This is a terrific CD. It starts sultry and mellow, builds to a groove, adds a few tugs on your hearstrings, then winds down to a thoughtful, poignant finish. Eulene Sherman's voice -- hauntingly powerful and resonating -- is reason enough to listen to this over and over again. Other reasons are the gorgeous melodies and her sometimes playful, sometimes soulful thought process, which shines particularly bright in Multiply and Give You Everything. It's unlike anything else I have, though I wish that wasn't the case. She takes some risks, and because of it, her work is real. The world could use a lot more of Eulene Sherman.
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It's been quite a while since I've found anything of interest in the contemporary pop or rock scene .  Sure, I hear some nice tunes now and again that grab my attention for short periods of time. There is just so much music that is so generic in nature that the artists and their music seem to blend together to form a sort of "stew" of mediocrity and sameness.  So it was only with the prompting of a friend that I decided to bet twelve bucks and give a listen to Eulene Sherman's "Bicycle", even though I was relatively certain of its fitting in the same category (and poor me, I am not in the habit of brooking disappointment gracefully). Now, having had my listen, let me be rightly understood - this "Bicycle" is a gem! A genuine find, definitely desert island caliber. From start to finish Eulene Sherman's musical voice enchants, delights, and draws the listener along her wonderfully emotional, but sensible,  musical adventure. Eulene sings her songs with a conviction and soulfulness that is honest and true to the core, that cuts through and rises above that "stew" of the mediocre, something rare amongst the crowd of similar artists. You'll not find a single weak track here, either. Equally (and pleasantly) surprising is the instrumentation of Caleb Sherman (twelve brothers?) and the artist known only as Angelo. Listen to the wonderful sound of the upright bass in the intro to "Don't Wake Me Up", and the sparing, but effective use of violin and cello on several tracks. There are no cheesy orchestrations to dilute the subtle edginess of the songs.  It is obvious that the self-described "three thieves" know exactly what they're doing in a recording studio. As a self-avowed elitist on all things musical, it's easy for me to find fault with, and take issue with much that I hear. However,  "Bicycle" is one of those rare releases that I just can't find anything wrong with! Would that there were more like it.  This is delightfully infectious music, and as stated in the first review, it can definitely get under your skin, in your mind, and in your heart. So go ahead, place your twelve dollar bet,  and see if you don't want to hop on Eulene's "Bicycle" and cherish the ride again, and again, and again. I'm confident that you'll find, as I did, that this bet is a sure winner.
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