Search - Patti Scialfa :: 23rd Street Lullaby

You can go back - and Patti does it well

Zach Everson | Louisville, KY | 09/17/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"A lot has happened to Patti Scialfa in the 11 years since her debut album - she's had a few kids and gone on two largely successful tours with Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. The world has changed a lot too.



When I first heard Scialfa was coming out with a new album, I was expecting songs that would be about motherhood or current events. I wasn't looking forward to it, because, as a 28-year-old male, I didn't think I'd be able to related to such materaial. But, then, I made the same mistake so many other people have - my expectations were based on her husband's work, where he covered family life on Human Touch and Lucky Town and the outward looking The Ghost of Tom Joad and, more significantly, The Rising.



Instead, Scialfa pulled a George Lucas and gave us the prequel. She takes a look back at the New York City of her younger years - when she was about my age. I'm not sure if I can agree with the hackneyed "It was worth the wait" - 11 years is a long time. Nevertheless, it is a great album and one that I've listened to almost daily since it first came out several months ago.



There are no duds on this album; every song is enjoyable. "You Can't Go Back" is an ironic choice, as going back is exactly what she's going on this album. Not only does "Rose" have a catch beat, but it's near impossible not to have a good mental image of the title character after listening to this song a few times. The softer "Romeo" is one of my other favorites.



The three live tracks on the bonus disc are of a similar high quality. "Spanish Dancer" stands out amongst the others, just as it did on Rumble Doll.



Also - if you can see her in concert, do so!"

Good work from Patti

William Merrill | San Antonio, TX United States | 06/16/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"It seems like several of the best CDs I've heard lately are from people named Patti or Patty -- as in Griffin, Smith and now Scialfa. I think if you asked Ms. Scialfa who her influences are, she would mention her husband foremost among them, as Patti's 2nd album bears some of the same everyday grace and strength as Bruce's. And while her musical style is distinct and all her own (especially the unique vocals), there are frequent echoes of The Boss in her songwriting. To see what I mean, listen to the song "Stumbling to Bethlehem" and imagine Bruce singing it. It'd be a smooth fit. Patti's new CD isn't making quite as big an impression on me as her solo debut Rumble Doll did, but these new songs (a decade later) have a grown on me after a couple of times through the disc. Nearly every song is a winner. (One exception for me was the Dylan-esque "Each Other's Medicine." It's just too ordinary a tune for my liking.) Otherwise you have such strong tracks as the subtly powerful "Romeo" and the grown-up glories of "Love (Stand Up)."The backing musicians and production crew for 23rd Street Lullaby are a top-notch bunch that includes Nils Lofgren, Marc Ribot, Will Lee, and many other respected studio veterans. Plus of course Bruce Springsteen joins in, although he didn't play quite as prominent a role this time as on Patti's debut. (This time he only played on 3 songs.)"

A real woman with a real voice

Navy wife | Norfolk, VA | 12/12/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I purchased this cd in November after being dragged to a recent Springsteen concert by my husband. Oh, I agree with Springsteen's politics and respect the good works he does and enjoy the music he and the E Street band play. I am not, however, a diehard FAN like my husband. Attending the Devils and Dust concert was a life moment for him while I was just happy to dress up in clothes that did not mark me a toddler's mom and go out for drinks after the concert. I was surprised. I loved the concert and was quite moved by his music,lyrics, stories and instrumental talent. So I immediately cranked up the internet to research Springsteen, his past musical works and what might make him tick. And I found Patti. She and their children seem to be a driving force in his life and music. So I checked out her music and what I found was a delicious and sultry voice with its own story to tell. I am no music critic, so all I can say is I love this album. I have a special place in my heart for real women singers who lay it all on the line and refuse to sell out to the popular marketing strategies and machinery of our corporate driven celeb crazed population. And Patti is one of these women. She is a real American woman with real talent and she has a voice I hope to hear telling more stories soon."