In some instances an album’s messages reach beyond simply music. Amel Larrieux’s demo album, BraveBird sends out messages of the horrors that females and African Americans are constantly working to overcome.
Born and raised by bohemian parents in New York City, Amel grew up in an “artist building” in the West Village. Here she was exposed to different people and ideals that led her to discover her passion for music. When she turned 18 she declared her musical passion by recording a demo of a song that she had written. By either success or luck she found Bryce Wilson and the two formed the duo Groove Theory. The group had a successful hit, “Tell Me” in the top 10 of the Billboard 100 back in 1995. She has since recorded songs for the group Sweetback and the Roots.
Her voice can be heard on the music soundtracks for “Barbershop,” where she sang, “What’s come over me?” and on the soundtrack for “Down to Earth.” She has been recognized not only for her musical talent but her majestic beauty as well and has been featured in magazines like Essence, Honey and Harper’s Bazaar, among others. She was a prominent figure in the Coach anniversary campaign and she was featured in Coca Cola’s “Keepin’ it Real” ad campaign, where she also contributed a vocal performance.
What’s amazing about Amel, aside from her intrepid voice, is her ability to weave strong narrative within her songs. Songs such as “BraveBird” are about the terror that is female circumcision. In “Givin’ Up Something” she croons about the travesty of a woman’s family falling apart, whether it be from abuse, cheating or exploitation. Even more impressive than what she sings about is how she sings it. Larrieux is able to combine multiple genres of the “black area of music.” She takes R & B, soul, hip hop, jazz and folk, mixes them together and creates a style that sounds simultaneously familiar and unique.
The song “BlackBird” opens with a soft cymbal line and a layer of handclaps. A high-pitched piano adds a whispery quality to the airiness of Amel’s voice. The drums become harder as they hit the drumheads. The beat picks up as she sings, “When you shared your secret with the world/You saved another mothers child as she speaks you can tell that/The words are not easy to say.” Her voice is in perfect harmony with the piano, which holds long, high notes. The drum adds the upbeat feeling needed to imbue this song with hope and inspiration that things can change. This song has added meaning, when knowing that one of her two daughters, Sky (9), plays the drum accompaniment on the track.
On the first track, “For Real” there is more of an R & B feel with slow clapping in the background. Her voice is imbued with more beat and rhythm as she sings, “I can see/I can feel/You are for real.” There is a synthesizer in the background, which flutters peacefully in the distance while a piano adds a small jazz element to the strong R & B beats. Amel’s voice reaches an astoundingly high pitch at one point in the song as she sings of her love for one man. It really shows her capabilities and that she isn’t just another singer from around the block.
On “Dear to Me” a minimalist beat backs Ame’s voice, mellow and soft. The synthesizer joins in a little later and the beat picks up. Her voice is of lower pitch in this song and the lack of many instruments gives her voice purity and clarity. It is a short little interlude on the album, but it shows that her voice is pure and well tuned, that she has perfect control over it as she sings, “You’re dear to me/You know who you are.”
BraveBird shows that Amel doesn’t just want to be put into one category. She has talent and she wants it to be shown that her talent can swiftly change from one pitch to another, from one genre to another. While the album has a great R & B feel, there are surprise songs that are more like alternative rock. BraveBird‘s mixed genres makes for an entirely enjoyable album, avoiding the common repetition of similar sounds and content.
Grade : A/B
