Monday, February 16, 2004

My Sister's Album

One of my sisters -- Sarah (Buck) LaFon -- has just put out her first album. You can find her website here, along with some sound clips here.

The musical style is pop, somewhat resembling Celine Dion. This probably has something to do with the fact that her album was produced by Robert White Johnson in Nashville, who has worked with Celine Dion, as well as the Beach Boys, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and others. As Johnson told me, Sarah has a great voice, especially compared to other pop singers. He said (and I paraphrase from memory): "What impressed me that when I met her, I asked her to sing something, and she sang this song right there on the spot, and it sounded gorgeous. You wouldn't believe how rare it is, even in Nashville, that someone can sing really well live. What's more typical is that when I ask someone to sing, they start to cough and then they say, 'Why don't you just listen to my demo.'"

I can confirm this, not as her brother but as a professionally trained musician. Many female pop singers can't really sing at all (Britney Spears), and are known more for lip-synching their way though acrobatic routines. A few can sing passably well on recordings (where everything is electronically manipulated) but can't sing live. The very few who can sing live seem to think that everything should be belted out in an affected chest voice (Christina Aguilera, Celine Dion). Sarah, on the other hand, has a rich, smooth, lyrical voice that reflects her years of classical training. (She has a bachelor's in music performance from the University of Arkansas, where, by the way, she was first in her class with a 4.0.)

Check out the lyrics to Getting Over You, which are clever with a poignant twist at the end, and be sure to listen to What No One Else Could Do.

UPDATE: Sarah tells me that the CDs won't be ready to send out for a few weeks, so keep that in mind if you order one.

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