Ghosts and Angels
Sandy Andina
Essay Records
2001
12 tracks
Listening to Sandy Andina's Ghosts and Angels is like listening to commercial mainstream radio circa 1956. Every song is different but selected to give the program the correct safe flow and appeal. The songs range from pure pop to pieces with classical, French, Spanish, Mexican, blues, jazz, and other influences. The vocals are reminiscent of Lucille Starr, Gogi Grant, Peggy Lee, Doris Day, and a host of other old-time pop singers. The instrumental arrangements are more of Percy Faith or Guy Lombardo than of the modern era. If you like that old pre-rock music, then you're likely to enjoy this release.
Much of the music on Ghosts and Angels is background music of the passive sort that goes unheard behind cocktail conversations and dinner chatter. Only a few of the songs have the internal energy to perhaps break through the din and momentarily catch some listener unawares. Even these are not strong songs and might fare better if approached in a less conservative manner.
"Fais Do Do" might have been a stronger song if it had the heat of a song like Mary Chapin Carpenter's "Down at the Twist and Shout" or other up-tempo Zydeco songs. Even so, this is possibly the most lively and interesting song on this release. Although the approach appears to be an attempt at Zydeco, I am most reminded of Canadian Sweetheart Lucille Starr's Cajunesque performances on songs like "Colinda" and "Jolie Jaqueline" from the Sixties. However, lacking in Andina's performance is the energy that drove Starr's recordings. As with other songs on this release, it feels as though Andina is not that interested.
"A Little Loyalty" has a bit more lively tempo than most songs on this release, and Andina puts some feeling into her performance, sounding like she's doing more than just mouthing the words. All things considered, this may be the best song on Ghosts and Angels, more likely to catch the ear of potential listeners. The arrangements on all these songs sound dated. "A Man could Hurt Himself" and this song are prime examples, echoing a bit of John Fogarty and a lot of Jimmy Webb's big but schmaltzy orchestrations.
Andina writes that "If Pigs Could Fly" is "a kid's song for grownups" and says she wrote it to replace songs she hates to sing (such as the classic "Swinging on a Star" and the Sesame Street theme). Unfortunately, this song is lyrically inconsistent and is mostly just silly without being much fun. It's certainly not at all as well written, neither the lyric nor the music, as the songs this artist has decided not to perform. This is the one song I would have left off this release.
"Ink and Pen" is a more interesting song, both for its well-written lyric and quirky metaphor and for the band's bright pop-bluegrass performance that gives the music an almost skiffle feel. Andina writes that "fountain pen collecting is my favourite pastime." Perhaps this is proof of the old admonition to writers to write of what they know best. In both writing and performance, this song works better than most on this release.
As a whole, Ghosts and Angels is not bad. The lyrics are competently written and the music doesn't jar the sensibilities (or, unfortunately, grab the imagination). Based on what I've heard, I believe this artist is capable of more. There's a feeling on this release that neither she nor her musicians are giving their all to the music. There's an emotional flatness of the sort often attributed to Muzak. It would be interesting to hear what Sandy Andina could do if she really tried.
Those who may be interested can learn more about Sandy Andina and her music at her website. You can find clips of four of the songs on Ghosts and Angels at CD Baby.
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