October 2008 Archive |
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Rachael Yamagata
Elephants...Teeth Sinking Into Heart
Review By Matt Conner
The whispering alto of Rachael Yamagata hypnotized listeners and critics alike the first time around the block on her 2004 debut, Happenstance. Numerous movies and television shows picked up multiple songs, both tragic and triumphant, and most reviews extolled the songstress. Then, music business be damned, the now 30-something went silent due to label woes and cuts. Four years later, Yamataga seems determined to maximize her reentry with the double disc (of sorts), Elephants...Teeth Sinking Into Heart. The first two thirds, Elephant, reintroduces the songwriter you knew from Happenstance, with exhilarating string arrangements to accompany the seductive and/or subtle strokes of piano-driven ballads. “Elephant” and “Sunday Afternoon” in particular are exquisite in their presentation.
The last third embodies its title as Teeth Sinking Into Heart features five biting, fangs-bared tracks. “Faster” shines as the highlight with a Joan Jett electric attitude and Yamagata’s voice somehow sounding natural in such an offensive environment. All things considered, Elephants...Teeth Sinking Into Heart stands as the sophomore’s masterpiece, a stunning display of artistic tension both reserved and released.
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