Give Me a Perfect World

Anyone who hopes to get the most out of the singer/songwriter experience needs to do some research and dig beneath the surface — in other words, use major outlets like MTV, VH1, and Billboard as sources of information, but certainly don't expect them to tell you everything you need to know. Be on the lookout for worthwhile singer/songwriters who, for whatever reason, might be flying under the radar — people who haven't enjoyed as much commercial exposure as Sarah McLachlan, Natalie Merchant, Paula Cole, or Shawn Colvin but still have a lot going for them. Andriette Redmann definitely fits that description; although the Sun Palace leader once recorded for CBS Records Italy as a solo artist, she's far from a mega-superstar. But as Sun Palace's second album, Give Me a Perfect World, demonstrates, it isn't because of a lack of talent. Redmann is a joy throughout this early-2005 release, which does more than live up to the promise of her first Sun Palace album, Into Heaven — it's an even stronger and more impressive demonstration of Redmann's talents. Redmann, from a technical standpoint, doesn't have a fantastic voice the way that Judy Collins and Mary Fahl have fantastic voices, but she's an expressive, very listenable singer — and she's an excellent songwriter. That is evident on sublime offerings like "Palace Welcome," "Round and Round," and "Show Me Your Wild Side." Redmann is equally memorable on an inspired cover of Led Zeppelin's "Going to California," which is one of Robert Plant and Jimmy Page's more folk-minded offerings and is perfect for Sun Palace. But unlike Zep's albums, this folk-rock/adult alternative CD never really rocks; instead, it floats and does so in a way that is dreamy and ethereal (two words that keep coming up where Sun Palace is concerned). Give Me a Perfect World is musical bliss.