Being positively inundated on a day to day basis with singer-songwriter submissions, I've taken a jaded approach to the genre, admittedly being much quicker to decide I'm unimpressed by a guy/girl and their guitar. Which is why I was doubly impressed with Zee Avi and the fact that she grabbed my attention so quickly and kept it. As soon as I heard her sweet, and almost childishly simplistic single "Bitter Heart," which effortlessly and cheerfully touches on that delicate post heartbreak state I was immediately compelled to find out as much about her as possible and acquire her album.
There is a calmness and ease in her music that I usually associate with prolific surfer turned platinum artist Jack Johnson. Which makes sense, as the Malaysian singer songwriter is currently signed to his Brushfire Records label. Brushfire was started so that Jack Johnson and his mellow (and undoubtedly hot) surfer friends could put out music they liked. To date, Zee Avi is the only female solo artist on the label and I'm happy to say she can hold her own with the boys and remains one of my favorites on the label.
As it turned out, Zee Avi happened to be playing at the wonderfully intimate Hotel Cafe tonight which is one of my favorite venues - small, dark, and red, it's so cozy it could probably make sex up mediocre music, though I've only seen really good artists there. Hotel Cafe magic or not, Zee Avi was simply delightful. She was as poised in her banter as in her music, and the transition from talking to singing barely registered in her voice, which in my opinion, is a mark of a singer who has found their true singing voice. She moved with ease between the guitar and the ukulele and treated the audience like a living room full of friends she had just given a hug to, which quite frankly, I just might have done if I had the chance to embarrass myself.
Though her entire set was lovely, with her jazz tinged acoustic numbers boasting just the right amount of charm and poignancy and sounding every bit as crisp as the recorded versions, the crowning jewel to me were her covers. A well placed cover, especially an unexpected one, can tell you a lot about an artist's tastes and influences, and woo you with the familiarity doctored by the artist's personal style. Zee Avi has an unexpected taste for the post punk gothic sound I'm so obsessed with; she performed Morrissey's "First of the Gang to Die," as a wistful ballad, which appears on her album. What surprised me, however, was the gorgeous rendition of Interpol's "Slow Hands" that, when slowed down and stripped away of guitars with distortion, showcased the lyrics, which are quite poetic.
As I haven't been this excited about a female solo artist since Adele, I can only hope that Zee Avi's career takes a similar arc as she continues to quietly rock.
Hear what all the buzz is about.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment