Holy Moly! Many thanks to Wildy Haskell, a great writer, and a thoughtful listener. Please visit Wildy's blog - it's super cool!
http://wildysworld.blogspot.com/2009/06/review-lori-diamond-mystery.html
Lori Diamond - Mystery
2008, LorisongsLori Diamond and collaborator Fred Abatelli discovered each other through MySpace. Diamond was part of Neuphoria, a three-part harmony group performing both covers and original material, while Abatelli was lending his musical weight to a band called Too Many Drivers. With influences as disparate as Liz Story, Carole King, Billy Joel, Allison Krauss, Miles Davis, Stevie Wonder, Quincy Jones and Chaka Khan, there would be no in-between for these star-crossed musicians; it would be either a glorious mix or a disaster. Luckily the disaster teams were never engaged, as Diamond and Abatelli clicked from the get-go. Diamond's debut CD with Abatelli,
Mystery, is bound to draw a slew of listeners to Lori Diamond. High profile gigs such as New York City's Mamapalooza should do a great deal to expand Diamond's fan base. Either way, it's time to catch on to a talent too large to be confined to the Berkshires.
Diamond's voice is silky and soulful on
Mystery; part Norah Jones and part Sarah McLachlan. Opening with the title track,
Mystery, Diamond treats listeners to gorgeous vocal harmonies over a piano-driven arrangement encompassing Soul, Pop and Folk.
Sorry is classic singer/songwriter fare; a love song of regret. The pacing here is a bit slow but the melody and harmonies are so pretty you probably won't notice. Diamond opens up the tear jar on
The Way You Look At Me. This song is a true Wow moment, following the look of love throughout life as it is seen father to daughter, mother to child and husband to wife.
Alone serves as something of a musical interlude after the powerful emotions of
The Way You Look At Me, offering a pleasant, melancholy jazz arrangement to get you back on your feet.
Don't Cry has a strong theatrical feel to it, like it could have walked right off a Broadway stage. The song follows the comfort as given from mother to child and how it echoes through our lives, all done in a great Jazz/Pop/Broadway arrangement.
Better is another wow moment; a soliloquy from someone who wants to be loved yet doesn't feel deserving and flees in the face of all they've dreamed of. Anyone who's ever felt undeserving of another's affection or love will see something of themselves in this song.
A Friend Like This continues the big emotional hits from Diamond in a song about friendship that transcends love. Diamond closes out with
Patient, a song of utter devotion based on the "If you love something set it free" philosophy.
Lori Diamond has a voice you could listen to all day; She could sing the Waste Removal listings from the yellow pages and people would still line up to listen. The material on
Mystery is loaded with emotion and honesty, but wrapped in melodies and harmonies so lovely even the most emotionally stunted listener won't feel overwhelmed. The lyrics are intelligent and artfully written, the arrangements are first class and the musicianship through
Mystery is top notch. Mystery is an experience, and Diamond is aptly named.
Rating: 4.5 Stars (Out of 5)