Twenty Houses

Jennifer Onesto

Product Details

• Audio CD (December 1, 1996)
• Original Release Date: December 1, 1996
• Number of Discs: 1
• ASIN: B00000JFJM
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #609,212 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Track Listings

1. Isn't It Funny

2. Picasso

3. Love Changes Everything

4. Fractured Queen

5. When The Train Comes

6. Here In The Darkness

7. Answers

8. Give Me 'Til Morning

9. Masquerades

10. Last Dance

Editorial Reviews

Lorelei Music Magazine

spotlights women in music. A subscription to the magazine includes a compilation CD featuring internationally known female singer/songwriters. They chose to include on their first release Jennifer Onesto's song "Isn't It Funny" The following review appears in the Winter '98 issue of Lorelei Music Magazine:

Rock and Roll certainly isn't dead. In a wake of grunge, hip-hop, and endless sub-genres of alternative rock, Jennifer Onesto carves out her niche by bringing back that four-on-the floor rock that is sadly missing in recent years. Jennifer's new release, Twenty Houses, is an album that offers a true alternative: A fully produced wall of sound. Terrific melodies and harmonies. Big guitar-driven accompaniment. You won't find any spare, jumbled mixes with wispy, off-key lead vocals here. On the contrary, Jennifer has a phenomenal voice, harkening back to the great female rock artists of the 60's and 70's. She has a clear, rich, alto voice of uncommon quality - versatile enough to be equally at home singing a driving rock tune as well as a soulful ballad.

Don't think that Jennifer is a retro rocker, dragging tired classic rock back from the grave - that couldn't be further from the truth. Jennifer is definitely an artist of today, skillfully blending many influences into a tight, focused, cohesive sound with great rhythm and energy. She brings a modern sensibility to production as well. Her arrangements and instrumentation are deep, not nearly as spare as most contemporary alternative rock.

Jennifer's songwriting is an example of what all songwriters should aspire to, regardless of genre. She blends intelligent lyrics and exceptional melodies into memorable and radio-ready hooks; the kind that play in your head days after you've heard them. On the whole, Jennifer Onesto's Twenty Houses is a fresh, welcome approach to modern rock and a great addition to any collection.

Product Description

Chicago singer/songwriter Jennifer Onesto has released her first solo CD called "Twenty Houses" which has 10 original songs and won several awards and received great reviews.

See all Editorial Reviews

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I loved the vocals and harmonies on this CD., June 9, 1999

By A Customer

What impressed me most about this CD was the different styles of songs. "Isn't It Funny" is an upbeat pop/rock song, "Picasso" is a fun pop song, "Love Changes Everything" has an island sound with steel drums, "Fractured Queen" has cool guitar and great harmonies, "When The Train Comes" is a country song, "Here In The Darkness" is powerful rock song, "Answers" is another great pop song, "Give Me 'Til Morning" is a cajun/country song, "Masquerades" is another great pop song, and then "Last Dance" is a nice ballad.

5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful album from a young singer, October 18, 1999

By A Customer

We seem to live in an era when record companies are going out and doing everything they can to sign women artists, and in so doing they are giving us a lot of crap. It seems like every singer sounds exactly the same, with lyrics that mean nothing, and voices that can't stay in tune. But there is always hope when you discover an artist like Jennifer Onesto.

Jennifer has an absolutely wonderful alto voice that can belt out the big rock songs and even do the more soulful blues songs. It also seems versatile enough to be at home in small clubs or even in large arenas. She has everything you want in a female vocalist, a great voice, a co-writer that helps her give us great songs, a great stage presence (from a video that's on the internet), an she is absolutely gorgeous. Did I say that see had a great voice? :>) Her voice is a wonderful alto instrument that is not at all smoky and is clear and strong on everything she sings. But more importantly she knows what to do with it. Whether she's singing a soft ballad or a big rock song she never has to push the instrument.

As I said her voice is simply to die for, O.K. I listen to a little too much opera, but the voice would be nothing if she didn't have the songs to go with it. BTW I don't necessarily agree with everything Garret says above. Isn't It Funny according Garret is an upbeat pop song but as a father of three every time I hear Jennifer sing "Daddy's not there he's been gone two years. But he gives them his love from the phone", I just get really sad. Yes it is, in some ways, an upbeat pop song, but with lyrics that mean something, and you can choose to listen and dance to it, or you can choose to really listen to it and hear and feel the story she's telling.

I could go on and on about this album but there are better reviews than mine all over the Internet, if you choose to look for them. Needless to say the best review I can give it is to say that I have been constantly playing this disk since I got it in the mail. This disk went to the top of my desert island list because for me it is mind candy. A disk that makes me happy when I'm down, from a singer with an absolutely gorgeous voice that would be at home doing just about any kind of music from pop to rock, and blues to folk, and even a little bit of country. I'd love to see her cover a Matraca Berg or Maria McKee song. Oh, and if you want to really listen to the album you'll find lyrics that are just as good as the music.

I haven't had a chance to see her in concert so I'm really am looking forward to see her and see how she's grown as a singer. As a fan of women singers I would love to see her in a Battle of Bands with some of the top female vocalists of today. Jennifer would have no problem in beating most of them. If this album ever gets the backing of a big recording company it would have no problem making a climb up the Billboard charts.

Buy this album, and if you do then drop me a note and tell me what you think.