Soul Unravelling, the debut CD from Ann Vriend was not 26 years in the making. A prolific writer and tremendous music fan, Ann has been putting words to music since her childhood days spent noodling away on the piano in her parent's basement. While a few of the 12 tunes that made the final cut have been around for some time most have not been alive that long.
Ann Vriend suffers from an affliction shared by many active songwriters. A narcoleptic of sorts, Ann tires easily of anything she has created that is not the most recent. "The Weather", "Sometime in May", and the local hit, "Waterfront" will likely be popular requests for the rest of her life. Ann however would much prefer to play for you her latest creation. When her latest creation is different every week it is curious to know how many gems have yet to see the light of day.
Meticulous and thought provoking, infectious and imaginative, Ann Vriend is serious about the craft of writing Pop music. She approaches it with the flair of an artist and the love of a fan. Aretha Franklin, Paul Simon, Leonard Cohen are a few of the major influences on this songwriter whose work seems much older than she.
Here is a test for you all. Play an Ann Vriend song for some friends. Note how often a new listener will start to sing along before the song is over. There is a timelessness to Ann's music that creates a familiarity. In a short time it seems as though you have known these songs for years.
A band of College friends share the pop flare with Ann on the disc. Calling themselves the Dropouts, their collective backgrounds traverse such cousins as jazz, funk, pop and world music. Another college friend Doug Organ came along as producer to help guide the project into place. College is the operative word here. Musicians for life, they are all studied enthusiasts of the organic blend of structure and feel.
Some remarkable mile stones have already been marked for an artist with such a fresh career: performances at prestigious venues like, the Edmonton Folk Fest, New York City's Bitter End, Fez and Arlene Grocery, demos recorded at Sony NY, command performances for major labels, first place in a songwriting contest, a vehement and active fan base.
To carry on in the business will be of little concern to Ann Vriend. What is often referred to as "the difficult second album" is probably already written and will likely be rewritten a time or two before it's day. No need to speak of the next disc though, you still have this one to enjoy.
Check out the artist's website:
http://www.annvriend.comTrack List:
1. The Knot Song part1
2. The Knot Song part 2
3. Reverberation
4. Waterfront
5. The Only Living Girl in New York
6. Crazy Things
7. Still Life #7
8. The Weather
9. Brand New House
10. On Being Perfect
11. Tightrope Walker
12. Sometime in May
13. All Good Things
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