Audrey Ryan's debut CD, Passing Thru, is a good indicator of the many talents possessed by this creative and interesting singer/songwriter from the Boston area. This album, recorded at Neighborhoods singer David Minehan's studio, Wooly Mammoth, between March and June 2004, is chock-full of strong material performed well. The problem is that the vibrant live show, as well as the energy found on their raw demos, did not translate well on this production by the singer and her engineer, Dave Wesner. Al Marra's vibraphone is a real treat but those wonderful sounds don't emerge as pronounced as on the earlier demo tapes.
Check out the solo in "Red War" to hear a bit of the potential. "Nothing Left" could be so much more if the instrumentation had a better mix -- all the elements are there, the composition being especially strong. Pete Kelley is one of the better drummers around and he helps build a groove along with bassist Casey Abrams -- the latter fellow with his own music in release in addition to his work here. Ryan has a compelling voice and is a soulful guitarist; just listen to "See Can You" for a modern-day "Girl from Ipanema." The music here has fantastic possibilities -- and maybe all that's needed is a remix of the original tapes, for everything on Passing Thru feels restrained -- like a film edited so thoroughly that the colors give the appearance of being more black and white. The science fiction overtones on "Alien Nation" -- one of the disc's many great moments -- and "Watch" add a nice break and work to keep the interest level up. This ensemble is never afraid to take chances. Check out the Ryan/Abrams composition "Summer" for a taste of some of the risk at play. New artists need one great song which can launch off a disc and make immediate new friends, and Audrey Ryan has the gifts to come up with that smash, along with many more. You can hear it inside simple tunes like "Nothing Left," and though the musicians in the group changed almost two years after this debut, this artist is someone to keep an eye on. The pluses here outweigh the flaws, and overall it is a fine effort, especially for an album debut.
© Joe Viglione /TiVo