Julie Dalia has a lot of music in her and it all comes gushing out on the long, impressionistic songs of "SEPIA."  Her voice is like velvet, rendering her words beautiful.

"Daughters" is haunting and has a loose structure. Its Native American touches go way deeper than the surface. Dalia's vocals sound like Joni Mitchell here and they balance Daniel Wahpepah's chants well.

"Feast of Salmon" tells of a spring rite in a mystical fashion. The song is jazzy and celebratory. Dalia sounds like Jane Siberry in her jazzier phases.

"Tchefuncte River" has great singing by Julie Dalia and tight playing by her and the band. They evoke the song's tranquil mood well.

On the sublime "The Lover" she sings of Louisiana in moving ways.

The closing title track refers to Persephone, the goddess in Greek myth who was abducted by the Underworld's ruler Hades to be his queen. Dalia takes the myth and gives it modern resonance. Her intense presence in this song is almost tangible.

"Sepia" is a truly original and compelling record.

More Reviews of SEPIA:  

“Julie Dalia writes powerful songs; she has a deep rich voice that soars effortlessly above the sounds and dives deep into the moody grooves. It sounds as if she holds each song in her hand like a kite or paper airplane to be carried about on the wind -- and she follows a similar twisted pattern: unpredictable and exciting. It takes someone very sure of themselves to allow their music that much freedom. SEPIA is without a doubt one of the finest works you'll hear this year.”

SPLATTER EFFECT
New York

“From New Orleans, here is a voice that cannot be simply categorised...a soaring, delicate, melodic style...weaving in and out of her songs and stories...a jazz feel here, a torch song there...this doesn’t fit in anywhere, it just is.
Late at night, when it’s stormy and dark, I play this as a warm up to Miles.
I can give it no higher recommendation.”

XERO TOLERANCE
Australia

Named top CD of the year by this Australian Magazine

“Enchanting, beautiful songs pulled over the edge by mesmerizing vocals. This music is so easy to listen to...it pulls you in before you realize it. Ms. Dalia sings in an almost hypnotized state, drawing her listeners in like quicksand.”

BABY SUE
Decatur, Georgia

“When you hear an album like SEPIA, mere words do not adequately describe its beauty and brilliance. It's the Deep South of America... and Canada... and Ireland all blended into one seamless, haunting, dream-like album. Am I going over the top here? ...Her lyrics are more like poetry than anything else. The music is other-worldly -- folk, blues, free-form jazz (maybe Cajun influences too?)... emotionally-charged vocals transcend categorization as 'just another female folk singer.'  Buy this album."

BETTY PAGINATED
Australia

"A first album of talent and promise."

Carl Vigilante's songs are often introspective tales in which nature mirrors the singer's feelings. There are mountains h e r e. Vigilante says the album was inspired by the beauty of the Pennsylvania countryside.

[The title track] "One Way Ticket" is the most upbeat song on the recording. A gentle rocker, it's also a joyous affirmation of loving and living in the moment. Vigilante gets the help of several area musicians on the track, and the resulting sound is lush… The production on "One Way Ticket" contrasts with ballads like "Morning of My Life," in which Vigilante's voice is backed only by his finger-picking on acoustic guitar.

A song called "Telluride" is about saying goodbye to a loved friend, featuring nice accompaniment by Frank Sullivan on banjo and Bill Jacoby on violin.

In "Pennsylvania Autumn," the minor key seems to pick up on the anxiety the singer feels over picking up and moving away from his home. The flip side of that theme comes in a song called "Oregon Rain," in which anxiety is replaced by the singer's acceptance of his new home. The songs together make up the emotional poles of "ONE WAY TICKET."
 (Cont'd next column)

Listeners will find a lot to like here - not the least of which is the supple richness of Vigilante's voice itself…

From the feature article: "ONE WAY TICKET Hits the Track"

THE MAIL TRIBUNE,
Medford, Oregon

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REVIEW of Carl Vigilante in Performance:

Vigilante: "Gritty songs with a clean conscience."

In a cocky, nice-guy sorta way, guitarist/singer Carl Vigilante tints the smoke-free air at Ashland's folk-fond Rogue Brewery with conscience and mirth.

His tunes run from Harry Chapin to Woody Guthrie, but druthers would have him interpreting American folk from the 1800s - Civil War stuff and the like.

However, the audience comes first…one requests a John Prine tune, and Vigilante stares at the ceiling, plucking the chords from his memory. Finding them, he jokes: "I can even do the John Prine whine."

One might compare Vigilante's voice to 10-40W oil… but another might just say it's dark and fluid… He makes you smile, makes you think, makes you reminisce, and makes off with whatever tip you might offer. He's worth a nice one, and then some.

SOUTHERN OREGON CURRENTS,
Medford, Oregon