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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
It's Real Now, April 25, 2002
From the first aggressive chord to the last haunting refrain, Jessica Riddle's debut release Key of a Minor will grab ahold of your ears, your heart, and your emotion, refusing to release you. Twenty year old Jessica is a singer, songwriter, pianist and true performer. Her lyrics are so personal that you at first feel like you're reading her diary -- and then you realize perhaps it is she giving voice to yours. She discusses a wide range of experienves that many listeners share. Heartbreak. Divorce. Pain. Joy. Disgust. Childhood. Adulthood. She offers us a reflection of our own emotions. We've all been cynical. Apathetic. Sympathetic. Wistful. Hopeful. Faithful. Faithless. Quiet sometimes. Loud when we need to be. All of these and more.
Every song sounds different and every song strikes a chord close to home. The moods range from the sad (Track 11, "Gone") to the jubilant (Track 1, "I Want You"). The chauvinistic relationship of Track 5, "I'm Sorry" makes us all cringe and plead for such victims to get out -- get out now! We grab our old yearbooks or call a pal on the phone after hearing her tribute to a high school friend in Track 8, "For Wowzer". Track 3 and second single "Symphony" employs a beautiful string section and a sample from 'Mr. Big Stuff' concurrently with grand results. At the other end is the simplistic of a girl, a piano, her voice, and her pain with "Gone".A simple piano line backs up questions that may never be answered. She is wise beyond her years (Track 10, "Dreams Will Fade") and still acts her age (Track 7, "Everything"). Her voice is amazing, combining fire and power with dynamic effects. Unlike some current young female artists who are either all smiles or all tears, Jessica is able to show us various sides of personality. She is not afraid to share her thoughts and feelings. She is extremely talented in all areas here - vocal, piano, songwriting - and you can tell she's singing from her heart and her soul. Not one song should be skipped - no pages from the diary left unturned - not one person unmoved. The fourth track "Even Angels Fall" is the first single, previously heard on the 1999 soundtrack to "10 Things I Hate About You". It in itself discusses the rollercoaster that is life. "You found hope / You found faith / Found how fast she could take it away / Found true love / But lost your heart / Now you don't know who you are." The upbeat tune makes you tap your feet but the story makes you think. It is a reminder than even those with the best track record can make a mistake -- and it's okay. Life will go on. "Even angels fall" -- you can't be perfect every minute of every day. The standout appears smack-dab in the middle as Track 6. "Your Girl." Written about her parents' divorce but placed in third person instead of first, that perhaps allows for some distance. Meanwhile, it allows the listener to crate vastly unique and personal interpretations. Words such as "divorce" or "parents" are never used, so the girl could be anyone, anything. "You don't know now / And you see how / Much pain you made her feel / It's real, real now / It's real now."
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by Jessica Riddle 
