Where Buffaloes Never Roam...
Posted April 14, 2009
By singersmartguy17,
We were first introduced to Hawaii native Lanae' Hale in fall of 2007, when she released a 6-song EP. The EP was nice, but it really wasn't my style of music. The EP stuck to mid- and slow-tempo tracks, with a folky, acoustic-based, lite pop sound. But things take a turn with her debut album. Teaming up with Mark Hammond (best known for working with Jump5) is obviously what gave the album its well-produced pop vibe. The album gets rid of the sparse arrangements in favor of programmed synths and catchy pop beats.
"Back & Forth" starts with a bang with its title track, which is my personal favorite song on the record. The song is a super-catchy pop song that was destined for radio airplay. Other songs like "Beautiful Things," and "Here's My Heart" follow in the same pattern. "It's Over" and "Don't Cry" are the ballads of the project, which reflect her EP with their acoustic arrangements, but in this case it really complements the songs. "Here's To The Girls" is a girls' anthem that every female Christian artist thinks they HAVE to include on their project. But this one is really good. Lanae's vocals on this song remind me a lot of Jill Parr, and sound almost identical to hers at times. "If I'm Broken" starts off with Skillet-like orchestration, before becoming a pop song. "Headed Home" is a calmer, synthy number, with lots of vocal effects. "Burning Heartbeats" is a song Britt Nicole would kill to have on her album, being near pop perfection.
"Back & Forth" is a breath of fresh air from an artist I decided to give a second chance. I recommend it to any pop music fan! Be sure to watch out for Lanae' in '09! View All Music And Book Reviews By singersmartguy17 | View singersmartguy17's Profile
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