Search - Melissa Ferrick :: In the Eyes of Strangers

Ferrick comes roaring back with a winner

A. Andersen | Austin, TX | 10/27/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"After a two-year hiatus of touring and falling in love, Melissa has returned with an album which rivals "Freedom" for passion and intensity. But guess what, fans? This time she's got a band! Yep, that's right, on In The Eyes of Strangers, Melissa has fully developed her inner rock star and expanded her usual folk-rock sound to include the keyboards of Julie Wolf and the pulsing drums of Daren Hahn. To me, each Ferrick album sounds like shadowy blueprints for her impassioned live sound, but with this record, she has created something which truly stands on its own with, dare I say, a pop rock sound. I'll take you through it, track by track.



Never Give Up: In a perfect world, this would be a single for Melissa; it's got a very catchy rhythm. This track is light, peppy and free, and beautifully sets the tone for the record. Natalia Zukerman accompanies on dobro and Tegan (of Tegan and Sara) provides backup vocals.



Inside: Formerly a charged but acoustic song, this song is fully reinvented with organ and that marvelous drumming. Listen to the brief organ interlude near the end of the track and prepare to be enraptured.



Everything You Get: Erin McKeown provides a fun electric guitar part on this track, but Melissa's vocals are at the forefront. Julie provides "poolymoog keyboard bass" and "clavinet, grand piano". I have no idea what a polymoog keyboard bass but it sure sounds cool. The chorus is joyous, with Melissa questioning "nothing is wrong, maybe that's what it is."



Closer: This one also would fit beautifully on radio. The guitar part is catchy and carefree; I think of this song as "Everything I Need" but more grown up. Backing up Melissa's guitar is Julie Wolf on piano. Remember in "E-mail" how Melissa sang "the journey is the destination"? Well, with this track, you actually believe she means it as she sings "with every little bang i get closer" to success, to happiness, whatever; it's up to you judge. The point is that this song reveals a peace within Melissa, a renewed confidence and motivation.



One Year: A beautifully, purely happy song celebrating her one year anniversary with her girlfriend. Melissa sings her own backup vocals on this song. Another happy chorus (I'm sensing a pattern here) as she sings "you have my heart and nothing is gonna get in our way". This is the most pure love song I've ever heard from Melissa. Gorgeous.



Stuck: Julie's hammond B3 provides flavor to this song. Stuck actually remains pretty close to its live acoustic version, but she sings it with renewed focus. Julie's hammond lends extra emphasis to the chorus that the guitar alone couldn't give.



Rest Now: This is probably my favorite song after Inside. It's a beautiful tribute to Chris Whitley and also provides the album title in the lyrics "In the eyes of strangers we will recognize our own hotel vast horizons". Again, drums and hammond give weight and drive to this song. Melissa's feelings shine through beautifully here, given more pizazz by the added instrumentation.



Miss Liberty: Wow. Just wow. A searing cover of Dayna Kurtz's song, Melissa's version is a full on jazz/blues rock sensation. It starts soft, and by the middle she's almost screaming as she says "you leave me broken like a spine / split open like a melon that's been dropped from a high high place". The lyrics are superbly fitting as Melissa completely inhabits this song. Julie's organ and Daren Hahn's drums provide a truly thrilling dramatic conclusion to this intense, wonderful song.



Easy: Here the guitar is at the forefront, as Melissa sings with the lyrics with that same sense of inner peace. Live, this song used to sound a little bitter; now it appears she's accepted the past and moved on.



Come On Life: A songlet without a chorus, this song somehow sounds complete now, as Melissa has fleshed out the lyrics. This one pulls back on all the instruments, which leads perfectly into the acoustic It's Been a Long Time.



It's Been a Long Time: As the last track and the only solely acoustic track, this song provides a telling insight into Melissa's state of mind as she suffered from exhaustion earlier in the year and was forced to take a break from touring. In concert, she said, "This is for me, but it's also for you. Thanks for waiting." It's only fitting that the track is last, as it is the most insightful glimpse into Melissa's journey as an independent artist. Particularly insightful are the lyrics, "I can't remember when all this running started/ But it took about 8 years for something in me to slip / I gave all I could give / And then I just kept giving ... my body had up and left". If you listen closely, you can hear a faint tapping in the background, as I assume Melissa keeps time as she sings this song seated. It annoyed me at first, but is now oddly endearing.



To sum up my novel, if you've never experienced Melissa Ferrick, this is the perfect introduction. It's the rockiest album she's ever made, and, in my opinion, it's the best."

New territory for Melissa

Bandra Shark | Dover, DE United States | 01/11/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This is not the old Melissa Ferrick...but change is not a bad thing. After all, who wants the same thing for dinner every night? Her talent as a guitarist and singer still shines through on every song. The songs are richer in musical depth than past efforts, with the same insightful lyrics Melissa always delivers."