Electra

This is a strong debut for Penny Ikinger. The songwriting is solid, with a personal voice already peeking its head through the guitar textures. The singer/guitarist has a knack for catchy melodies. Their immediate charm, almost pop at times, is counterbalanced by her sleazy guitar playing — Françoise Hardy backed by Makoto Kawabata, perhaps? No, that may be going a little bit too far, but there is something of Hardy and Marianne Faithfull in Ikinger's voice and delivery. And there's something resolutely psychedelic in her band arrangements. Overdriven double bass and triple-layer fuzz guitars form an engaging background. It's a wonder the singer manages to remain on top most of the time. The album starts very nicely with "Poison Berries," a tight song with alternative radio appeal. And it doesn't reveal everything right from the start; it has a certain refrained attitude, as if Ikinger was waiting for the listener to get comfortable before cranking the amps and letting it loose. The same applies to "Kathleen," a nice song but somewhat too gentle (a video for it, directed by Rachel Lucas, is included on this enhanced CD). Listeners reach cruising speed with "Electra" and "Shipwrecked." "Maid of Orleans" explores different textures, including a string quartet and an antique waltz rhythm. In the last third of the album Ikinger tries a softer approach, playing charm over power. It works well and you may find that the closing "Gladly Slip Away" is very reminiscent of Concrete Blonde — a comparison that should be considered a compliment. ~ François Couture, Rovi