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Dear Adrian ~

I've listened [repeatedly now] to Allison's new album/ok CD , "Secrets," and I understand how and why you are so excited about her . At first, I listened to her on a severely-inadequate sound system [my carry-about, Phillips/Magnavox 'boom box'] with no headphones. To me, some of her top, high notes tended to sound a bit strident. However, when I took her cd to work and listened, via that industrial-strength, Dell computer, and with headphones, I was amazed by the difference. She simply sounded emotionally strong.

If her vibrato on "Hallelujah" interferes with anyone's pleasurable listening, then her cd is clear evidence of the adage, "Don't judge a book by its cover ." If one judges her from "Hallelujah" or "Joan of Arc" as being pleasant but not compelling, the secret is to listen to her being herself. There's a whole lot more on those pages, with lots of power, and barely-perceptible or no vibrato present on most. Listen to her with a good sound system or, at minimum, headphones. Listen more than once, so her lyrics and voice can take hold. The 'minimal' recording process may catch someone off guard, at first. However, it imparts the kind of 'thrill' of being in the same room, where you just stare as you listen and think, "I can't believe that voice is coming out of her!" With repeated listenings, her voice and lyrics begin entwining themselves around you like luxuriantly beautiful, green ivy. The cd is very satisfying to listen to.

To think that this young woman is age 22 [with that voice, and those lyrics and musicianship], and is as determined as she is to do it her way in the music industry, rather than compromise her vision, makes me excited as to what she will be and sound like at 30, or even five years from now. You can hear the determination and confidence in herself in her voice. Visiting her site, and listening to songs from other albums there [as I was able to do from work !], gives an even greater idea of her range in singing. It's amazing to me that so many of her songs have been recorded 'first take' and without subsequent, technological manipulation. Taking into account that these are the raw and the pure, boggles the mind as to how she might sound going the standard route. However, when she sounds so great, as is, why bother!?! She really is 'the real deal' [as the Swedish reviewer Anna Maria Stjarnell in Luna Kafe's reviews said]; and she really is her own person. She's original and unique. At a serious 22 [though, no doubt, playful, too], she has a mature kind of honesty, truthfulness, and wisdom in her lyrics; with genuine concern, introspection, and a tender delivery that reveal the angst and confusion that can accompany love. She sings 'beyond her years' ~ and when the temptation toward fame could easily have led to signing record deals [and compromise], she opted to stay true to herself. So commendable.

I've read multiple, positive reviews and comments from various critics, and have found them legitimized through my own listening. I agree. First off, I'm amazed that she's able to play the piano as wildly and as softly as she does, and sing accordingly at the same time. The National Post said, "Janis Joplin's 'ballsy' power and Sarah McLachlan's lilting sweetness," and when I first listened to this album, I thought, "W-e-e-e-l-l-l-l-l-l.....[thinking it may have been overstated]," until I listened again from work. The Globe and Mail said, "A dark, powerful voice that seems to come out of nowhere, then thrusts into the stratosphere, falling somewhere between Alanis and Janis."

She's been compared to many, different female singers ~ and to those, I would add she has shades, hues, and blends of Chi Coltrane, Rita Coolidge, Carole King, Laura Nyro, and Dory Previn [if she hasn't already been included], as well. That said, one of my favourite comments by a critic was the kernel statement, "Make your own comparisons, then forget them" ~ that by the Nanaimo Daily News. It's very true. Allison has her own voice, which becomes quite recognizable with some listening and, in time, will become even moreso. She has something to contribute to the music industry ~ herself! Whilst shopping toward a new sound system for myself [not yet gotten, of course; $$$ always the issue], I took her cd with me for trying out. She elicited an immediate response from the saleswoman who said, "Who is that!?! I really like her! Can her cd be bought in the stores?"

Things I really appreciate about Allison's cd, and her songs in general, are her highly-varied rhythms, and distinctive melodies and arrangements. Her songs are clearly different from each other, not as though they were different words plugged into the same pattern or formula. It's a pleasure to behold. I've found that I don't tire of listening to the cd because of its intrigueing variety, one song after the other; and now I'm beginning to anticipate what's coming next, a great point to get to. Both her voice and piano move from light and tender to full, hearty, and robust, while others are almost lullaby-like. I laughed when I saw her "Thumps" listed as one of the instruments, but she surely makes them be one, with the same legitimacy and appeal as the rest.

Just a few comments on various songs:

On "How Long," I can appreciate her lyrics, "How long will it take you to remember / While you're still alive and growing old / I'm the only one who cares about you." I also found that when I closed my eyes, I automatically began singing and moving [swaying with intent] to the music.

With "Raining in Baltimore," I've never heard its original rendition, so I have nothing to compare it to. However, with its sentiments and her genuine, uncontrived, and heartfelt delivery, I thought it to be her own, until I read otherwise .

With its engaging, piano-solo entry, "Philosophy" soon moves into her breathless and high-rising voice, with her light and lilting singing becoming appealingly, almost ethereally-sexual with her "~ ooo ~ ooo ~ yay ~ ay ~ ay ~ uh ~ uh ~ uh ~ yay ~ aah ~ aah ~ "s.

I'm not at all surprized to hear that "Midnight" was selected to figure prominently in an independent-film's [Stolen Grace] soundtrack, and that it surpassed [being "head and shoulders above the rest"] all the other entries, that came in response to the international call for submissions. I love its lyrical, yet full-bodied sound. Allison has clear ideas of how her songs are to be.

