The Severed Cortex

Link: http://www.amazon.com/Like-Love-Lust-Open-Halls/dp/B000M06K8O/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/102-1514635-5264950?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1177462683&sr=8-1

I'm not sure why this disc reminds of The Bellrays 2005 release Red, White, and Black. Really, it's nothing like it since The Bellrays are hard driving rock and soul and this is probably best described as alt-country. That, on the surface, would seem to have no correlation and it typically does not. But what these two releases do have in common is passionate vocals and outstanding guitar work. This Jesse Sykes release is way, way more structured and polished than The Bellrays, but then again that wild abandon is kind of what makes The Bellrays special.

What makes Jesse Sykes special is her voice. Actually I'm not sure special is the right word although I guess you could apply that term if you were being a deliberate asshat and thinking along short bus terms. I'm thinking that unique may be a better word. It's blatantly obvious that Jesse has a speech impediment. When I gave this disc to Nancy to listen to she said the speech impediment thing drove her so nuts that she couldn't concentrate on the songs themselves. She did say that without the voice she really enjoyed the album. That's a fair assessment, but I tend to lean a different way. To me the 'defect' sounds more kid-like or impish, and when you combine that with her naturally breathy voice it gives all the songs sort of an innocent quality. Most all the songs are pensive and reflective and if you're listening via headphones, as I'm doing now, you can sort of get lost in all that subdued dreamworld her voice weaves.

Let's also give credit where credit is due. The guitar work is exemplary, but I guess what else would you expect from ex-Whiskeytown member Phil Wandscher. The songwriting and production are outstanding as well and you'd be really hard pressed to find a bad song on here. At times you'll hear Emmylou Harris, at times you'll hear Natalie Merchant or Sarah MacLachlan, and a couple of times I thought I heard a trace of Jeannie C. Riley. And maybe once I think I tasted a hint of nutmeg. Most times you'll just hear the individuality of Jesse Sykes voice intertwined with that guitar work and you'll understand how perfect music can be sometimes.

I highly recommend purchasing the entire disc. Yes, the argument can be made that all the songs start to sound the same, but people have been saying that about Rush for years and people still buy their music. OK, maybe that isn't really a winning argument for talking you into buying this, but sometimes when you're in a certain mood for listening to a certain type of music, you want it all to be similar. If you insist on just buying a song or two I personally like the guitar work on LLL, the pop accessibility of You Might Walk Away, and the sheer perfection of guitar and voice working together on Station Grey.