Ever wonder where those overexposed pop-tart talents like David Cook, Avril Lavigne and Kelly Clarkson get their chart-topping material from? Not all of their songs come from their tiny little heads, so their managers are smart enough to employ the services of people like Chantal Kreviazuk to produce or polish up their hits. It should come as no surprise that given the chance, songwriters like Kreviazuk actually have something worthwhile to say.
For her fifth solo album, “Plain Jane,” the 35-year-old Canada native displays a mature but radio-friendly approach. Born in Canada and married to Our Lady Peace singer Raine Maida, Kreviazuk leads a relatively popular life in the limelight north of the border. In the U.S., however, she remains a quiet introspective singer, which is where the album’s title comes from.
You can still feel the pop curves in “The Way” and “5000 Days,” but the glossy overproduction is thankfully absent. “Ordinary People” and “Today” follow a more percussive road, similar to Paula Cole’s early work, but both songs are good examples of a young artist that plays to her strengths.
Many listeners may find that the slower moments are as good as, if not better than, the up-tempo songs on “Plain Jane.” The title track is a jazzy ballad featuring Chris Botti’s sensual sax lines. Kreviazuk’s voice was built for songs like this, and it provides a melancholic highpoint. In contrast to the faster tracks, “Plain Jane” and “Kerosene Lamp” are simple and thoughtful and allow Kreviazuk the opportunity to bring the emotion of her lyrics to the forefront.
The album closes with a short song called “Na Miso,” which is an African chant about missing lost loved ones. Keviazuk’s lilywhite voice doesn’t quite pull off the African aspect, but it’s a clever way to close the CD.
There was a time when you couldn’t throw a stick without hitting a female singer/songwriter. Filling the airwaves with their personal songs about love and life, the songbirds may have died out a bit, but the tradition is carried on with “Plain Jane.” Along with similar artists like Imogen Heap and Aimee Mann, Kreviazuk is certainly on the right path.
Rating: W W W
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