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Candence "Kisses Before the Sun"

cadence

Band Site: www.cdbaby.com/cd/cadence10
Self-produced
one pointhalfpoint

According to their website, Cadence is Shatera Anderson on vocals and Brandon White on guitar. Since there is no mention on the rest of the musicians featured on the album, I believe it safe to assume that they are session players. The band categorizes itself as a mixture of Blues / Hip Hop / Neo-soul. I also noticed some strong jazz, funk and rock influences. The songs are heartfelt and have a good mixture of dynamics, groove and drive. The production, while not bad, leaves something to be desired, especially when it comes to vocals. The opening tune, “Melodies”, while very heartfelt, could use some further vocal tuning as Shatera didn't sound quite sure in her delivery. There are also other places on the album where some little pitch issues are noticeable.

A few more hours spent in the studio could have made this a flawless release. Don't get me wrong – I love the opening tune, and actually think it is probably the most original on the album. Great acoustic guitar groove, cello and the vocals make this a very heartfelt performance. Regardless of the production issues, this writing duo has its own sound and when it comes to music that means they've already won half the battle. Other notable performances on this CD are “Sketches” and “Inner Me”, which are acoustic guitar/vocal tunes in the vein of the album opener. Overall, the duo seems more suited to their acoustic part of their set as opposed to their more electronic r&b and hip hop leanings, which while still good don't seem to have the vibe, presence and personality of their acoustic offerings. Either way, this is a very interesting, original sounding album.

Reviewed by A. Dorian

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