Tuesday, November 09, 1999
Voicebox's versatility sparkles in smooth CD
ALBUM REVIEW
BY JANELLE GELFAND
The Cincinnati Enquirer
They stand for sophisticated harmony, finger-snapping rhythms and pristine blend.
The eight singers known as VoiceBox have come out with their first “pop” album and, despite personnel changes, the group has retained its pure sound and winning chemistry.
No Net, out today in local stores, is a soft and stylish mix of show tunes and rock standards. The singers — Maureen Boylan, Dawn Bruestle, Jodi Robinson, Elise Hyder, Jeffrey Stivers, Michael Oxley, Thom Mariner and Craig Phillips — communicate a sense of intimacy that shines even on disc.
(Tenor Russ Svenningsen and bass Jeff Buettner have since replaced Mr. Oxley and Mr. Phillips, who have moved from Cincinnati.)
Former member J. David Moore's arrangements (from the early “Village Waytes” days) still wear well in tunes such as Van Morrison's “Moondance,” which features contemporary harmonies taken for a swinging spin.
In the rock vein, “She's Not There” — a familiar hit by the Zombies of the '60s British invasion — is sung to scat accompaniment, with an uptempo final verse. The singers also scat, rock-style, in Bruce Springsteen's “Pink Cadillac/Greased Lightnin',” which weaves in a snippet from the Beach Boys' “I Get Around.”
The album makes two nods to the group's penchant for diverse repertoire. “Fowles in the Frith,” a 13th-century folk song, has touch of humor, and “Babethandaza,” a Zulu folk song, is infectious for its jaunty beat.
Each of the 18 cuts has a unique character. James Taylor's “That Lonesome Road” is given hymn-like treatment; “Ridin' the Rails” chugs along rhythmically, and “Dixie Storms” sways against cozy “storm” effects.
But the best vehicles for the octet's warm blend and close harmonies are tunes like Rodgers and Hart's “My Romance” and a reflective, intimate “Over the Rainbow.”
The album ends with “Good Night,” a pretty lullaby by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, sung with a slow, Swingle Singers-style scat accompaniment.
Available at Joseph Beth Booksellers, Borders Books and Music and Barnes & Noble, or off the VoiceBox Web site: www.simplyvoices.com.
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