Oregon Based Alice Di Micele has proven herself one of the most promising singer/songwriter talents to emerge from America in recent years. A strong gutsy voice with buckets of attitude and confidence she must be one of the US's best kept musical secrets and "Demons & Angels" confirms her chosen path. "Spirit of the River" highlights her strong deep vocals while the compassionate "Find It There" shows a gentler more sensitive side. Ranging from radio rock through acoustic folk and bluegrass to Shelly Phillips's celtic harp on "Angel" and "Alive, Awake" she paints a multi-hewed canvas of sharp incisive lyrics delivered with passion, guts and commitment. "Demons & Angels" proves that Alice Di Micele has ace cards where others have perished....superb.

Each entity, at least in the "natural" world (is there really another?), is alive. Its spirit will speak to you if only you will listen. Angels flock and touch, especially in the wild places, but also in offices and mega-marts, where they are after all most needed. Individual self-affirmation cohabitates with the call of a freedom beckoning immersive return to the great common ocean of being. The music of New Age egoistic spiritual animism seems largely to call forth more vacuous prettiness than childlike wonder. But there is another way. The Di Micele way. "Demons & Angels" represents a quantum leap over Di Micele's previous release, "Naked," itself a work of depth and energy. Doing justice to it requires attention to both its lyrical and musical forks, which Di Micele merges comfortably. But "Demons & Angels" is, above all, music, so let's focus on that. "Spirit of the River" is a lively celebration, acoustic rock with Steve Hesh's fine dobro, dominated, as is every track, by Di Micele's expansive, driven alto, a full, resounding, articulated voice sounding as if it had spent an age reverberating through deep caverns, gathering force before erupting into the open, strengthened in effect by dense harmony vocals. "Locked Inside" begins quietly, a prelude reminiscent of some old show tunes, explodes into another driven acoustic rock refrain, returning again and again to the initial melody. Shelley Phillips' Irish harp adds fluttery flourish to "Angel," a swinging waltz to love, and her whistle adds a diabolical power to "Witch's Magic," a stunning song, another reeling rock waltz, featuring powerful, multi-faceted lyrics, resentment and wisdom dovetailing, and an irresistible contrapuntal chorus. The pace slows a bit on the meditative yet forceful "Do You Dare," Di Micele belting out a romantic challenge with the support a moody fiddle and enterprising percussion. There are other slower tunes on "Demons & Angels," other quick ones, including the bitter yet joyful "Alligator" (as in "see you later?"), all different, all well-produced, all sharing in the expressive richness of Di Micele's vocals. Extended theses might be spawned by analysis of Di Micele's lyrical imagery; no song emerges without meaning, but the meaning always fits the song.

Alice DiMicele has long been a favorite artist of mine, and "Demons and Angels" is a perfect example of why. The songwriting is stellar and the singing has amazing range, both musically and emotionally. "Spirit of the River" is a great song, and also check out "Chinook Blues". Just check them all out - you won't be disappointed.