Saturday 25 May
 
 

Iron Aidan

Aidan Carroll Quartet
7 p.m. Wednesday, May 29
University of Central Oklahoma Jazz Lab
100 E. Fifth, Edmond
ucojazzlab.com
359-7989
$5-$7
05/22/2013 | Comments 0

Beat street

Lucky Date with Kids at the Bar and Crystal Vision
9 p.m. Wednesday, May 29
Kamps 1310 Lounge
1310 N.W. 25th
kamps1310lounge.com
819-6004
$20
05/22/2013 | Comments 0

Sun rises

Sunny Side Up with The Last Slice and Classy San Diego
8 p.m. Saturday
The Conservatory
8911 N. Western
conservatoryokc.com
607-4805
$8
05/22/2013 | Comments 0

God bless metal

Becoming the Archetype with Bermuda, The Burial, Horror Cosmic and Veil of Suffering
6 p.m. Saturday
The Conservatory
8911 N. Western
conservatoryokc.com
607-4805
$12-$14
05/15/2013 | Comments 0

Here for the party

Gretchen Wilson with Outlaw Son
6 p.m. Thursday
Newcastle Casino
2457 U.S. 62, Newcastle
mynewcastlecasino.com
387-6013
free
05/15/2013 | Comments 0
Home · Articles · CDs · Pop · Lelia Broussard — Masquerade
Pop

Lelia Broussard — Masquerade


Will soon be breezing through the indie scene with perkiness and wonder

Stephen Carradini March 31st, 2011

Sometimes it’s hard to pin down what’s so great about an album.

masquerade

Lelia Broussard’s “Masquerade” is an unassuming, bouncy, acoustic-based female singer/songwriter record that I unabashedly love — even though there’s absolutely nothing unique about it.

It’s an inversion of Adele’s “21”: While Adele is working hard to take the world by storm with her gravitas and emotive power, Broussard will soon be breezing through the indie scene with perkiness and wonder.

What’s tough to determine is why “Masquerade” works so much better than other offerings in this genre. There’s no standout element that punches her sound through the mediocre barrier to awesome; the songs as entire pieces are just incredible. The whole is much more than the sum of its parts. The closest comparison is Ingrid Michaelson (the two are similar vocally and instrumentally), but Michaelson has more of a eye toward the epic than than Broussard (see the glorious “You and I” for proof).

Nope, Broussard doesn’t even have an obligatory epic number here. There’s no “obviously playing to the crowd” acoustic guitar solo track, either. This is a straight-up collection of excellent tunes with trends ignored, thank you very much. “Heart Collectors” is a haunting song, showcasing her arrangement skills; the title track is a bouncy tune that is cute in the same way She and Him is cute, but without the vintage aspects. “Satellite” has clapping involved, so you know it’s good. “Shoot for the Moon” is just solid all around, featuring some great keyboard contributions.

The only clunker on the whole disc is the bitter closer, “Hipster Bitch.” It doesn’t fit her vibe, lyrically or musically, as it’s downright angry. But since it’s last, I just stop listening at track nine.

If you like Michaelson, old-school Regina Spektor or indie singer/songwriters of that ilk, “Masquerade” will steal your heart away. Be prepared for that.

 
  • Currently 3.5/5 Stars.
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
 
 

 

 
 
 
Close
Close
Close