Adam's Rib - Melanie Doane > Reviews > Makes me "Absolutely Happy"

Author's product rating:   

Originality	Definitely a cut above the rest
Lyrics	Thought-provoking
Quality and consistency of tracks	A couple of weak links
How does it compare to the artist's other releases	Not applicable
Value for Money	Excellent

Advantages:	Great performances throughout
Disadvantages:	None at all

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

My music reviews here on Ciao seem to follow a familiar theme - obscure girl and guitar combinations, usually but not exclusively from the USA or Canada - well, Melanie Doane's "Adam's Rib" ticks all my usual boxes and then some....

Always on the lookout for new artists to listen to, an Amazon recommendation led me to "Adam's Rib", the second album from Canadian singer-songwriter Melanie Doane. An award-winning artist in her home country (1999 Juno Award for Best New Artist) and with at least four Top 40 hits there, she's to all intents and purposes practically unknown outside of her homeland. I think that's a real shame, since whilst Melanie Doane doesn't on the surface offer a great deal more than her contemporaries in pop music, a number of her songs managed to lodge in my head after only a couple of exposures to the CD - I found myself singing random pieces from at least three tracks mere days after acquiring it. She's not writing alt-country, roots or bluegrass - just honestly written, impeccably performed, straight-down-the-middle pop music - and it's rather enjoyable. All bar one of the songs were written exclusively by the artist and she's responsible for accompaniment via piano and violin in addition to her guitar.

"Adam's Rib" was released in 1998 but I can't remember it making any kind of impression on this side of the Atlantic, which is a pity - I would have gladly added it to my CD collection back then.

A track listing seems appropriate at this point:

1. Adam's Rib
2. Happy Homemaker
3. There Is No Beautiful
4. Absolutely Happy
5. Goliath
6. I Can't Take My Eyes Off You
7. Waiting For The Tide
8. How You Cried
9. The Space Between Us
10. Mel's Rock Pile
11. Good Gifts
12. Sweet Sorrow

"Somedays I'd wonder how it would feel, to be my own person, to eat my own meals...." - on the face of it, "Adam's Rib", a song about a single rib contemplating it's independence might not provide the best material for a hit, but a combination of her strong but tempered vocals, matched with some rather wonderful violin accompaniment, makes it work. It's clearly designed for a radio audience with standard chorus and breaks, but never disappoints - one of those songs that you'll probably end up singing along with before it ends, the first time around.

"Barefoot and pregnant never looked so good, we're all dying to take our shoes off...." - "Happy Homemaker" changes tack a little, a slightly more jocular yet deeply ironic take on domestic bliss and impending motherhood, following on from the more sombre title track. Electric guitars provide an unforgettable entrance riff which perseveres into the choruses, although the plaudits should be saved for Melanie Doane's delivery - faultless throughout. One of those catchy little pieces that will stick in the mind forever and a day afterwards.

"Without the ugly there is no beautiful...." - on the surface, "There Is No Beautiful" seems to be the most instantly accessible track on the album, since the chorus line listed above has a habit of burning itself deep inside your brain. There's more to the song than that, naturally enough - a restrained opening leads gently into the first chorus, her simply yet beautifully played violin accompaniment almost moving the guitars from centre stage into the background.

"Maybe like a TV show, half hour episodes to solve everything and make you absolutely happy...." - possibly my favourite track on the album (so far), "Absolutely Happy" seems to push all of the right buttons. Mel's strongly-delivered yet never strained vocals rise effortlessly above the minimal backing, a single drum and a couple of guitars providing all that is needed here. Strong vocals yes, but in a muted kind of way - a performance that doesn't feel as if it needs to shout to succeed. One of those laid-back songs that burrow into your skull then surface again when you least expect it.

"I've been sleeping under the beanstalk...." - "Goliath" probably vies with "There Is No Beautiful" for the most-accessible track kudos, since it possesses a really catchy yet short chorus. The verses are laconic yet never tiring, whilst the mandolin accompaniment seems to come to the fore more and more each time this track is played.

"Who needs to go outside when I will be your silent bride...." - dedicated to her TV set, "I Can't Take My Eyes Off You" is a change of pace on an up-to-now briskly-paced album. One might expect a ballad to rely on her great vocals and let the backing recede well into the shadows, but here acoustic, electric and fender manage to steal some of the thunder too, all equally as memorable.

The remainder of the album proceeds along similar lines, with "Mel's Rock Pile" being the only exception - an instrumental based on the traditional "Tarbolten Reel" - Celtic roots? She really displays her violin prowess here, set to guitar - one of the more enjoyable instrumentals I've heard recently.

As mentioned earlier, there's nothing hugely different here from a number of singer-songwriters I have in my collection (well, apart from the "Rock Pile"!). However, where Melanie Doane does register strongly is that she's come up with a fairly no-nonsense, reasonably stripped-down album that delivers a fair number of pretty good tracks and at least three or four that you'll no doubt end up recalling at odd times the next day.... it happens to me each time I listen to this album. Oh, and it's going to be put in the car as part of my 'essential listening collection' for long journeys - I like it that much.... I don't give out "Flawless" ratings much (well, unless Gemma Hayes is the subject of a review!) but this comes close, so that's why it's got the 'couple of weak links' award - it hasn't really, well, maybe just one towards the end of the CD....

I had to persuade Ciao to list this album for review as it wasn't listed already - the only mention of Melanie Doane beforehand was that "I Can't Take My Eyes Off You" was used in an episode of "Buffy" once. That's a shame - another artist going without wider recognition yet producing what appears to be a string of rather good albums. "Shakespeare's Fish" was her debut album, and 2003's "You Are What You Love" is her latest - both are now firmly on my radar and I'll no doubt pick them up shortly. Picking "Adam's Rib" as a starter, like I have done, though, is a pretty good introduction to this talented artist.

The inlay has some photos (showing how pretty she is, too!) - although the snake and apple one seems a little obvious - and there's full lyrics for the tracks.