In the Wildflowers and Weeds
Julia Lau

By Steven Gradess

Once again, a track-by-track dissection of this CD, no holds barred.

Track 1 — "Pretty Please"
The first track starts off with the definite acoustic, sensitive thing. Her vocals are possibly a bit intrusive, but the music is pleasant, and the groove is not too bad. I could definitely see this being played at some alternative coffee house in the background, thinking, “Oh it’s another one of those non-descript coffee house songs.” And… fade out.

Track 2 — "Fear"
Some cool sounds in the background at the beginning of the song makes one perk up a bit, and think, “This is a bit different.” Indeed, the cool sounds are interspersed throughout the song, providing an interesting contrast between her vocals, which were similar to the first song, and the slightly disconnected sounds in the background. Some cool piano licks later in the song help carry it along, as well. I’m sensing that her vocals are OK, but it will be the instrumental choices throughout these songs which will determine whether they are really captivating or not.

Track 3 — "Mindful of You"
Ah, a bit of a rock feel on this one, with some mildly heavy guitars in the background. Again, her voice gets a little shrilly in places for me. She is better when she turns her pitch down a bit and is a little more gentle. Just because one can sing at a high pitch, does not means one has to do it. One needs to show some restraint. But still an engaging song nonetheless, with lyrics that are original enough to keep one involved.

Track 4 — "This Bridge Called My Back"
“Back” to the acoustic feel on this one, with minimalistic musical accompaniment. Again, the best parts of this songs are when her voice is gentle and heartfelt. When she tries “belting it out” it's a little rough for my sensitive ears, but maybe it is just me. But the essence is there, nonetheless.

Track 5 — "Clay"
As this song begins, it crystallizes for me that this CD definitely has a certain mood, which seems to be that she is musing on different aspects of life, some good, some bad, but the tone in either case is of a reflective but ultimately positive outlook on life, that examination of life is a necessary thing, and that she has accepted the fact that there are many highs and lows in life, and you just have to ride the waves, trying to figure things out as we roll along.

Track 6 — "The Sun Sets"
OK, after that last song, which was rather long and epic-like, comes this song, which seems like a toned-down continuation of the last song, going from the broad strokes of life back to a more specific discussion of a love in her life. Her voice is very pleasant and flowing on this one, and a nice little acoustic guitar solo in the middle adds a nice, peaceful feel to this song. I’d have to say that this is the best song so far.

Track 7 — "It’s You That I Want"
Well, I’m not getting into this song as much, because the dulcet pleasantness of the last song is not quite as evident on this one, and it is therefore a bit distracting, but what can you do? Some interesting musical interludes are quite pleasant, though, and help me on my journey through this song.

Track 8 — "All I Have"
Yes, by now the CD is fully entrenched in its prevailing mood, and this song is riding along well with that previously mentioned milieu. If you're wondering what I am talking about, I will say that I can’t say that I am blown away with this song, but if you were listening to this CD in the background and you got to this point, you would have no reason not to keep going.

Track 9 — "Look Into Her"
We have a story here about a particular girl, whom the singer seems to be admiring, so that makes this song quite engaging, giving it an air of third-party credibility in her description of this other girl’s trials and tribulation. If you're wondering, yes, I am having fun coming up with different metaphors to describe these songs.

Track 10 — "Now You Think You’re In Love"
By now, this CD has been pretty well described by me, and I can’t think of anything new to add, so we might as well talk about current events. How about those elections, eh? Those Republicans really got a whooping. Shows ‘em right for getting into politics. It is a very unstable business. One minute you’re the talk of the town, and the next minute you are unemployed. And the fate of the country is at stake! So theoretically, this should be serious business. So I try to pay attention to politics, but after a while it just kinda makes me sick.

Track 11 — "I Can’t Stand To Be"
And what’s the deal with pens? Why do I always lose them? The whole pen industry is predicated on people losing their pens. If people actually were able to use their pens until they ran out, the pen industry would never make any money, because most people would only have to buy a pack of pens once every year or so. But alas, because we are always losing them, we have to buy two or three packs a year. Think about that, turkey!

Track 12 — "To Be Beautiful"
And I am sick and tired of people telling me what I should and shouldn’t do, acting like, if I do not follow their advice, I will be the scourge of the earth and will be doomed to a life of pain and drudgery. Lighten up, people. As Bobbi McFerrin said, “Don’t Worry, Be Happy”.

Summary
This CD is pretty good. Would I buy it? Probably not, because the editor of this online literary magazine already gave me a free copy, so it would be silly for me to buy it again. But you might want to.

Rating: *** (Good)

Julia Lau, 2006 (Available at CD Baby)