Post by jptheprofessor on Mar 25, 2007 22:29:04 GMT -5
SHERRI MULLEN – FEARLESS (no label) After exploring and defining a wide expanse of musical turf on her first two albums, Middletown-based singer, songwriter and guitarist Sherri Mullen focuses and hones her style and sound on her third album, Fearless. Sherri's overall style has converged into a more acoustic-based mixture of rock, country and pop. Her songwriting is more pointed, melodic and efficient; and her lyrics are more personal and confident over the album's ten tracks. The driving title song, "Fearless," is a statement of purpose about weathering adversity, moving forward and embracing life's opportunities and possibilities. Similar themes of confidence and self-realization prevail on the hopeful and rural-accented album opener "All Roads Lead to Home," while the busy country romp "Swing" realizes the need to simplify and take control of one's own life. Mullen lyrically confronts various relationship scenarios on several songs; the confrontation is defiant on the feisty "Asleep at the Wheel" and rancorous on the heavy-rocking "Domino," yet unsure and fearful on the somber "Hold On to Nothing" and conceding to reality on "Come Back." The upbeat "Fate" ponders how random occurrences can shape destiny, and the gentle and dreamy "Venice" ends the album with a mood of contentment. Sherri Mullen turns in an excellent performance on voice, selling her lyrical themes and moods with a variety of range, power, emotion and personality. Her studio support cast; including longtime associates Dave Kelly and Doug Stockton on guitar and bass, Hierosonic’s Mike Stang on bass and Mark Bohn on drums, and appearances from her son Shane Mullen on guitar, Henry Cassel on pedal steel, Ajay Cheney on cello and Hierosonic’s Ben Stewart on additional vocals; fleshes out and colors each song. Recorded at Harrisburg’s Seventh Wave Studios, Jason Rubal’s production helps each song achieve its full impact; keeping Mullen’s expressive voice at the forefront and allowing the musical elements to surround and support it, with layered vocal harmonies filling in to provide the finishing touches. Sherri Mullen hits her full stride on Fearless, a proud and confident set from an artist who knows who she is and where she is going. (The CD can be obtained through Sherri Mullen’s website, www.sherrimullen.com.)