Post by jptheprofessor on Feb 4, 2008 17:07:06 GMT -5
CHRISTINE HAVRILLA – VELOCITY (no label) Philadelphia-based singer, songwriter and guitarist Christine Havrilla demonstrates her sharp knack for songcraft on her fifth CD, Velocity. Through the album’s baker’s dozen tracks, she smoothly crafts catchy and intelligent songs while blending elements of folk, rock, pop and Americana into a cohesive mix; the musical vehicle to carry her thoughtful, observational, easy-to-digest, common-sense words. The punchy, acoustic opener “Hole in the Ground” says to knock off the pity party, step out of life’s rut and move forward. Likewise, the gentle and rural-flavored “Ride” is about letting go of the past and shedding emotional baggage, while the country-tinged “Blinders” promotes open-mindedness. Other songs deal with relationships, such as the driving folk-rocker “Use Me,” the blues/funk-edged “I Don’t Mind” and the playful and feisty “Really Really Good Kiss.” The fast-moving title song “Velocity” looks at a more aggressive relationship; while the tender acoustic album-closer “Letting Go” celebrates the realization of true love. Havrilla sells her words with a strong, sandy-textured voice and a bright, confident, expressive presentation. She strums a mean guitar as well, frequently meshing well with her backing band of Bill Gallagher on bass, Duane Large on drums and Bob Beach on harmonica. Co-producing the album with Lisa Slowik, Havrilla keeps things stripped down and organic, letting her voice and the instruments do the talking with just the occasional added harmony and backing vocal to add emphasis. Velocity firmly establishes Christine Havrilla as a songstress with drive and focus, who knows what she wants to say and has the musical smarts to communicate it. (The CD can be obtained through her website, www.christinehavrilla.com.)