Debbie
Liske – Extra Mile (Independent)
“Extra Mile” is Debbie Liske’s fourth album, and it’s
a collection that’s picking up plaudits and acclaim wherever it’s heard. Yet
it’s another side of Liske’s life which shapes and informs her songwriting and
deserves just as much attention, and that’s her charity work. Over the years
she’s raised money for cancer charities, played concerts to help finance
literacy, environmental and wildlife projects, and as a member of the American
Red Cross, she helped in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy.
It’s only natural that her songs should reflect the
concerns and issues that interest her, though she steadfastly avoids rhetoric
or sermonizing. One title that instantly stands out on “Extra Mile” is “My
Hurricane”, though it’s a song about addiction rather than her experiences
post-Sandy - but it’s powerful stuff, all the same, with a hard-hitting video
to accompany it.
Liske’s earlier records have been described as
acousti-funk, and here she continues the trend, with vivid, literate,
folk-based acoustic songs, blended with rhythms, which are altogether more
primal. It transports “Extra Mile” (and her earlier records) away from standard
singer-songwriter forms, and into new and interesting territory. Opening cut
“Words Unspoken” rattles along at pace, with groovy, modern electronics taking
the lead and Liske’s rhythm section head for the floor. “Shut My Mouth” is a classic pop song, with a chorus
that doesn’t let go, and “Everybody Hurts” may share a
title with REM, but the resulting song is considerably more upbeat.
Phil S.
Debbie
Liske – My Hurricane
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