Danalyze - Debut

For anyone who has spent any time in the Amsterdam music scene in the last 5 years, Danalyze(Danielle Cornelissen) is a well known face. As with many cities, Amsterdam has an active Singer Songwriter scene. On a good day, this can be a breeding ground for organic musical talent. On a bad day, it's a bunch of bedroom wannabes singing songs about the one that got away.(Listen to my album - I'm chronically guilty of this.)

Danalyze is at home in the Singer/Songwriter mould, but she also gets out a little and mixes with the jam sessions and has enough charisma and stage presence to pull together a bunch of unknown musicians and run through a cover or one of her own songs. Danalyze has a seemingly endless stream of self penned number, but she has chosen 4 for her debut EP.

Tracks 1, 2 and 3 are recorded in the studio and track 3 is recorded live in Amsterdam.

Track 1 is Overseas. It has a interesting rhythmic chord structure which is almost reminiscent of a sea shanty, but the main point of interest is in the vocals which are at the forefront of the mix. they are haunting and high without falling into the Mariah Carey warbling trap of many a female singer songwriter. The song is more of a ponderous start than an album opener.

Track 2 - My Kind Of Love. The strong chord structure played as arpeggios immediatly demands attention which is strengthened by a great vocal. The song definitely has a strong potential, it has the same haunting nature as track 1, but with a strong pop hook. The song, however could do with some editing. It is a great chorus, but the song is all chorus and it struggles not to overstay its welcome when there is only guitar and vocals in the mix. The song is essentially the relentless repetition of an amazing chorus.

Track 3 - Is recorded live - I guess it's in Amsterdam somewhere. It has a similar driving rhythm to the first track. Its a good track, but I think it needs a band to carry the rhythm.

Track 4 - Is a very good track, and probably the most complete on the EP. The chorus isn;t as good as "My kind of love", but the structure of the song and the pace of the song give the song a little more depth.

I'm not a huge fan of female singers. I often hear something that I like, but it rarely stays long in my regular playlist. There are a few exceptions(Rosie Thomas). Danalyze has a lot of potential, and I would love to see her find the time to record a full album of her songs properly. I know that she can carry a band, so I think it would be great if she could find the right bunch of musicians to platy her songs to the masses.

iTunes link
Amazon Link
Danalyze on ReverbNation

Sandra Sunshine: ....in two planets....

Very little can be said about Sandra Söderman that doesn't sound clichéd or hasn't been said before about a less deserving individual. The difference is that with Sandra it's all true.

Sandra is an explosion of colour who lights up even the darkest environment. Taking her cue from the hippy era of the 60's, Sandra has crafted a song writing style which belies her years. With a Technicolor dreamcoat that would make Joseph jealous she can be found honing her talent on the streets of Amsterdam with G.I.B.(Her equally colourful guitar) strapped to her back. I first came across Sandra, when I was over in Amsterdam visiting a Neil who was recording her album at the time.

While Sandra comes across as having he head in the clouds; when she wants something she gets it and she quickly learned to play guitar and write songs. As she found her feet in Amsterdam, she put together a set of songs which she played around the street. Neil McKenzie decided that he coud record these in his living room, and the concept of '...in two plants...' was born.

Track 1 - Raise Your Sunshine - This track is a great opener and a great introduction to Sandra. The album kicks off with a lonely accordion, before Sandra picks up the pace with her guitar and pleads with the listener to open their mind and arms raise some sunshine. It sums Sandra up perfectly. She just wants everyone to be happy.

Track 2 - It's better to burn out than to fade away - A Neil Young quote continues Sandra's quest to change the world. It now comes with a little bit of melancholy. The amazing thing about Sandra is that if she were just a colourful hippy who was constantly trying to make everyone smile, the act would get old pretty quickly, but the hint of melancholy in her songs tells you that she knows why smiling is an ongoing fight.

Track 3 - I'm gonna be brave - Sandra's fragility comes to the fore, and she overcomes her inner demons to follow her heart.

Track 4 - I'm a Troll - I'm a troll has a beautiful arpeggiatted chord progression which provides a good respite from the strummy nature of most of the songs. Sandra tells a fantasy of being being born as a troll and found in the woods.

Track 5 - Stop your endless fighting - The album builds depth with the introduction of an electric piano on a song where Sandra lays her politics on the table and tells everyone that they need to stop fighting. By this point, you regress to the naive 60's opinion that this can be achieved through music alone. If everyone in the world could meet Sandra, then it might just be possible.

Track 6 - Give us peace in our hearts and souls - This continues the theme of spreading peace around the world, and Sandra's frustration that it does;t happen comes to the fore.

Track 7 - Heaven and Earth got married today - This is the only song on the album which had a co-writer(Neil McKenzie). The opening chords suggest that we are going on a journey and that there is a ballad to be told. The song tells the story of two of Sandra's friends getting married and this was gifted as the wedding present. The song presents love and the power of love through Sandra's eyes and is a true gem of a song with a rousing chorus. Neil must have liked it, as he included it as a duet with Sandra on his album.

Track 8 - what's the meaning of a dream - The album closes with more fantastical pondering from Sandra's well worn and beaten guitar. Sandra tells you what she is bringing to the table and questions what man does to the dream of the earth.

The title of the album is a perfect description of the dichotomy of Sandra. She wants smiles and peace and colour, but there is a beating heart within which clearly knows that the world can sometimes through you a curve ball. This and her innate talent make for some seriously compelling music.

Sandra has now headed off to Chile to bring her colour and personality to a new continent. She has no plans for super stardom, but she has a new project called Laughing Life. For those lucky enough to meet her she will leave an impression on you for the rest of your life.

Buy Sandra's album on Amazon


Buy Sandra's album on iTunes