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I'd actually give this recording 3.5 stars, but seeing as how I had to choose between 3 or 4, I went with 3.
I remembered first hearing Amy's singing on the T.V. show Felicity and was absolutely floored by her voice. It was like a combination of Sheryl Crow and Lisa Loeb, beautifully feminine and rich, yet deep and airy and the same time. Amy Jo's voice is definitely my favorite voice of all time- it's beautiful. The song she sung on Felicity was "Puddle of Grace," and it was a beautifully simplistic, honest, earnest, and heartbreaking song- perfect for her voice.
Then I watched her on the VH1 production of the Sweetwater story and she played the lead of Nancy, and also sung the Sweetwater songs. Her rendition of "Motherless Child," I feel, was better than the original. There's just something about Amy Jo's voice. Her voice seemed made for simple melodies; her voice brought simple, sincere tunes to a whole new, haunting level.
Imagine my excitement hearing she had released an album! I ordered it and shipped it for Next Day shipping, nearly doubling the checkout price, and now I'm sitting here with the CD case on my lap, headphones on my head, album playing on the computer.
I'd love to say this album is rocking my world, but it's not. It's ok. I gave it one listen all the way through and nothing really stood out upon first listen. I'm hoping that this album is one of those "it grows on you" types of recordings.
If you're like me and want more songs like "Puddle of Grace" from Felicity, this CD only has one song that falls into that category: the track "Goodbye."
It really depends on what type of music you're after. If you're after Jewel-esque or Lisa Loeb-ish or Tara Maclean-y tunes, this album is more Sheryl Crow, more Melissa Ethridge. The genre is more rock than anything else. The music moves along more like the music of Sheryl Crow, Bonnie Raitt and less like Jewel or Lisa Loeb.
Her voice is her most beautiful assett, and I really do believe it's the quieter tracks that really bring out that beauty. On some tracks, you're not quite sure if it's the instrumentals leading her voice or if it's the way it should be- her voice leading. I think one of my main gripes with this album is that upon two listens now, I still can't remember what a single song sounds like, and no single song has stuck out as stellar yet.
I feel 'The Trans-American Treatment' was overproduced. There's too much going on in the background, it drowns out the tunes a little and the songs become a bit ambiguous, and you don't know what you think of it after listening. I'll admit, I bought the CD hoping for a few more songs like "Puddle of Grace." I got what I wanted, since the track "Goodbye" falls into this category, but as far as the rest goes, it's nice, but it's not replacing my consta-played cd's anytime soon.
Yes, it's a nice debut. Don't mistaken me for slamming Amy Jo, because I have been a fan of hers and still am for a long while. She's got awesome potential, her songwriting has gotten better, her lyrics more mature, and her singing has improved. Some of the tracks are rather funky and fresh, also, and although I may have badmouthed the instrumentals, there are some tracks with pretty interesting arrangements.
"Cat In the Snow," "Splashin Rain" and "Goodbye" are the tracks that stand out. You know what? Since I've been writing, I've given this thing 2.5 listens. I'm on listen #3 right now, and it's getting better.
I'm going to make a prediction. I'm predicting that this album won't be the one that takes Amy Jo to the top. I really don't think that this album has the oomph and catchy single-worthy songs that will catch big attention. I'm very apt to lop her into the Sheryl Crow category (I'm not saying, however, that Amy's album is a clone of Sheryl's sound). Unlike her predecessor Crow, Amy's songs don't have that catchy and easy to digest quality. Crow rocketed to the top because of the catchy quality of sincerity. "Can't Cry Anymore," "Strong Enough," "I Will Believe," and "All I Wanna Do" didn't leave a feeling of ambiguity after you listened to it. The melodies were easy to digest, catch on to, and very memorable. You mentioned the names of Crow's songs and anybody who heard it would remember what the songs sounded like. Unfortunately, this isn't the case with a couple of Amy Jo's songs.
Some of Amy's songs are reminiscent of Melissa Ethridge, as well. But the same applies. You couldn't get Ethridge's "Come to My Window" and "I'm the Only One" out of your head, and you could nod along with Ethridge's music.
I'm not saying Amy's entire album should be full of songs worthy of radio exposure all the way throughout, but, there needs to be at least one or two. One, two, or even three, that totally stand out on its own and highlight the album. This album is very lacking of such highlights that pinnacle her work and talent. Also, the success of Crow, Ethridge, Raitt and Jewel can also be accounted to how well their entire album ties together. There needs to be a thematic consistency all throughout. These big name stars are able to make songs that not only stand on their own, but can come together and fit on the same album. I don't feel that consistency on Amy's. Whereas the other artists' albums were polished, Amy's has the potential to be polished, but falls short and is spotted. There's good, there's not so good, there's some nifty songs, and then there's some songs you forget.
Perhaps I'm being harsh, but I absolutely love her voice. I'm hoping she finds her niche and the next album has a more solid sound that she can use to define the artist she is. There is definitely star potential and this is a good recording. I'm not going to say she's a star in the making, though, because although this is a good recording, it's nothing stellar.
I have no regrets on buying this CD, though. Her voice is still lovely, despite the slightly flawed compilation. I'm also still very eager to hear her next recording to see if the sophomore album will be one with no loose ends.
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