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8 out of 10
It's not often that you hear someone with a truly unique voice, but Elena has one. One of those voices that makes you prick up your ears and listen, regardless of what it's singing or what's going on behind it. Like the first time you heard Jello Biafra, or Tracy Chapman, or Tom Waits. You know if you ever hear it again, you'll know it.
There are moments when she sounds like a female Bruce Springsteen only huskier, but there are hints of Catatonia's Cerys Matthews (an underrated singer in my opinion, when she puts her mind to it) at the same time. Some of the slower moments bring to mind the aforementioned Ms Chapman and even Mr Waits, but Elena has a smoky, husky backroom charm all of her very own. Her voice conveys an urgency and immediacy far too rarely heard.
The album takes the form of a slightly retro, garage rock type thing, with the buzzsaw guitars and rattling drums associated with bands like The Stooges and The Hives. In all honesty, with an average singer it would fade rapidly into obscurity in my CD collection, but the vocals lift it above the mundane.
Listen: www.myspace.com/musicelena
Tracklist:
1. Song for You
2. Pink Punk
3. Chains
4. Waiting to Meet You
5. Paint it Gold
6. Androgyny Profound
7. Close My Eyes
8. In the Darkness
9. Pretty When You Smile
10. Bette Davis Eyes
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