My Name Is Eria Fachin

Mixing peppy, energetic hi-NRG grooves with sullen, jazzy ballads, Eria Fachin's lone album is a prime example of the late '80s pop/dance scene — though it failed to make any commercial impression. Vocally, the chanteuse brings to mind Laura Branigan with her gusty, sometimes slightly raspy, tone. But she has a more sensitive edge than Branigan, and her subtle jazz phrasing on certain tracks sets her apart from many other divas in the genre. There's hardly a weary moment musically, either, with the scope of material ranging from the defiant, unyielding "Savin' Myself" to the snappy arrangement and down-to-earth lyrics of "Dontcha Know" to the comforting, almost bittersweet closing number, "Let Somebody Love You." Notably, Fachin co-penned the latter two, as well as the grabbing "You're So Sexy" and soulful dance number "Only a Hope," on which Fachin successfully conveys torn emotions even over the busy arrangement and bustling beats. While material of the time by Madonna and Expose may have been more instantly catchy, Fachin — with her unaffected, strong yet vulnerable vocal approach and a healthy supply of well-constructed, believable songs — added an unmatched depth to the genre on this album while still maintaining the colorful vitality off of which dance music breathes. ~ Justin M. Kantor, Rovi