On "Secrets [That Aren't My Own]," I really like the sweet overlays of her voice ~ and what a great concept for a song.

"Montreal" ~ Such a romantic view it gives of the city, using one person's belief in another one's growth as the foreground.

"Sea Of a Million Faces" sounds like it was written in New York, and certainly expresses more than one person's feelings about the City, as well as the need to have and preserve their one relationship with another.

"What About You" ~ What a bittersweet-sounding love song of selfless, genuine caring and concern for another. The purity of love expressed musically. The 'chord change'[?] gave me chills at the same time that it melted my heart.

I like her strongly sung and powerful "Whether I'm Wrong" for its potential applications to a lover; the war; or the music industry. In it, she's taken a stand, and the haunting song brings chills.
Likewise, with "Immersed," in which I can also 'see' the music industry. I'd have loved to have been in the room to clap with the rest of you at the end of "Whether I'm Wrong."

Her choice of the surprize [and a cappella singing of] Traditional Irish Air of "Believe Me If All" suggests an understanding at such a young age of the fleeting nature of beauty and its ultimate lack of importance. Again, so appealing from such a young and 'old' person.

It's official now . I'm an Allison Crowe fan . I'm very interested in acquiring all of her other cds, and looking forward to her producing more. There's still more I could say regarding other songs on this cd. My repeated listenings says a whole lot in itself. I wish I could afford to gift the skeptics with a copy of "Secrets." Meanwhile, I wish you, Adrian, and Allison Crowe, your friend and immensely-talented singer, songwriter, and musician, the very best of luck in that crazy and unpredictable world of music. I so hope her popularity will grow as more hear her in person, and download her music off the Internet. I fully understand your commitment to her and her music. I hope to one day hear her in person myself. She has a voice all her own, and is so fortunate to have found it while still so young. As a woman myself, don't you know I love her label "Rubenesque Records" . G~d bless this 22-year-old woman as she continues on her career path. May she find the heights, or better yet, the heights find her . Keep doing what you're doing. You're doing right!

~ Elizabeth

well, there is so much in what you've written, Lizzy - and, as ever, you're insightful, perceptive and sensitive ( :

it's a tiring time I'm in right now, and even at the best of times, I prefer to comment more on the process(es) and let others' words reveal the effects of Allison's music on them; and there's no shortage of people who've experienced her live and reflected that in words

I made a shift some five years ago to shepherd as best I can an artist with a supreme talent and gift as one encounters rarely in this life; and it's a challenge; for, in the rock/pop music realm, whether it be indie or major label level, advancement is not generally based on talent or integrity

you must swim against the tide, and come to understand the currents, locate the shoals, and that which lies beneath the illusory surface of the recording industry

and, so - to the context of the recordings of which you speak, Allison has released three CDs in the past year - with a cumulative production cost of less than US $3000; that is, an average of less than US $1000 per CD - which is not even lo-fi costs, it's no-fi costs

and still, the music reaches people; one of the effects of the recording methodology has been to strip the sound of all the artificial, and automatic, layers that customarily are used to coat and treat the human voice - even in lo-fi indie recordings; what you hear on Allison Crowe's recordings is a human voice without compression, equalization, normalization, auto-tuning, pitch-correcting etc. etc.; it is unvarnished

that said, it is also not as full as the true voice, due to the fact that the digital recording methods, the mics used, the audio-interface etc. etc. are not fully up to the job of capturing Allison's natural range, emotion and colours; so, it's the best approximation we can manage under the circumstances

these are recordings made without compromise for better (artistically) and for worse (technically); one of the would-be record industry partners that was courting Allison last year, told us, candidly, any modern era artist on a label that says they did not compromise in making their record is a liar; it comes with the territory; that compromise can be very obvious, or it can be subtle, invisible, to the average listener

and listeners, themselves, may be conditioned to the smooth, upholstered, sounds of today's albums; and, so, it takes some adventurousness, even some bravery, to listen outside the production - to actually hear the music at the heart of a recording; some people just don't bother; and, today, as Joni Mitchell and others have pointed out, music is like wallpaper, interior-decorated, a background to a commercial culture; real passion and soul do not fit in this picture

"I sing just to know I'm alive" was Nina Simone's expression of the same purpose that Allison has summed up in an interview by answering the question "Why music?" with "Why breathing?" Because there is no other answer to her, I'll continue to do what I do, and we'll aim to bring the music to you and everyone else on this earth that wants to listen

peace & cheers, Adrian

Dear Adrian ~

With all that you've said, I'm amazed even more at how wonderful and absolutely listenable Allison is. The 'numbers' [$] speak for themselves as to how 'no-fi' you've accomplished all this. Good for Allison . Good for you . If this is how she sounds recorded, with its compromising of how she sounds in person [I'm just imagining more of Allison's natural range, emotion and colours ], I'm confident that at Live performances, she has no trouble selling CDs. You're so right at how 'used to' we become listening to the way things are commercially [or, as you suggest, less than all-out 'commercial'] recorded. Thanks for your very interesting background information as to how Allison got to where she's at, and continues to go. Even if I weren't already inclined, reading what you've written would cause me to resolve to buying all of her albums, just to be supportive of her determination and efforts in the correct direction. She's also a very 'cutting' figure with her long, 'red' hair against the colour of her skin. The nature of the water and land/beach behind her really caps it. One of the photos of her on her site [I think in black-and-white, where she's looking up] has a "Gothicesque' look to it. Thank you for your compliments. I really, really hope to hear her sing in person one day. Keep on keepin' on with your noble mission .

~ Elizabeth