Artist: Birch, Diane
Label: S-Curve Records
Release: 2009
Length: 55.02
Rating: 3/5
Diane Birch is the newest weapon in the hands of the champions of young-generation vocal soul. A soft-souled musician with a clearly tough heart, she predictably does her best to follow in the footsteps of “her teacher” Norah Jones. The singer’s debut “Bible Belt reads like a personal confession, while the mix of soul, gospel and, at times, even rock and blues is a showcase of musical influences from long-forgotten days.
“Bible Belt” jumps around genre-wise. An album that gives off a personal vibe right away is best described as an unobtrusively decorated stylistic collage of ear-friendly tunes for everyday use, blanched in spots with aromas of rock, popular soul and modernly processed offshoots of gospel. The pulse of black musical heritage remains the album’s dominant factor. Sounds promising, but hold on. That pulse often crosses the line into intense territory, yet it’s nowhere near addictive. So what’s the problem? Diane Birch doesn’t come across as all that spectacular on her own, at least when it comes to her voice. The girl sings great, sure, without any annoying sugariness, but after two or three “Bible Belt” outings you increasingly miss a touch more of that tangible individuality in her vocals, that injection of freshness and creativity that would help her rise above the average. All the songs end up sounding awfully alike, and Diane’s vocals mostly stay parked in the comfort of one and the same frequency. As for any juicy, richly seasoned female wails, there’s sadly not a trace, which, given the narrow standards of today’s popular culture, is of course welcome from the standpoint of the album’s sonic accessibility. A more convincing, character-driven interpretation of songs whose roots nest in different stylistic territories and eras thus remains the elusive element of Diane’s emotional game.
As is the norm with releases like this, “Bible Belt” is also a superbly polished production job. Flashes of exuberant musical action are tastefully woven into the album’s overall sonic setup, which is powered by organic warmth. From an arrangement standpoint, the album is practically flawlessly packaged. Diane Birch entrusted the musical backing to a crew of seasoned names such as Cindy Blackman (Lenny Kravitz), Lenny Kaye (Patti Smith) and the famous Blues Brother Tom “Bones” Malone. The meaningful presence of velvety Hammond organ sounds and the omnipresent, teasing horn arrangements promise plenty of musical flexibility and, above all, successfully wrap ever-new ambient outfits around the few “Bible Belt” favorites. “Fools”, “Rewind” or “Photograph” don’t hold back and get to the listener on his most subtle sensory levels, where waves of intense emotion in all colors quickly wash through one way or another. It’s a pity that this kind of potential soon loses its force given the overall reserve of the vocal delivery that dominates most of the album. “BIble Belt isn’t a bad product by any means, but it brings nothing shattering for fans of hard-hitting, attractive and dynamic vocal music!
Lineup
Diane Birch: vocals, piano
Lenny Kaye: guitar
Adam Blackstone: bass
George Porter, Jr: bass
Lenny Pickett: saxophone
Tom “Bones†Malone: trombone
Cindy Blackman: drums
Production
Steve Greenberg
Track list
1. Fire Escape
2. Valentino
3. Fools
4. Nothing But a Miracle
5. Rewind
6. Rise Up
7. Photograph
8. Don’t Wait Up
9. Mirror Mirror
10. Ariel
11. Choo Choo
12. Forgiveness
13. Magic View
