Search - Dawn Landes :: Fireproof

Americ[an]a's New Sweetheart?

William J. Walker | England | 03/06/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"With this album Dawn Landes builds nicely on her two earlier, limited availability, releases: "Dawn's Music"(2005)and the excellent mini-album "Two Three Four"(2006). Indeed you'll find a track from the former and two from the latter on "Fireproof".



What we have here is a fine album planted firmly in the Americana landscape. With songs ranging from the folksy 'I Don't Need No Man', to a tough, but not entirely successful, rock-out like 'Picture Show' there is still plenty of time for sweet country-tinged musings along the way, 'Tired Of This Life' and 'You Alone' being obvious standouts. Perhaps the biggest surprise is the 'hidden track' version of Tom Petty's 'Won't Back Down',which, in its original form, while having a certain catchy 'anthem of defiance' quality, has always been an eminently throw-away-pop ditty. Dawn Landes takes this song and imbues it with a wistful sadness that you would not have thought possible, such that the song becomes genuinely moving, achieving what all good cover versions should aim for, casting the song in a totally new light. Incidentally I nearly forgot to mention, her voice is excellent throughout.



Overall I would suggest that this is a good album but not a great one, some of the songs just don't quite do it, but there is enough quality here to ensure that you are unlikely to regret the purchase if you decide to make it."

Shining Dawn

R. Litowitz | Bethesda, Md. United States | 05/09/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Dawn Landes has produced a haunting and captivating record that combines the earth-bound honesty of Americana with soaring moments of exquisite power and textured beauty. Ms. Landes worked at one of New York's premier recording studios, and her mastery of technique and technology is evident on many tracks, elevating this CD above the prosaic guitar strumming/pedal steel that characterizes even the best of the rest of this genre. One of the finest records I've come across in this or any recent year. "Fireproof" has withstood my many efforts to wrest it from the CD player."