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Now Was
Grace
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Hunger
Shoot For the Stars
La Petite Mort
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Abby Travis
GlitterMouth
Educational Recordings
Posted: Wednesday, September 13, 2006
By: Ilker Yucel
Editor
By: Ilker Yucel
Editor
A sultry collection of smoke-filled ambience and subtle electronic touches, making Abby Travis' latest musical outing a modern music-noir treat.
Abby Travis is certainly one interesting performer in modern music. Her skills as a formidable bassist have garnered her guest appearances with the likes of KMFDM, Beck, Elastica, and The Bangles to name but a few. However, it's her output as a solo performer and a vocalist that really impresses. GlitterMouth is her third release, showcasing the sexy chanteuse's dark lounge pop style in fine form.
With a plethora of backing musicians, including longtime partner Kristian Hoffman, GlitterMouth is as suited for today's pop airwaves as it would be for a '40s nightclub. From the slinky bass lines and flowing keyboards reminiscent of those old Fender Rhodes electric pianos, evoking a smoke-filled ambience, and then augmented with some subtle touches of electro, Abby's music is no ordinary jazz pop. "Now Was" starts things off with a sweet melody and Abby's sultry and enticing vocals carrying the listener into a blissful high, while the guitar solo caps the song off nicely. "Blythe" is a pleasant ballad with peaceful piano lines and a steady buildup in the chorus that leads into a crying guitar solo, while "Hunger" starts off slowly before hitting the listener with an upbeat rocking romp. Of special note is the appearance of Simon Raymonde (formerly of The Cocteau Twins) on "Chase Me;" arguably the most "modern" track on GlitterMouth, the song carries a trippy lounge jazz beat, with some breakbeat-like touches to fill in the gaps. And if you thought the album was all business and no play, "Shoot For the Stars" is a rather whimsical piece of carnival music looped around a nice poppy melody before a dark harpsichord solo kicks in to give the song an almost creepy undertone.
It could be argued that after Cutthroat Standards & Black Pop and The Abby Travis Foundation, GlitterMouth doesn't stray far from her established sound. Indeed, her appearance is evocative of Bettie Page, while her music easily transports the listener to a jazz club at 2:00 a.m. Nonetheless, her strength as a songwriter and as a musician allows her music to transcend expectations and instill a wide range of emotions. Her vocals can be sweet and saddening at the same time, while the music can be as dark as it is poppy. Without a doubt, GlitterMouth only helps to prove the point that Abby Travis is worthy of the title of "diva."
With a plethora of backing musicians, including longtime partner Kristian Hoffman, GlitterMouth is as suited for today's pop airwaves as it would be for a '40s nightclub. From the slinky bass lines and flowing keyboards reminiscent of those old Fender Rhodes electric pianos, evoking a smoke-filled ambience, and then augmented with some subtle touches of electro, Abby's music is no ordinary jazz pop. "Now Was" starts things off with a sweet melody and Abby's sultry and enticing vocals carrying the listener into a blissful high, while the guitar solo caps the song off nicely. "Blythe" is a pleasant ballad with peaceful piano lines and a steady buildup in the chorus that leads into a crying guitar solo, while "Hunger" starts off slowly before hitting the listener with an upbeat rocking romp. Of special note is the appearance of Simon Raymonde (formerly of The Cocteau Twins) on "Chase Me;" arguably the most "modern" track on GlitterMouth, the song carries a trippy lounge jazz beat, with some breakbeat-like touches to fill in the gaps. And if you thought the album was all business and no play, "Shoot For the Stars" is a rather whimsical piece of carnival music looped around a nice poppy melody before a dark harpsichord solo kicks in to give the song an almost creepy undertone.
It could be argued that after Cutthroat Standards & Black Pop and The Abby Travis Foundation, GlitterMouth doesn't stray far from her established sound. Indeed, her appearance is evocative of Bettie Page, while her music easily transports the listener to a jazz club at 2:00 a.m. Nonetheless, her strength as a songwriter and as a musician allows her music to transcend expectations and instill a wide range of emotions. Her vocals can be sweet and saddening at the same time, while the music can be as dark as it is poppy. Without a doubt, GlitterMouth only helps to prove the point that Abby Travis is worthy of the title of "diva."
