By Herden Daza
Cupid a little unkind last week? Is your world a bowl of cherry pits? Are you just sick of it all? Rachael Yamagata knows what it is like. She even wrote some songs about it. Like to hear it? Here it goes.
Rachael Yamagata
Self Titled EP
[Private Music, Oct. 7, 2003]
With her husky, breathless lyrics and home-brewed piano skills, Rachael Yamagata provides a stirring soundtrack for the gray days in life. The self-titled EP from the southern beauty impresses with polished production and hits home with anyone who has waited for the rain to stop. Reared from the upper recesses of New York and the Washington, D.C. area, Yamagata cultivated her musical sensibilities by listening to the works of Stevie Wonder, Carol King, and other '70s music icons.
Early in her childhood, she had sought piano lessons but was quickly turned off by the rigid style of her teachers. Taking what little she had gleaned, she continued to practice in her own manner and even began writing songs at fourteen years of age. Fostering her artistic side, she majored in theatre at Vassar, where her dreams of being in a band would be realized. Beginning with background vocals and keyboards for a Chicago funk outfit named Bumpus, she would eventually be moved to lead female vocalist, recording two albums in almost five years before striking out under her own banner.
Fortunately for the listening public, this self expression that Yamagata has been looking for has brought her to the forefront as a prospect with gobs of potential. Her sound resembles many other high-profile, emotive pianists while remaining solely her own. Not as musically innovative as a Tori Amos or as somber as a Norah Jones, Yamagata croons with an intense sincerity and her melodies, though rough at times, plod and pace beautifully with the lyrics.
Starting with the first song on the five-track EP, "Collide," it is clear that listening will be a unique experience. Fading in with a subtle, walking piano riff, her voice seeps in afloat a watery string section and a simple one-two drumbeat. Now, voice sparring with the twang of a slow funk groove, the second track, "Known for Years," bounds with raked chords and drums rolling smoothly. Offering a bright change of pace, "Worn Me Down" picks up the tempo and displays the singer's ability to sound subdued and restless with aplomb. Finally, "Would You Please" gracefully brings the disc to a close. The most intimate of the five cuts on the EP, an acoustic guitar earnestly laps out the melody as the piano sprinkles accents across the tune.
With a full length release expected sometime soon this year and a calendar full of events, things look to be settling down for the singer, in contrast to her nomadic lifestyle. As success brings about a new day, one hopes that she can make music out of that as well.
For tour dates, samples, and more information, please visit www.rachaelyamagata.com.
Published: Friday, February 20, 2004
