Customer Reviews

Unfinished Business

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

 

 

On her CD "Unfinished Business", Alaria Taylor presents us with a series of mostly hopeful, wise and serious songs supported by a very solid backing band. Her message (though a bit religious in nature) is not overbearingly preachy and her melodies are strong enough to keep the listener returning for repeated auditory servings.

There is a conceptual flow here that seems rather well thought out. For instance, Alaria's progressive rock song "Immunity" really stirs up the juices, quickly fades out and then we are treated to the pretty piano / vocal song "Clinging Like A Leaf". Somehow the pacing and transition works. This is accomplished no doubt by the producer. He is Joe Puerta the great bassist and co-writer for the late 1970's group "Ambrosia". His familiarity with all types of musical genres (does anyone remember the masterful rock rhapsody "Dance With Me George") is just what was needed for Alaria's varied song stylings. It is also no surprise then that the arrangements are tasty - never overly cluttered and the musicianship and sound quality is polished. Puerta keeps the whole canon of songs locked into the adult contemporary mode but never allows for predictability. Thus, we are treated to the rock edged Chrissy Hind influence in "It Hurts", the cool Sade type flavoring found in "See Your Face", the concise slide guitaring, bluesy outing ala Bonnie Raitt entitled "Lose My Mind", the sophisticated major/minor ballad "Rachael" and the world / folk sounding closing track "Unfinished Business". There is also a hint of Karen Carpenter in Alaria's delivery which is very appealing. It's a soothing, warm quality not often heard in today's overly compressed, distorted over the top female vocals.

Though not breaking any new musical ground in the female / singer song writer world, this is nonetheless a solid CD worth taking along on an autumn road trip when you're by yourself. Nicely done.

I am a big fan of the modern female folk-pop singer and she is really one of the best.

Here's why I love her CD ... 1. Her voice is rich, warm, and heavenly! 2. The songs are all originals she wrote. The changes are wonderful, not your typical 1, 4, 5 chord progression. 3. Her lyric's are heartfelt and she expresses them beautifully. They are at times funny, sad, desperate, passionate, joyful, etc. 4. The are quite a variety of styles on this CD which Alaria and her band/guest artists handle beautifully. Not only is it interesting to hear such variety on one CD, but you also realize you are not only listening to a talented singer, but a real musician as well!

I highly recomend this CD!

Sure, the earthy vocals and "new" folky sound are great. But the magic lies in the heartfelt and quirky lyrics. Just when you think you might know where a song is going, it takes another turn; and songs end up like the singer's hair--flowing with endless curls and curves cascading down into a glorious full-bodied 'do.
Gee, your CD sounds terrific...

Take the opportunity to listen to this album. This is a great CD! The first time I heard Alaria was in Milwaukee a few months ago and her music has been on my mind ever since. The music is fun, moving, wonderful, great, and something you'll always remember.

Alaria Taylor is a gifted songwriter and entertainer, with subtle shades of Gloria Estefan... My personal favorite is "Patiently," where she weaves a bit of Gershwin ("Someone to watch over me") into her beautiful song. When you hear her sing the words "Waiting patiently," you can feel the yearning, but you just know something good is around the corner. Alaria is a wonderful performer and her work deserves a national stage...

- Jim Bohn