Album Review: Farah Alvin Pulls Up The Covers On Her New Album, ON VINYL, & Rocks, Rolls, & Feels All The 70s Beats

Heigh Ho, dear lovely rainbow tribe, welcome back to Bobby's CD sandbox where we offer our broken-down breakdowns of new music releases. So, strap in and get ready, as Bobby goes on the record ABOUT the record.

This week's album entry in the BobbyFiles comes from vocal powerhouse and staple of many Broadway and Off-The-Broadway musicals, Farah Alvin. Her new album, ON VINYL, mixes the song lists from her two cabaret outings, ON VINYL and B-SIDE with arrangements by Michael Holland of the lady's fave songs from the 70s. All of these covers have meaning to Farah, as they, not only, were the music of her defining youth but are works by artists who, essentially, served as her first voice teachers. Her aspirations to sing as they did ignited Farah's desire to become a performing artist, and to grow her own voice and sound into the unbelievable vocals the lady can produce. Farah's singing and acting talents have landed her half a dozen Broadway shows and another 8(ish) Off-The-Broadway musicals and a Drama Desk nomination. This writer can attest to the fact that seeing (and hearing) Farah Alvin live is an electrifying experience, since her voice is a laser beam of sound cutting through any mental fog the audience might enter with, sending them out juiced with joy. For this latest endeavor, she plucked 11 songs from her two shows and created a top to bottom walk through her chosen era, and a woman's experience of love, loss, and triumph.

Love
With the opening strains of Joni Mithcell's HELP ME (I Think I'm Falling), Alvin adopts a smooth, easy listening tone. She is one of our great power belters, but she has opted not to open with that part of her voice. It is all so blissfully under control, with her personal decorations just as enhancements to her emotional dilemma of falling all over again. Elton John's TAKE ME TO THE PILOT is where she hits us with the power on this rousing number where love hits the gas and roars over the starting line. With Lionel Ritchie's EASY, she does anything but take it easy. The solid foundation of her voice pushes the song up and out of her so that it's like a cry or a call to eternity, and her embellishments make it so much more than easy. It's Not AS easy as the original Commodore's rendition, but exciting nonetheless.

Loss
Jimmy Webb's WICHITA LINEMAN shows what a vocal chameleon Farah can be. This usually "twangy" country and western tune has been rethought by Alvin & Holland and placed in a gentle upper register that is so lyrical and lovely - no C&W twang here at all. This is a love ballad by a woman in a woman's voice, both high and soaring without roaring. The instrumental music is wind chimes, and vocal notes she emits far in the background, at the very end of the song, capture the ear with their mournful cries of loss. The mash-up of YOU'RE SO VAIN/ YOU'RE NO GOOD/IT'S TOO LATE captures the aftermath of anger from a love that broke down and is the best vocal arrangement on the album in Bobby's Humble O.

Triumph
Famously recorded by 70s Icons The Carpenters, SOLITAIRE was penned by fellow 70s superstar Neil Sedaka, and it originally came off as a story of a lonely man sitting by himself in his corner of the world. It is still that story, but in Farah's rendition, he does so by choice. Her gentle, almost whispered opening strains give way, as the emotion takes over and becomes a triumphant wail, and the last note is truly thrilling. Finally, with Stevie Wonder's bouncy, pleasant AS (Around The Sun, The Earth Knows She's Revolving) we are Full circle. Love survives it all and we move into the future with that love in a truer form.

In all, dear Bobby readers, Farah Alvin proves herself to be as wonderful a recording artist as she is a live performer. Both of her talents as Actor and Singer are apparent on this album, and that is not as easy a thing to do as one might think. If the sounds of the 70s are as special to you as they are to this rainbow writer, or if you're just looking to explore the genre, ON VINYL is a must-have and so it must have...

5 Out Of 5 Rainbows - Put this one in your Spotifies today. HERE

You Can See And Hear Everything About Farah On Her Webbysite: HERE

Farah's Release Celebration Will Be At The Green Room 42 on May 19. Read All About It; HERE

Get Your Tickets: HERE

To post a comment, you must register and login.