It’s Spooky to Be Young
Los Angeles, CA
Engineered by Bill Racine | Recorded and mixed at Pilsen
Sound Studios in Chicago by Bill Racine
Mastered at Golden Mastering in Ventura, CA by J.J.
Golden | Produced by Bill Racine
It took two years for David Lean to finish Laurence of Arabia. He set the philosophy in motion that good things come to those who wait. With Bill Racine (Rogue Wave, Mates of State) turning the knobs, L.A.’s Meredith Meyer spent four years creating her debut LP, It’s Spooky to Be Young. The affable singer has a confident tone, true to her romantic and classy demure. It’s Spooky to be Young is a dreamy offering dotted with genuine achy balladry and urgent mid-tempo rock. The crystal-clear production allows her ebbing voice to be dark and intimate, while also boldly avant-garde. Unlike some of the wilting female singers of the 1990s, think Fiona Apple or Natalie Merchant, Meyer is emotional without the whine and sings with a modern, effortless convention. Her versatility is admirable; Meyer is comfortable with a gentle piano nocturne (“Modern City Carol”) as she is beating up a guitar (“It’s Spooky to Be Young”).
Meyer’s voice is unquestionably the utmost strength of the release. Set a notch above the instrumentation, her voice is deeper than most female singers, and sharpened by a slight rasp. Her lyrics ache from one lovelorn parable to the next. “All Those Pictures” is where Meyer really finds a home: elegant balladry is paced with splashy percussion, reserved guitars, rising tides of strings and Meyer’s sweeping voice. Nodding to the haunting Mazzy Star, Meyer’s voice glides through a smooth wash of reverb. It’s Spooky to Be Young is dedicated to its ominous title. Meyer’s songs are relentlessly detailed patterns of sound. The litany of instruments are so intricately sculpted, it’s hard not to love the songs solely for their instrumentation. It’s no surprise she’s unveiled a spot as one of the most promising new artists of the year. (self-released)
-Christopher Petro
www.meredithmeyer.com
this cd rocks. i have heard it.
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