Customer Reviews

The Orchard

5 star:		(35)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The woman's voice is maddeningly beautiful. Heavy and sweet like molasses. And this album does it justice. Not to knock her other two albums, those were in there own right above average, but if you listened to her sing just once you knew there was something more, a fire to her voice she didn't tap into yet, but it stirred in the background.

It's on display all over this disc. It sounds as if Nina Simone made a country album, with all the trials, terrors and pain of her best work played up with fiddles, sullen choruses and just the right amount of a slow burn. Songs like "It Makes No Difference" is proof; it just breathes on its own, like a good song should.

"Song For Mia" with its guitar and piano leading into Wright's quivering voice is a soul cleansing revelation. As is "When I Fall," her delivery betraying the undercurrent of insecurity.

These songs wouldn't work so well if the voice wasn't so bonded to the music. Wright isn't striving or belting to give you angst. It's all subtle heartbreak, oozing out of that alto like smoke from a chimney in winter. I won't even get into her ripping through "I Idolize You" where she gives it a pensive, cautious warning to her lover instead of the rawness and sexy punch of Ike & Tina Turner's version -- it works.

Brilliant record.

Lizz Wright is too be watched for a loooong time to come. This, her 3rd project, is another success. Her amazing contralto voice adds this velvet cover to every note played by the stellar musicians. Is it me or is her collaboration with Toshi Reagon (of her own musical notoriety which she was born into and then blazed her own path - the daughter of the incomparable Dr Berniece Johnson Reagon, the founder of Sweet Honey in the Rock and the late Cordell Reagon, who also lent his wonderful tenor voice to the Civil Rights Movement) the "Wright" medicine? Her cover of Ike's "Idolize You" makes me want to coerce my dad to send me his album so I can hear the two songs in succession. This was a birthday gift to myself and what a GIFT!!! Lizz is WRIGHT on!!! If you get the opportunity to see/hear her live, do so. Her persona comes through in her performance. When I last saw her, surprisingly the band was composed of all young musicians who delivered just as she, with this maturity, depth, wisdom, and love for their craft. Cant wait for her to sing these songs live as well.

I must admit, I had to wait to comment on Lizz Wright's considerably warm pipes. I have been disappointed with so many young artists who either forsake all originality for the quick buck or they fizzle out after the first album. I listened to her first CD, the Jazz-Pop oriented SALT, and then the ethereal DREAMING WIDE AWAKE. Now that she has released THE ORCHARD, I cannot hold my tongue any longer.

Wright is unquestionably one of the most original and sincere young artists to arrive on the music scene in the last three decades. THE ORCHARD finds Wright again produced by Craig Street who has an uncanny ability to get vocalists to dig deep into their own psyches. Wright's smokey vocals blend folk, country, soul into what sounds and smells like her (and my) native Georgia. This time out, however, Wright co-wrote 8 of the 12 tracks on this CD. Her most frequent compositional partner here is the underrated Toshi Reagon (daughter of Dr. Bernice Johnson Reagon, noted historian, vocalist and founder of Sweet Honey `N the Rock).

The opening track, a Wright/T. Reagon composition "Coming Home" has a gospel/anthem quality. "Leave Me Standing Alone" is a decidedly funky uptempo plea. Yet Wright does best when she shows off her considerable interpretive skills on the old Ike & Tina Turner chestnut "I Idolize You." Her reading of Patsy Cline's classic mid-tempo "Strange" is slowed down here and turned into a languid and haunting torch song.

But buyer beware. This is not Soul music; it is not Folk; it is not Jazz; it is not Blues; and it is not Country. But it contains components of all of the above. It reminds the listener of the hybrid that is Southern music, and Georgia music in particular. I can smell the Georgia pines and feel the red clay between my toes with each listen.

All of Wright's albums tend to become more impressive and more enjoyable with each listen. THE ORCHARD continues that tradition. Wright's deep and serene introspection may not appeal to all listeners. She almost requires that the listener bring something of him/herself to the table. But if you hang around awhile, you will not be disappointed.

Simply a powerful performance on every song. Her voice is so rich and heavy. I honestly got chills over her cover of 'I idolize you'. Her whole album has a distinct depth that draws you in and cradles you. It makes you feel something, relate to something in your life as if you wrote the song yourself. Very powerful. Very worth it.

The Orchard what a fabulous CD!! I was introduced to this wonderful singer by a friend and what an introduction. I haven't stopped listening to it yet. Each track speaks to my heart and soul taking me placing I've been and have never visited. My my my where does a 28 yr old get this power, spirit and emotion from I will never understand. But I am glad she is anointed with this gift.

The Orchard is the perfect title an orchard is where you plant fruit trees, nut trees or sugar maple. Ms. Wright is certainly planting seeds for trees with this CD. Her sultry voice belting out hard notes that vibrate my soul and by the time the music hits me the sound has softened into a sweet melody caressing my body. I love this CD..oh yeah I said that already.

