–Kelly Grace, Downtown San Diego Magazine
Release Date: 22 June 2008
Genre: Indie Rock/Pop/Acoustic
Publisher: (C) 2008 Sheila Sondergard
Label: Da Lil Branches
Time: 36m 48s
Review Date:20-May-2008
Format: MP3
JivePK™: Currently not a Jivewired member
Click image to purchase from Amazon
Track Listing:
01. Angel I Know 3:37
02. Same Ol' Bend 3:17
03. Rosewood 3:17
04. Clues 3:43
05. Spoke Too Loud 4:03
06. One More 4:09
07. Change 4:15
08. Rhythms Of Silence 3:46
09. Too Proud 4:02
10. Tracks 2:38
Review:
I heard the first 15-seconds of the song Spoke Too Loud and immediately fell in love with Sheila Sondergard's music.
There are so many moving and magical narrative elements in this effort that it seems almost elusive and unreal. Sheila slides from light progressive jazz in one tune to folksinger in the next, and then on to indie rocker and beyond. Her proficient guitar picking is backed ably by an award winning and intuitive band.
The bottom line is that the entire CD is a tremendous first effort. The arrangements are exquisite and deftly showcase her band (Grammy Award winning Billy Ray on drums, Chuck Prada on percussion, Jason Littlefield on bass, Sean Martin on guitar and Jeremy Miller on keyboards).
Most shining among them is the infectious title track, whose flavor is easily augmented by the jazzy skills of this impressive backing band. Spoke Too Loud is so musically expressive it could run considerably longer in free form style without losing any of it's magic.
But I don't want to take away from Sheila's vocal abilities. She has a classy, full and throaty voice which actually outshines the band on the tracks Same Ol' Bend, Clue and Change. Just listen to her lament "Everyone's heart breaks and we do what we can to make it through the days" on the song Clue and you will see that she can command, and in fact demands the listener's full attention.
In all, this disc delivers on all fronts. Listeners will delight in the breadth of Sondergard's skill and will appreciate the versatility of her craft. Her lyrics weave copious story lines that fit perfectly with the subtle melodies inherent in her words. They have even coined the term "intellipop" to define their musical genus, an extremely diverse and cohesive sound free of boundaries and stereotypes, intelligent, and thought provoking. That is dead-on accuracy.
--Michael Canter
About Sheila Sondergard:
"SHEILA SONDERGARD is a sizzling, mouthy melting pot of ideas, beliefs and quick one-liners, and it is reflected in her music. This intrepid Korean and Danish singer-songwriter was playing open mics at the age of 16. When performing live, Sondergard’s small stature and larger-than-life vocalization command the room. Her smoky, breathy voice and acoustic folk-rock style guitar tell the story of a life in which lyrical wisdom has been born out of hardship and self-reliance. She embodies a hybrid sound. It makes no promises, it is raw and honest and real. From living on the beach in Maui, to a cattle ranch in the Black Hills of South Dakota and Wyoming, to the Central American backdrop of Guatemala and then into sunny San Diego, Sondergard has experienced a little more “life” than the average young adult. Because of this, she draws upon the drama of circumstance and everything in between the lines to create her own distinct and haunting sound. Sondergard’s next step is trying to gain the popularity to match her credibility." Kelly Grace - (Downtown San Diego Magazine)
Picking up the trumpet at the age of 9 and the guitar at 11 cannonballed her into something she couldn't wait to 'tap'. She's been inspired by each of her contrasting homes and drenched in exotic cultures. This makes her style a copasetic melting pot evolved from genres of music such as: Classical, Reggae, Folk, Rock n Roll, Intellipop, and many others. Sheila's had the opportunity to play aside many amazingly, talented artists such as: Susan Gibson, Ben Taylor, Tristan Prettyman, Bret Michaels, Sprung Monkey, Bohemia Suburbana, Ani Difranco, Shawn Mullins, and Chris Stills.
She has performed at venues such as: CANES, THE MINT, BB KINGS, HUMPHREYS BY THE BAY, HARD ROCK, and many more in California, HI, WA, NM, AZ, CO, WY, SD, and Guatemala. Also including festivals such as: SXSW, BAJA BASH, ADAMS AVE. STREET FAIR, FIND THE FLOWERS, CURE FOR CANCER Fundraisers, SAVE THE MUSIC.
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