The Faith of a Crucified Child

Average customer rating: Nice job Memories of a little girl's past pains crucified girl

The Faith of a Crucified Child Heather Baker Manufacturer: HJ Productions ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music Electronica | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music General | Pop | Styles | Music General | Alternative Rock | Indie Music | Stores | Music General | Pop | Indie Music | Stores | Music ASIN: B00004TTU9 Release Date: 2000-06-05

Tracks:

1. Stop the Chain
2. Remember the Pain
3. Your Little Girl
4. Modern Day Art
5. Red
6. The Divorce Song
7. Bitter Blue
8. Full Circle
9. A Mother's Prayer
10. New World
11. Martian Woman
12. The Faith of a Crucified Child
13. You Didn't Win

Album Description

Customer Reviews:

Nice job.......2001-03-22

I will admit up front that I'm not a huge fan of electronica music. I typically find it too sterile, too repetitive, often too self-indulgent. Or was that jazz? (j/k!). What I am a fan of, though, is the computer and the opportunities and access it has afforded artists such as Heather to express themselves in ways not possible less than a decade ago. I guess we have Beck to thank for that.

It is against such backdrop that I review this CD.

The subject here is clearly and unambiguously divorce, specifically the havoc that divorces can wreak on children. It's honest, it's brutal, it's in your face. Maybe a little too honest. More on that later.

First, the music. As an earlier reviewer noted, Heather's voice is very reminiscant of Dolores O'Riordan, and in fact, the music itself is somewhat Cranberries-esque. At times the arrangement steps over the voice, at other times the opposite. I could personally do without some of the odd phrasings, but she doesn't go overboard. The voice is there, and it has a lot of potential. The artist bio noted that Heather put down her guitar "out of respect to all the guitar players much more talented and gifted than herself". Apparently, she doesn't consider herself to be a worthy musician, at least not as far as the guitar is concerned. While I've never heard her play, I would respectfully suggest that she reconsider this decision or at least find one of those "talented and gifted" individuals to work with her. Many of these songs cry out for the warmth and richness that only vibrating strings can provide. There are a lot of wonderful melodic hooks throughout this CD, but they get buried under the flat repetitiveness of the beat machine and that unavoidable midi -techno sound/style. If I were to give Heather one piece of advice, it would be to focus on the guitar, embrace the guitar (or a real piano, even), and arrange these songs in a more traditional alternative rock/pop fashion. This is not a criticism of Heather, it is my own prejudice towards this particular genre of music. As I said earlier, electronica is not really my cup of tea although I can certainly appreciate what Heather is trying to do. In the hands of someone like the Cranberries, or Mazzy Starr, or even Timbuk-3, these songs would kick.

But enough harping about the music - the lyrics are clearly the star here. As noted, Heather holds nothing back. These are some tough words to listen to, and they must have been doubly tough to write. Certainly not every divorce is quite this painful, but anybody who's been through one will recognize the lies and betrayal inherent in the process, while anybody who hasn't will be glad they avoided it.

But my main criticism of this album is that Heather is almost too literal, almost too precise, in her language. A little subtlety or ambiguity is not always a bad thing, particularly when delving into a subject this heavy. This will come, I think, with Heather's growth as an artist. I look forward to her next effort.

Memories of a little girl's past pains.......2000-06-13

Heather's voice throughout the album is reminiscent of the Cranberries' Dolores Mary O'Riordan Burtan's sometimes driving, sometimes hesitant declarations. Heather begins with a steady breathy commentary on pain, lies, and bitterness, but is able to rise above the agony of childhood to sing solidly of a search for a new understanding of the world that was always cringing somewhere inside her waiting to be released.

The last track is appropriately entitled, "You didn't win," because Heather has been able to survive the past pain and abuse and come through the other side with enough hope and faith to create this album.

crucified girl.......2000-06-12

Music: