Laura Aidanblaise- Get Thee to the World

ARTIST: Laura Aidanblaise
ALBUM: Get Thee to the World
LABEL: Self-released
REVIEWER: Matthew J.
DATE: 4-28-08

On her debut EP, singer/songwriter Laura Aidanblaise combines classic bluesy folk ballads with a hint of eccentricity that makes her far more interesting than the average folk artist. "Bloodlove" and "Charlie's Guns" are soft acoustic offerings, the understated guitar stepping back to highlight Aidanblaise's soulful singing in all its glory, and "Mary Go Round" is traditional but intense, the vocals bare and the finger-picked guitar intricate but subtle. By "That Old Road," though, Aidanblaise starts to get a bit more eclectic, somewhere between a Medieval ballad and an old-time mountain song, and the sparse but electrified "Under the Water" is both haunted and haunting. "Debauched" is the CD's wildest offering, a cabaret-infused torch song of jittery pianos, spooky organs, and multi-layered vocals that's a bit like a much earthier version of Tori Amos at her best, while "Wrinkles" finishes things off with a return to simple but gorgeous folk music, this time augmented by brass horns. A dark but lovely take on Americana, this EP draws on the contemporary folk of Traci Chapman and Ani DiFranco as well as the sinister side of such early blues artists as Robert Johnson.

Visit Laura Aidanblaise at www.aidanblaise.com.