Fat beats, guitar sheen and atmospheric synths never sounded so healthy together.
In Avanti, Alexx Calise's follow-up to 2007s
Morning
Pill comes screaming out of the tunnell like a fierce locomotive. The Los Angeles based solo artist took the last three
years perfecting her craft by touring, rehearsing and gaining three more years of life experience to bring to the songwriting
table. The end result is the well-worth-the-wait 9-track album which sounds less like a girl's attempt to entertain and more
like a woman planting her flag in the center of the male dominated rock world.
Anything
Goes and
Break Me are back-to-back rockers with sturdy choruses
and high energy.
Cry definitely spotlights Calise's vocal talents
in addition to her songwriting. Feeling the performers pain on the other end of your speakers is a true testament to the artists
abilities.
Get Used to It and
Good Enough are charged-up guitar-driven gems while
My Song
serves up a poisionous spoonful of sugar. While she certainly has the voice to back up the attitude, it's also a pleasure
to hear lyrics with a pulse attached to them, something that is usually lacking in the pop-rock-electronica genre these days.
High marks go to the musicianship as well, which is consistant throughout the album but really shines on
Saying Goodbye and
See You Again.
In Avanti balances soft and bold without compromising its edge and honestly comes off in the
end like a provocative sonic blast. Patience has paid off, for both the artist and listener. Alexx Calise has created a quality
musical journey, and hopefully many fans will follow her on that venture. (Review by
Rob Watts) April 24, 2010
