Diving for Pearls
Allie Fox
Vixen Records
2000
10 tracks
There's talent here, but it's like a gemstone cut but not yet polished. While the light does mostly shine through brightly, there are rough spots that flaw the overall effect. In general, Diving for Pearls is an interesting and entertaining presentation of the work of Allie Fox as a composer, lyricist, and performer. It's a mostly honest presentation that exposes not just her talent, which is considerable, but also her weaknesses.
As a composer, Fox is not memorable. Even with fancy arrangements, her music is pretty standard stuff among singer-songwriter types. This is the sort of music a lyricist with passable skills on guitar or piano will write simply as a vehicle to carry the words. Most of the time, it is Fox's words and performance that save these songs from being only commonplace.
Fox has a strong voice. Possibly because of some of her arrangements, this British artist reminds me of the more mature, post-country K. D. Lang. She has a restrained vocal style that resonates with power and emotion like unrequited love waiting to be released. Some of the arrangements on this release suggest either that the artist lacks confidence in her own abilities or perhaps has made an unfortunate choice of musical influences. In some of these songs, Fox's voice is like the big beautiful girl hiding her form in baggy clothes: the quality of this lovely voice buried by overly complex arrangements and over-production.
Contrary to what appears to be popular opinion, lots of reverb will not save a bad voice and it will certainly not help a good one. "Diving for Pearls" is just one of several songs on this release where Fox's vocals are undercut by excessive use of reverb. The songs with reverb also seem to drag, almost like a slightly stretched tape (for those of us old enough to remember reel-to-reel recording). On the positive side, Lang's "Constant Craving" is the closest comparison I can think of to this sound. And that was a very popular song.
"Joe Louis Blues" is possibly the strongest song on this release. While I do feel there is still too much orchestration in the background, at least it's somewhat restrained. Fox's voice is allowed, with only minimal echo-effect, to soar above the instrumentation and tell the song's story. There's a powerful, very American, rock rhythm track (similar to The Guess Who's "American Woman") that, supplemented by some interesting rock ornaments, carries the song inexorably forward. The lyric is definitely the strongest on this release.
Although she clearly has talent as a performer, I believe that Allie fox will ultimately stand out as a lyricist. As represented on this release, her writing is uneven and she needs to develop her skills and craft, but the talent and the passion are clearly already there. On a technical level, the writing here ranges from tight and polished to... well, careless. As story, each of the lyrics here is strong and effective. More attention to technique would make some of the stories even more powerful.
At their weakest, Fox's lyrics are replete with repeated phrases and inconsequential phrases that appear to be there to fill space because she couldn't think of better words to add to the story. Further thoughtful editing and revision would benefit many of her songs. And, if there are no words to fit, perhaps it would be better to just leave a space and let the music carry the story forward to the next phase.
"Joe Louis Blues" best exemplifies the powerful writing of which Fox is capable. This is a tightly written story which seems to reach deep into the heart and soul of the great American heavyweight boxing champion. At the same time, this lyric is a powerful metaphor about racism and oppression, not just in America but universally. This is not simply a lyric, but a well-written work of poetry. You can read the lyric here.
The talent of Allie Fox is not yet fully developed, but already she is definitely a writer and performer to watch. It will be interesting to see who she becomes as her talent develops and grows.
Learn more about Allie Fox, read her lyrics, and listen to clips of the songs on Diving for Pearls at Vixen Records.
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Review written: March 4, 2005
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