I've been loving listening to Dreaming Wide Awake for a few years, and this new album reaches far beyond that. The Orchard exhibits a depth and richness, both musically and lyrically, that makes it undeniably my favorite album to come out in a long, long time. I look forward to hearing what Ms. Wright's future work, and her collaborations with the gifted songwriter Toshi Reagon and producer Craig Street, will gift to us!

If you know anything about Lizz Wright, you know she can sing. If you dont know anything about Lizz Wright, she can sing. Yet this is not the most extraordinary thing about this CD. First off she co-wrote 8 of the 12 tracks and you can feel the feeling and emotion in every one of them. Secondly and what struck me even more was the subtle and yet incredible diversity in her music. There is a strong acoustic presence throughout but you get a little gospel(Coming Home), a little rock(Leave Me Standing Alone) a little country(Song For Mia)and a little ballad(This Is). It is really an amazing array and shows to my delight that this lady doesnt have A style but many and does them all very well.

When I first bought the CD and saw track 11(Thank You) is said it cant be. My music roots were rock and roll back in the day and I clearly remember a Zeppelin tune of the same name. I checked the writing credit and guess what-Lizz was covering a Zeppelin song. I figured this would be a bust-most people cant cover Zeppelin and dont even try. I listened to it and I believe both Page and Plant would be proud of the result.

After this CD I am convinced Lizz could sit in with the boys on an acoustic version of 'Stairway' and if Jimi were alive could do a killer duet of 'All Along The Watchtower".

Buy this CD. Ms. Wright is a very talented singer, a thoughtful and emotion songwriter and has one of the more versital sounds I have heard in awhile.

This woman has put out 3 of the best CDs that have been made so far this decade. The Orchard is just brilliant, although, it doesn't compare to Salt (will anything ever?) Lizz' smooth and soothing vocals caress you like a warm comfy blanket on a cold winter's evening. Like my other favorite vocalist, Cassandra Wilson, Lizz could sing the dictionary or the telephone book, record it, and I'd buy it. The music is lovely, the lyrics are smart, the lady is gorgeous - what more could you ask for? My favorite cuts are I Idolize You, Another Angel, When I Fall, Leave Me Standing Alone, and Strange. Can't wait to see what Lizz does next!!

Dark, velvet, hot notes that just wrap around my head and heart. "Coming Home" strikes a note inside me that no other artist has ever hit.

"My Heart" has a strong infectious beat and addictive lyrics.

"When I Fall" - another great song. It played on an episode of "Bones" on television this week.

"Leave Me Standing Alone" - another insightful song written by Wright. Masterfully done.

Music is universal; music is timeless. "Strange" was written almost 50 years ago by Mel Tillis and Fred Burch and Patsy Cline made it one of hers in the early 60's before her death. Wright's arrangement is more haunting and slowed way down. But the essence of the song is there in all its glory.

The rest of the songs on "The Orchard" hold up just as well. Wright's cover of "I Idolize You", the Ike and Tina Turner song, is a worthy rendition.

"Another Angel", "Speak Your Heart" and "Thank You" were my least favorite cuts from the album but that written, I don't skip over those when I'm listening to "The Orchard". I listen to every song, hear new nuances each and every time, and am very glad I have Wright's music to listen to on long, floating afternoons in front of the fireplace.

Many reviews on Amazon -- and yes, myself guilty -- tend to lean towards fan-mail. You keep a watch out for your favourite artists, buy their cd's as they are released and write a review tell the world how truly fantastic the artist and music are. And by inference, your own taste in music. So let me start by saying that I do have a weakness for Lizz Wright. Don't expect a cool unbiased review. Her earlier albums have been spinning and spinning on my cd-player. Not just because of her voice, her phrasing and tone that she combines so beautifully and effortlessly. In this she is not alone, there are many good singers with fine material out there. But there is something special about Lizz Wright that makes her stand out. Hard to put the finger on but it could be her seeming to take her lyrics so seriously, giving the impression of living or having lived them. Of wishing to tell. As a result you feel compelled to listen, and listen with attention, to what she wishes to say and convey. It just works, and this (almost) irrespective of the quality of the lyrics. If you lend her -- and her co-musicians -- your full attention you will more often than not be richly rewarded. This record is no exception. At first listen it even sounds stronger than her previous work, and that is saying quite something. Hey Mann a personal favourite along with Ike Turner's old Idolize-hit. The rest of the songs I let others comment on. Give Lizz Wright a try if you haven't yet heard her sing. It may not be your thing but you just may get hooked. And why not start with this her latest cd, a cd that I have not -- I realise -- really reviewed. But what did you expect from a biased fan?