Amy Petty
August 19, 2008
Red Pill
The Prince’s Daughter
The folky Prince’s Daughter opens the album. It immediately sets the tone. The melancholic singer/songwriter sound with specific melodic and harmonic qualities that accentuate the song are apparent. Amy Petty found a good middle way between her storytelling qualities and her musical talent on The Prince’s Daughter.
Broken Record
The strangely catchy song Broken Record has radio single potential. Amy has a very strong and distinct vocal sound, and I can’t really think of anyone to compare her too really, except for maybe, sometimes, I can hear slight hints of Join Mitchell. The chorus is something that sticks in your head, even though it’s not really all that much of an upbeat song. But the intense and passionate performance make you play it over and over again in your head.
Honey On The Skin
The slightly lighter and more spiritual Honey On The Skin has a sensitive and intimate feel to it, but the rich sound and inspiring vocals give you a sense of belonging as well. Honey On The Skin is one of those songs that you really listen to. It’s a song that, if you let it, can speak to you.
Long Way Down
Long Way Down is the longest song on the album, with it’s 6m08. But it doesn’t feel long at all. Amy Petty shows her ability of writing, performing and ‘being’ a song. It probably is one of the best songs on the album, where the vocals take the spotlight, and on the exact right times the instruments either accentuate them or let them shine fully. The build up of the song is in the exact right tempo, and with the subtle influences from americana/folk in the melody, this song shows more diversity than one might notices the first time. Near the end, the song reaches its climax, and it feels just right.
Take It
The more uptempo Take It has this sense of nostalgia or melancholy to it. The, sometimes almost begging, vocals are filled with passion and intensity, and the guitar, which creates most of the atmospheric sound of the song work together very nicely. Another example that this young singer/songwriter has what it takes.
Find Me
Find Me is another song that I believe to have radio potential. It’s not necessarily super catchy, but it has good tempo and great emotion. The lyrics are something that people can relate to, and Amy Petty makes this song work. (In a way it reminds me of early Dido).
Shine For You
Shine For Me is a song that slowly grew on me. It has a bit of a 70s feel to it, which I really like. It also is a bit dark at times, which probably was the part that I had to get used to. The song tells a story, and Amy Petty’s vocals have a bit of an opera/gothic kind of flair at times. The more and more I listen to this song, the more I can hear the subtleties, and the more I can appreciate the effort put into this song.
July
This might well be my favorite track on the CD. It’s pretty classic singer/songwriter stuff if you ask me, but it’s so pure and so honest. It’s the little guitar melody and the beauty of the vocals. Nothing fancy, nothing unnecessary. It’s just the girl with her guitar and the music with its emotion. The pure essence of music, and Amy Petty does it well. Throughout the song, the sound gets a little richer and more instruments are added, and this transition/build up is worked out to perfection. This song shows talent, wisdom, passion and to me it proves how good this singer/songwriter actually is.
Superstition
The compassion and emotion in Superstition is great. It’s also a bit more uptempo which gives the song a bit of drive and energy. Once again, Amy Petty shows us she is very good in building up a song. The way she takes you on a journey throughout a song, leading up to the climax is amazing. And on Superstition she does that once again.
A Fine Line
The CD ends with A Fine Line which is a very interesting song, because musically it has folky sound but the vocals have more classical flair to it. I think it would be interesting to hear this stripped down with just vocals & piano maybe, but then again, you’d miss the impressive layered arrangement of this song.
“Mystery Keeps You” is a collection of very well-written and passionately performed folk/rock songs, with influences ranging from various directions. Kinda like a modern-day Joni Mitchell. Amy Petty is a storyteller, but she’s also a true musician. Especially harmonically she is very talented and she can accentuate her excellent lyrics that way and with her rich vocal sound. One of the more promising acts I have come across in this past year.