Customer Reviews

Quick Look

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

 

 

Real World Records continues to surprise. Peter Gabriel's pet project to bring world music to the masses has spawned the Grammy nominated Afro Celt Sound System, the Grammy award winning album by long-time gospel group Blind Boys of Alabama, the dark sonic melange of Joseph Arthur, and now, Pina. While Pina came to Peter Gabriel's attention on Afro Celt Sound System's Volume 3 release (singing "Go On Through"), this album proves that she can more than stand on her own.

When I first heard this album, I asked my friend how she would describe it. She responded with "Female Rock Folk." I guess that works. "Quick Look" (which clocks in at a quick 37 minutes) is filled with incredible guitar and vocal performances. From the first track to the last, the album astounds. The opening track "I Loved the Way," features a romping syncopation in the lyrics, along with a sonic mess of a chorus that quickly becomes addictive. Her voice has bit of bite -- a lack of smoothness that provides something easy to grab onto. And she uses to great effect, moving from one mood to the other. On the meditative, "Josephine," her voice launches into the heavens on the chorus, rising into a defiant cry that is positively spine-chilling.

This is an album to buy if you like female vocalists with some bite, wit, and a future in music.

Listening to BBC's "The World" on public radio a few weeks ago, I heard a short feature story on Pina and a bit of the first cut from the cd which was riveting enough to send me to Amazon.com for its purchase. Ms. Kollars knows how to set the musical hook, she's obviously worked at her craft and knows how to create pop songs that are engaging. But there's much more than that here, including lyrics that display a talent for writing that is sensitive, intelligent, and touching. I know that she came from Austria but her adopted home has cast a certain Celtic spell on this music--there's a lot of Irish soul here. Her ability to create rich textured layers of sound is truly remarkable, an uncanny ability to combine various instruments and voices into something delightful and fitting for each song's mood.

That being said, it is too bad that samples from the cd are not available here... I've noticed that some people, like my wife, don't care for Pina's voice which was described to me as a cross between Melanie and Buffy Ste. Marie. For her, that wasn't good, but I think that this album is a rare gem--different strokes and all that. As for complaints about the short run time, I would say that considering all that is put into each song, this disc is very full indeed.

Pina's 'Quick Look' is one of the most outstanding debut CDs I've ever heard. I must admit that I am a fan of Peter Gabriel's Real World Records anyway, but this CD just blew me away. I've had it for a few days, and I think I've listened to it over a dozen times already. Not since I discovered Ani DiFranco have I been so excited about an artist (incidentally, she has opened for Ani before).

Her voice is folk-sy, vibrant, haunting - it's hard to put into words. I could see how some people might not like it, but for me, it's infectious. I can't get it out of my head. The music backing her is also very strong - creative, playful, unique...

Pina has yet to catch on here in the States, so you'll probably be able to pick up this CD for next to nothing. I picked up a perfect used copy for 99 cents, and I see there are quite a number of Amazon vendors with copies for reasonable prices.

So c'mon, give Pina a try!

Pina has a very unique voice, and a very unique sound to her debut CD. Vocally, i'd say the closest sound would be Kristen Hersh circa Hips & Makers or Strange Angels, but Pina manages to sound more worldworn and yet more melodic somehow. As for the musical tracks, theyre sometimes folky("The Flight" "Debt Song"), sometimes rocky ("I Loved The Way", "Cold Storm"), sometimes southern-gothicy ("Josephine", "The Lady"), but the album maintains a consistent thematic feel by sharing similar insturmentation (guitars, cellos, piano, soft drums), but varying the volume and intensity. And when Pina's background shouts and wails cut through, they sound almost primal in places.

The length of the album is a double-edged sword. One one hand, it's pretty short, and leaves you wanting more. But, at the same time, there's no padding. No filler. I'm notorious for instnatly skipping tracks that don't strike my fancy, but I *always* listen to this album all the way through. And in a few short days "I Loved The Way" has become one of my favorite songs this year.

Pina's smoky, wise-beyond-her-years voice was first heard in duet with Iarla O'Lionaird on the Afro Celt Sound System's FURTHER IN TIME album. QUICK LOOK strikes off in a very different direction from the Afro Celt's brand of global fusion, instead combining elements of rock, country, and folk into a tight collection of concise story-songs. The recording has a gritty, "low-tech" feel... while some tracks feature a full band with guitar, bass and drums, others find Pina's voice accompanied only by a cello or piano. Aside from some subtle rhythm programs, the only other sign of studio tinkering is the multi-tracked backing vocals performed by Pina herself. These are delivered with great earnest, producing an almost-dissonant but ultimately beautiful sound. Standouts include "Josephine," in which the aforementioned backing vocals build into a striking, banshee-wail like chorus, "Bring Me a Biscuit," a sparse, touching account of the birth of Pina's daughter, and "The Tower," which layers guitars, mellotron strings, and intense vocals on top of a great groove. QUICK LOOK is an edgy folk rock record that explores personal joys and sorrows without descending into the narcissistic and melodramatic depths of some other artists in the genre.

Pina Kollar's album, Quick Look, is a fine (if all too brief...37 minutes and 9 seconds!) debut. The singer/songwriter has a voice that reminds me of Melanie in her early recording years, though not quite as emotional. Which may be a good or not so good thing, depending on whether or not you were a Melanie fan. In any case, Pina's got a wonderfully unique voice and uses it well on every cut. She can sing quietly and reflectively but she rocks as well. The arrangements on this album are interesting and well thought out too. There are recorders, mandolins, cellos, and Indian Anle Bells(!), but nothing sounds too "precious." The guitar work adds crunch and the drums are always appropriate for each cut. There's not a badly written song on this album either which is rare today, so I highly recommend it. The only reason it's not getting five stars from me is the short length. Ten songs at 37 minutes is just a bit puny by today's standards.