. "It's ok to let go now" is a real tear jerker.her voice makes the rest of the songs are a pleasure to hear also.