Heidi Saperstein
Zara
Kimchee
When reviewing new artists, it’s hard to have more than modest expectations. With this sort of mindset, a critic can be pleasantly surprised if a disc turns out to be worthwhile, or quickly shrug it off if it comes up short. At the beginning of the opening track on Zara, the reedy, driving “Second Skin,” I was ready to declare the album a winner. However, on the second track, “I Love You,” Saperstein plummets beyond recovery. The song actually makes use of the heart-stopping inane chorus, “Oh I love you / yes, I know it’s true / the love I had for you / so easily removed.” After this disappointment things rarely improved, as I could fill in Saperstein’s clichéd couplets like some twisted form of word association. It’s a shame that the lyrics weigh this album down so much, because Saperstein has talent as a singer and musician – her voice is strong and the instrumentation is solid modern rock throughout. But I can’t imagine I’ll ever want to listen to this disc again.
Kimchee: http://www.kimcheerecords.com
