You know those artists whose name you see every so often but never dig into? The ones who you think, "I should check them out," but then forget until the next time you see their name in a random spot. Yea, me too. Melissa Ferrick is one of those names. When someone recommended I check out her latest album, Goodbye Youth, I looked into my music library expecting to see an album or two from her. At least a couple odd tracks. Not a one though. Time to dive in.The first thing I'll say about Melissa's album is that it is incredibly personal and intimate both in its content and conveyance. Of the eleven tracks, nine of them address a very direct "you" in the lyrics that make the album draw you (the listener) in. Even the way the album is recorded contributes to this. Although it doesn't completely have the vibe that she is sitting right in front of you with her guitar for all of the tracks (speaking of which, the album is her and her guitar. Period.), at the very least it feels as if she's playing live on a radio broadcast that got caught on tape. There is no studio gloss here, just heartfelt outpouring.
Come to find out, Melissa's been doing this for close to fifteen years. No wonder her name seems strangely familiar. You could compare her to Ani DiFranco, maybe a folkier version of Liz Phair. One half of the Indigo Girls. You get the picture. Try these two tracks to get a taste, including her suprising cover of a song that was everywhere when she first started recording way back when: Bush's hit Glycerine.
Melissa Ferrick - Heart Beat : Goodbye Youth
Melissa Ferrick - Glycerine (Bush cover) : Goodbye Youth
Melissa Ferrick - Glycerine (Bush cover) : Goodbye Youth
Bush - Glycerine : Sixteen Stone
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