Like Being Found is the debut album by
Riveter, a group formed by singer/songwriter
Julie Powell, who also released a CD under her own name,
Heart of a Woman, within a few months of this one.
Heart of a Woman is a collection of ballads and spirituals and her previous effort,
Music Swims Back to Me, consisted of a contemporary art song cycle performed by a soprano.
Riveter differs widely from her other projects, as this group plays pure country-rock.
Powell's songs exclusively address affairs of the heart and range from soft rock ballads to spirited adult country songs. The instrumentation consists of guitars (acoustic and electric), bass, and drums, with occasional violin, saxophone, or keyboard. If her lyrics find poetry within conventional topics, the music also remains intelligent (with playful arrangements), tasteful, and pretty, but just a bit too conventional to make it stand out.
Riveter's biggest asset is
Powell's voice. Velvety, warm, and charming, it conveys emotions truthfully, without overplaying drama. "Over My Head" is the strongest song here, its chorus immediately catchy. "I Got Love" and "Send an Angel" are also very nicely chiseled songs. In short,
Like Being Found is quite pleasurable, but not gutsy enough to be riveting.