Ish
Alex Baird
Hunt the Sandman Inc.
2000
12 tracks
Alex Baird's release is a change of pace for me. Most artists who submit their work for review here demonstrate a clear roots-relatedness in their work, a clear link to some folkish past. Baird's music is unabashed contemporary radio pop that, with a grainy video of her singing on some devastated cityscape, might feel right at home on MTV. Filled with digital loops, it features enough programmed effects that often even the real instruments sound virtual.
Baird's publicity labels her music as "Melodic Groove Pop for the 21st Century" then describes it in terms of a series of eccentric opposites that might have been dreamed up by Alanis Morissette: "wistful yet bright" and "simple and accessible yet a little off balance" and so on. The seemingly cryptic album title derives from the specious claim that "Alex's unique style is hard to draw comparisons to - it's simply Alex Baird-ish."
In fact, Baird's music falls mostly into that genre which these days passes for R&B music. Within that definition, partly because of her lyrical content and partly for stylistic reasons, her songs at times approach the sort of folkish pop epitomized by Joan Osborne, Edie Brickell, or even, in her less rock and roll moments, Alanis Morissette.
Were it possible to draw comparions, I'd say that Baird's vocals, both in voice and style, remind me most of Belinda Carlisle, Joan Osborne, and, in at least one song, Melissa Etheridge. The resemblance, however, is only that, and Baird has some distance to go before she'll attain the quality heard in the work of these artists.
Baird's lyrics are simple almost to the point of being simplistic. What saves her words from being consigned to some limbo of hackneyed themes is that each song tells a story, however simple it may be. These are simple pop lyrics with little depth, but they serve their purpose here, in what are in fact pretty basic pop songs.
"Hide Away" is perhaps the best song on this release. Whether by design or accident, the lyric is so pulled-back that nothing is left but the bare bones. What is left is simple and evocative, leaving room for the listener to create images to go with the music, to create a personal story parallel to the one created by Baird. This song feels like a mind-map of pop singers from the past decade. The references to religion and decay and the sense of personal Apocalypse bring to mind Joan Osborne. So does the vocal style of the sung one-line chorus bits and some of the verses. The overall style, instrumental and vocal, has a very Melissa Etheridge feel to it. The spoken vocals have the timbre of Etheridge but sound very much like something Sheryl Crow might have done a few years ago.
"Hide Away" is also the most real sounding of the tracks on Ish. On most tracks, Baird's voice is over-modified with digital effects. The result is to muddy what is actually quite a good voice. Here, her voice is cleaner and the overall sound sharper. As well, the real-world instruments are allowed to do be heard without excessive digital intrusion. The traditional heartbeat drum and simple instrumental lines allow Baird's vocals to shine through, giving a sense of her potential ability.
Largely due to the similarity of the lyrics and melodies, but also because the sounds have been largely blanded-out by excessive use of digital production toys, even with changes of instruments and tempo most of the remaining songs sound very much the same as each other. "So Wrong" is the only other possible exception, saved by a hard rocking guitar intro reminiscent of Neil Young. While the main verse is set against some bland electronic looping, the chorus and much of the rest of the song breaks out in a big rock sound featuring guitar, real drums, and keys.
Alex Baird has some real talent. Unfortunately, this release obscures much of her potential both as a songwriter and as a performing artist. The undistinguished arrangements and over-digitized production effectively undercut anything that might have differentiated Baird's music from the run of the mill. Rather than try to be like everyone else, it can make all the difference, as Frost said, to travel the road not taken. It would be interesting to see what Baird could do were she to find a direction all her own.
For more information on Alex Baird and her music, visit AlexBaird.com.
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