What a sweet voice we have here. With such delicious singing Lisa Bodnar (http://www.lisabodnar.com) could be singing about a natural disaster, and we'd still be swooning at her feet. Actually, she does (the title track seems to be her response to Hurricane Katrina's devastation) and we do.
The sunny, jangling "Everything Under the Sun" already positions Bodnar as a well-tuned folkie, a cross between Suzanne Vega and Sheryl Crow but without the introverted depression of the former and the shallowness of the latter. "Everything Under the Sun" is about finding love after heartbreak. "The colors exploding/The details so clear," Bodnar sings, her voice brimming with newly found passion and a reinvigorated spirit. It's light and charming, pretty much capturing the flavor of the whole album. "Violins" begins more slowly then picks up speed as the intensity of Bodnar's feelings heighten. The music follows the lead of Bodnar's state of mind and not vice versa. When a feeling is awakened in her, such as on "What I Wanted," the beat follows suit.
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At times, like on "What I Wanted" and "Myloverlookslikejesusandithinkivejustbeensaved," Bodnar leans toward rootsy Americana; on others, such as "Protect Your Children," Bodnar engages in straightforward adult rock. Both approaches are done well. You'll hear no complaints from this end.
The title cut is particularly powerful. "I'm gonna stand my ground/I won't let them keep me down," Bodnar cries in a song that is both a statement about Hurricane Katrina and the undying will within us all.
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