Alicia Keister: Press

Well this CD was certainly a surprise, though had I checked the credits for the musicians associated with this project, it shouldn't have been. I have seen Alicia Keister's name around the area and knew she was a seasoned musician but had no idea how good this would be until I gave it a listen. Is it too early to talk about CD of the Year? Because this is it, hands down. From start to finish, from packaging to production, songwriting to performance to recording, this CD is a major label, ready-to-release CD. And that's not small feat. Just like last month's Steve Brosky review, the word "singer/songwriter" doesn't begin to describe Alicia Keister's music. With a unique voice that you won't forget and a real talent for writing songs that get right to the point and don't waste a second getting there (radio-ready and again, perfect for major labels) the first word that comes to mind is professional. Just like Brosky, Ms. Keister allows her musical guest's plenty of room to display their talents (a veritable who's who of the state's finest rock musicians; Ron Simasek and Jeff Feltenberger, Badlees; Robert Scott Richardson, Hybrid Ice; John Fritchey, Wayne Supergenius and Jason Shaffer, a jack of all trades, master of pretty much all of them on bass, guitar, production, engineering, mixing, and he apparently makes a great cup of coffee). "Heartwood" is chock full of interestingly catching folk/pop/country-rock tunes that will just make you feel better for having listened to them. "More to Say" is the obvious single, but there's not a filler track to be found among the 10 songs. Anyone wanting a guideline as to how to DIY your own CD MUST own this one. Anyone else wanting a great listen should own it too, it's that good. CD Of The Year indeed, now bring on 2008.

Alicia Keister is a singer/songwriter from Harrisburg who is far away outside the realm of anything I have yet to review here at Shinebone, let alone anything in my CD collection.

I can be accused of many things, but being a fan of female acoustic folk/pop music is not one of them.

That said, I enjoyed Keister's "Heartwood" for the most part when I popped her newest album in for a listen. It's a well-crafted collection of 10 songs ranging from pop to folk to country.

Her voice, song writing and overall sound are all agreeable, warm and comfortable, if a little nondescript. The only true stinker among the songs is "Open Your Heart," which sounds like a lost Wilson-Phillips songs that no one was pining to hear. I can almost see Carnie Wilson teetering on a mountainside singing it. Oh well, 9 out of 10 is pretty damn good in my estimation.

The musicians that Keister chose to help her flesh out her songs seem to all be top-notch. That is apparent from teh watery, fretless bass line on "More to Say," and the slide guitar on "Trouble." to the haunting piano and organ on "When You Come"--the best track on the album by the way. Not a note out of place and impeccably produced. The musicianship and production, probably more than her song-writing itself, make the album worth listening to.

The album on the whole almost has a Christian rock vibe. It's not implied or stated anywhere, but one gets the feeling that a few "praise him" or "he dies for you" are right around the corner. They never do rear their heads, though. Thank, um. . .God.

"Maybe," Keister's featured track, is a nice little slice of bouncy acoustic pop that could be a radio hit if given the right exposure. It is certainly better than the majority of pop female artists that radio forces down our throats.