Renata Youngblood Music
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In the meantime, here is a review of the album:
A long time ago I almost made a huge musical mistake in judgment. I had just been listening to a Van Halen album when I switched to the radio and 'Sweet Jane,' by the Cowboy Junkies, was playing. The contrast was so stark that I changed the station but then switched it back, due to some cosmic musical angel on my shoulder. Those familiar with that track know how hauntingly beautiful and mesmerizing it is. The same musical voodoo can be found on The Side Effects of Owning Skin, the new release from Renata Youngblood. Youngblood wastes no time establishing her unique brand of quiet, reflective musical power as track one, 'Passer-by,' weaves together wonderfully hypnotic music (the guitar and violin tracks drip out slowly as if suspended in time) and a sublimely subtle lead vocal. If this music moves at a frequency too mellow/meditative for you, the artist lets you know right away that she refuses to flinch from her approach. You can either jump into this still, deep water or go back to whatever you were doing. From start to finish you'll find a steadfast consistency and lack of compromise in her musical expression.
The vocals float in like an ethereal messenger and, when mixed with the perfectly restrained instrumental tracks, the music, for me, filled my mind with powerful visuals like a series of wonderful short films. On 'Never Mine,' I felt like I was in the midst of a conversation, watching a couple awkwardly stir their coffee as they tell the truth about their one-sided relationship. 'By Now' had me picturing two soulmates exploring the world, sharing the kind of connection that makes every day an adventure. 'Worth Lovin'' took me to a lonely room where a woman sits alone with a glass of booze, carelessly contemplating how to throw away what just might be good love. 'Water,' the most quietly impacting track, made me think of a vintage French film where a woman's hand shakes with withdrawal symptoms as she writes a letter of intense longing to her lover. The production touches and instrumental accompaniment offer not an ounce too little or too much in their supporting roles (with the exception of the flute on 'Brown Eyes,' which seemed a bit over the top). The electric guitar parts are stellar (especially the wildly imaginative solos on 'Pay and Pay' and 'Worth Lovin''), and the accordion on 'By Now' is nothing less than inspired.
This pure, pristine brand of music may not be everyone's idea of a good time, but for those ready to step outside their noisy world, getting lost in this rarified air will be a very satisfying journey. Although the music avoids catering to the demands of our greedy, impatient ears, the end result is far more impacting that way. A whisper is just as intense as a scream.
By Craig Yerkes