ARTSETC.
Holly Brook's debut average
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by Meghan Dunlap
Friday, March 3, 2006
One young Wisconsin woman is fulfilling her lifelong dream 3,000 miles away, in a recording studio. New artist Holly Brook should feel very happy at this point in her career, with her album set to release soon under Linkin Park's hot Machine Shop Records label.
Brook was born and raised in Mazomanie, Wis., and has been singing ever since she can remember. When she was 6, she began singing professionally with her mom, and together they have recorded several independent albums.
She finally left Wisconsin behind back in 2003 and moved to Los Angeles in pursuit of a bigger music career. She attributes her success to her self-proclaimed single-mindedness and has transferred that energy and drive into the production of her first album.
Her move to L.A. proved to be worthwhile in more ways that one. First, there was her connection with Grammy Award-winning producer John Ingoldsby, which has since developed into friendship and writing partnership. It was John who produced her debut album Like Blood Like Honey.
This debut album not only showcases her writing, but her many musical gifts as well. Besides her Sarah McLachlan-esque vocals, Holly Brook plays several instruments and brings her talents in piano, guitar and dulcimer to her album; the dulcimer especially gives it a unique sound at times. However, it takes the right balance of all of these aspects to make the album appealing. In this respect, Brook falls short.
She boasts a young and appealing voice, best described as Fiona Apple if she underwent anger management — or an edgier, darker Sarah McLachlan. Although Brook admires these artists, she has said her main influence is Joni Mitchell. This is surprising, considering the aspects of Mitchell's music that she admires most: her poetry, chords and her depth, are not really represented by Brook on Like Blood Like Honey.
Compared to Mitchell, who is known for her folk and sparse but effective arrangements and eclectic lyrics, Brook keeps some of her songs simple, but seems to have left her folk background behind. To her listeners, her piano-driven pop music sounds much closer to McLachlan's sound.
Although Brook may write decent lyrics, she does not present them in the most attractive way, musically. The album contains a few memorable songs of varying tempos — but with some tunes so downtrodden that they make the listener want to skip to the next song, and songs so lengthy (the average song is four minutes) that it simply takes too long to get to the good part.
That is not to say that the album is without talent or good music. Her first few songs, including "Giving it Up for You" and "Wanted," are actually quite attractive; there is a good mixture of instrumentals and vocals, and the tone of the songs is very appealing. However, her title song, "Like Blood Like Honey," does not offer much in terms of words or presentation.
Clearly, there are some of the few songs that listeners will really enjoy. Unfortunately, most appear at the beginning of the album and they are not abundant enough to carry the album to full success. It is always a disappointment when an album does not live up to its potential. Holly Brook shows a lot of promise as a musician, but she needs to find a more individual way to present her lyrics. As a young artist, she still has time for development, so hopefully her future albums will exhibit her growth in this area.
Rating: 3 out of 5
Anonymous (March 24, 2006 @ 6:55pm):
No no no...this is one of the most beautiful albums I have ever heard, the music makes my soul melt away into heaven. Like blood like honey is worthy of tears-the music alone reaches deep into you and pulls all of your heart's strings. I recommend the album to everyone. Holly Brook has a beautifully laid-back approach to her songs and lyrics and it all makes you smile so hard that it could make any pain you feel sift away from your body...
