Madelyn Lavender
Memory Tree
New age-ish in words and hippie-like in music, Madelyn Lavender’s debut may sound clichéd, but is at times neatly composed and lovingly delivered. Half the songs on Memory Tree sound as if they were meant to be played by Deadheads waiting around in some festival area – and, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. “It’s Never Dark” and “Restless Soul” climax through longish repetition and naïve sincerity, while “So This Is Progress” mimics the Dead’s psychedelic folk rock from the early seventies.
With songs titled “Psychedelic Lunatic,” “On The Road To Inner Peace” and – dear God – “Like A Surfer,” Lavender pretty much gives the game away, sounding like a relic from another time. Yet, Memory Tree is inspired at times. The instrumental performances are pretty impressive, especially those of prog. guitarist Joe Longobardi and insanely talented percussionist River Guerguerian. If you’d be camping out for a combined Horde/Lilith Fair festival, probably bringing your guitar and wearing flowers in your hair, you will love this. If you wouldn’t, then you probably don’t want this one.
Madelyn Lavender: http://www.madelynlavender.com/
