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Austin, Texas resident and powerhouse singer Delaney Gibson delivers this lush, grand, well-produced album of eleven songs.  Tall Like The Tree is the third release from this talent and it follows in that wave I referred to a few months ago as “theatre pop” – music for soundtracks.  Often, it isn’t appealing to me, but here, I can overlook that bias (if you will) – these songs have structure and melody; they’re memorable and she can SING.  “Torchsongs” would be pigeonholing her or this album, but these are songs that have emotion and drama but with balls; it’s not mournful and dirge-y.

Orchestral arrangements and Broadway-spectacle-like feel aside, this collection gets off to a rousing and enjoyable manner with “Be”, a big, bold pop song built around a piano hook; “Lions” does have that stage/show-stopper kind of feel with its orchestral arrangement and “When We Were Young” is boisterous and charming.  “I Deserve Love” is a simply beautiful ballad that has brightness (not what you would expect); “Stars” builds to heights of both excitement and singability and “Any Other Way” ends the album on a more subdued and very satisfying note.

Keeping in mind that this style of music is not usually my kind of thing or taste, Delaney Gibson has the voice and talent to hold my attention and make me notice.  That’s when you know a good piece of work is doing its job right.

http://www.delaneygibson.com/

 

About the Author

Rob Ross

Rob Ross has been, for good, bad or indifferent, involved in the music industry for over 30 years - first as guitarist/singer/songwriter with The Punch Line, then as freelance journalist, producer and manager to working for independent and major record labels. He resides in Staten Island, New York with his wife and cats; he works out a lot, reads voraciously, loves Big Star and his orange Gretsch. Doesn't that make him neat?

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