Oops… This is about a week late, but what can you do sometimes?  🙂

My latest CD review went up last weekend, and like the Dejafuse review this one is a bit different from the norm at Sonic Cathedral.  But because this lady has worked with some of the biggest names in metal (After Forever, Kamelot, Epica, etc etc etc), I figured there had to be some interest in her solo material.  And so…

Quick Facts

Artist: Amanda Somerville

Album: “Windows”

Location: Germany (although she’s US-born)

Sound/subgenre: Indie pop/rock with influences from R&B, world music, jazz, electronica, and metal

Label: Independent Release

Available for U.S. Purchase on iTunes, Amazon.com, or through Amanda’s website (http://www.music.amandasomerville.com/)

So, yes, Amanda’s solo music isn’t exactly metal.  But since I grew up listening to more mainstream genres of music before becoming a “metalhead,” I knew I’d at least appreciate her style.

I’ve actually had “Windows” since June, so it’s had plenty of time to grow on me.   And it certainly has.  Amanda’s voice will impressed me right off the bat; she never oversings yet never holds back, and she effectively uses a wide variety of singing styles.  The lyrics are beautiful, too, and use lots of metaphors.  What’s most impressive about “Windows,” though, is the broad range of music styles that are featured.  It’s not easy to hop from one genre to another on a single album without having it sound choppy or out-of-place.  Amanda makes everything move smoothly and make sense, though, and this makes “Windows” quite an admirable album.

To read all of my thoughts on Amanda Somerville’s “Windows,” click here to read my review.

Also, head on over to Amanda’s MySpace page, where you can listen to clips to five songs from “Windows.”  I recommend the title track, “Inner Whore,” and “Carnival.”

As always, let me know what you think!

~ Sara