andrea perry. saturday morning sweet shoppe and two. review by alan haber. buhdge

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Saturday Morning Sweet Shop (2000) Two (2002) Andrea Perry Trust Issue Things that are quiet and seemingly content in their own space rarely make a splash in the world without a concerned push, so we're concerned and we're pushing and hoping for a place in the spotlight for this incredibly talented, honest and true singer, songwriter, player and soul, because, in the end, it's all about soul, this music, and each note communicates a piece of the puzzle, the one that when solved tells all. Andrea Perry paints her musical masterpieces with brushes colored by honest emotion. They don't often follow conventional, obvious paths, opting to play the curve-ball as often as not. Saturday Morning Sweet Shoppe's "Making Her Up" rolls out its story of the perfect girl made from imagination atop a galloping rhythm in the verses and a straight, practically-waltz-like pace in the choruses. Channeling Kate Bush in "Slide Out," Perry mixes piano centers with slight funky and rock fillings, wrapped in an Andy Partridge sheen. "If I Lose You" juggles rhythms, mixing and matching and mixing again, as Perry imagines losing a love. In the company of the other songs on Sweet Shoppe, "I Rued the Day" is a relatively straightforward, guitar-dominated rumination on, I think, missed opportunity, or at least opportunity twisted into knots. The last minute and 45 seconds gives Perry an opportunity taken, the chance to show her lead guitar chops. She makes every note count, mining the song's emotion for all it is worth. Speaking of emotion, this song contains a supremely clever lyric, showing that Perry does indeed have a marvelous, insightful way with words: "He drove a stake through my heart/and I almost cried/I gave him a finger in part/'cause my tongue was tied." Two, Perry's most recent, and equally wonderful, album, mines more of the fertile field of rhythmic mixing and matching Perry seems to prefer playing in. Case in point: "Oh No! The Day is Dawning," which throws rock, a sprinkle of funk, and circus music into her considerably powerful blender. The descending bass line of "Time to Say Hello" is one of the song's chief pleasures, but the chorus, consisting of just the title, is pure Partridge homage, although I have no idea if Perry is a Partridge devotee. "Bye Bye" comes off as sort-of a lullaby of sorts, directed at the person who goes away, promises to come back, but doesn't, and isn't that alright? There are some wonderfully-rich harmonies here, and another great lyric: "You said you'd send letters/and it's not so far away...You said see you soon/but I knew..." There is much more to be savored on Two. What becomes clear at its outset, and what is clearly true upon listening to both of Perry's albums, is the level of the artist's talent. She will have a great effect on you, dear listeners. Her music will enrich your life. She's working on a third album, and we can all put a little of ourselves on the line for it, in advance of its realization, as she surely has for us. Alan Haber February 6, 2005
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Saturday Morning Sweet Shop (2000)
Two (2002)
Andrea Perry
Trust Issue

andrea perry's saturday morning sweet shoppe Things that are quiet and seemingly content in their own space rarely make a splash in the world without a concerned push, so we're concerned and we're pushing and hoping for a place in the spotlight for this incredibly talented, honest and true singer, songwriter, player and soul, because, in the end, it's all about soul, this music, and each note communicates a piece of the puzzle, the one that when solved tells all.

andrea perry's two Andrea Perry paints her musical masterpieces with brushes colored by honest emotion. They don't often follow conventional, obvious paths, opting to play the curve-ball as often as not. Saturday Morning Sweet Shoppe's "Making Her Up" rolls out its story of the perfect girl made from imagination atop a galloping rhythm in the verses and a straight, practically-waltz-like pace in the choruses. Channeling Kate Bush in "Slide Out," Perry mixes piano centers with slight funky and rock fillings, wrapped in an Andy Partridge sheen.

"If I Lose You" juggles rhythms, mixing and matching and mixing again, as Perry imagines losing a love. In the company of the other songs on Sweet Shoppe, "I Rued the Day" is a relatively straightforward, guitar-dominated rumination on, I think, missed opportunity, or at least opportunity twisted into knots. The last minute and 45 seconds gives Perry an opportunity taken, the chance to show her lead guitar chops. She makes every note count, mining the song's emotion for all it is worth. Speaking of emotion, this song contains a supremely clever lyric, showing that Perry does indeed have a marvelous, insightful way with words: "He drove a stake through my heart/and I almost cried/I gave him a finger in part/'cause my tongue was tied."

Two, Perry's most recent, and equally wonderful, album, mines more of the fertile field of rhythmic mixing and matching Perry seems to prefer playing in. Case in point: "Oh No! The Day is Dawning," which throws rock, a sprinkle of funk, and circus music into her considerably powerful blender. The descending bass line of "Time to Say Hello" is one of the song's chief pleasures, but the chorus, consisting of just the title, is pure Partridge homage, although I have no idea if Perry is a Partridge devotee. "Bye Bye" comes off as sort-of a lullaby of sorts, directed at the person who goes away, promises to come back, but doesn't, and isn't that alright? There are some wonderfully-rich harmonies here, and another great lyric: "You said you'd send letters/and it's not so far away...You said see you soon/but I knew..."

There is much more to be savored on Two. What becomes clear at its outset, and what is clearly true upon listening to both of Perry's albums, is the level of the artist's talent. She will have a great effect on you, dear listeners. Her music will enrich your life. She's working on a third album, and we can all put a little of ourselves on the line for it, in advance of its realization, as she surely has for us.

Alan Haber
February 6, 2005