Karen Fay
Empiric Lyric
© 2004 Karen Fay
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A no-frills blend of soulful vocals, catchy melodies, and simple arrangements that let the music take center stage. Featuring Jim Woodling and Danny Patterson of the Phunk Junkeez on guitars and Ken Mary (Alice Cooper, Giuffria, House of Lords) on drums.
tracks
- 1 Don't Know
- 2 Company Man
- 3 Love Is Here
- 4 He's Leavin
- 5 Knowing What Love Is
- 6 Drivin
- 7 Love Has Gone
- 8 Ignorance Is Bliss
- 9 Time
- 10 Lonely
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Today's music scene puts so much emphasis on digital manipulation, studio gimmicks, and sexy visuals that it sometimes seems like the music itself is almost an afterthought. Slogging through the scores of dancers-turned-vocalists that dominate the charts, one might even think that the singer-songwriter is dead. But good music is indeed out there, as one listen to Karen Fay's "Empiric Lyric" will prove.
Fay's latest CD is an excellent, no-frills blend of soulful vocals, catchy melodies, and simple arrangements that let the music take center stage. Karen Fay has cut her musical teeth singing backup for bands in Arizona, California, and beyond. She has also honed her songwriting chops, transforming universal experiences like heartache, yearning, desire, and surviving into heartfelt, uplifting songs that cut straight to the soul. These ten songs are simple, unadulterated samples of what one songwriter can do with solid material, uncluttered arrangements, and a voice that demands to be heard.
People will likely draw comparisons to other strong singer-songwriters like Carly Simon, Linda Ronstadt, or Bonnie Raitt, but in all honesty, Karen Fay is an artist all her own. Certainly, those influences show up throughout the record, but the more one listens to "Empiric Lyric," the more one realizes that this is the work of a talented, original voice for a new generation. Great things await Ms. Fay, and this CD is just one joyous step towards tomorrow.
reviews
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Sounds like Sheryl Crow meets Tom Petty. I like it!
author: Susie- author: The Muse's Muse
A seamless collection of pop songs and strong musicianship. Fay’s expressive voice is on top and stays there for each song. There is a nice variation in style ranging from folky ballads to edgy electric guitar tinged numbers...“Empiric Lyric” is a fine showcase for the songwriting and singing talent of Karen Fay and her very talented team.
- author: Amy Lotsberg / Collected Sounds
The cover art had me expecting very quiet "girl-and-guitar" folk. That's not what's inside. What you'll find here are rocks songs with full instrumentation and solid lyrics and vocals. "Don't Know" is a great way to open the CD as it has a very catchy melody. "Company Man" is a little harder and has a guitar line that is a tad 80s-ish. There are a few folky songs here. Track 4, "He's Leavin'" is a little more in the singer-songwriter vein with pretty guitar parts and softer vocals, but it rocks out a little halfway through. A nice song. "Knowing What Love Is" is also in this style. My personal opinion is that these songs suit her more than the rock ones. Or maybe I just like them better. Who knows? "Ignorance is Bliss" is a fun song. This is a nice recording all around.
- author: Neal Alpert
Today’s music scene puts so much emphasis on digital manipulation, studio gimmicks, and sexy visuals that it sometimes seems like the music itself is almost an afterthought. Slogging through the scores of dancers-turned-vocalists that dominate the charts, one might even think that the singer-songwriter is dead. But good music is indeed out there, as one listen to Karen Fay’s “Empiric Lyric” will prove. Fay’s latest CD is an excellent, no-frills blend of soulful vocals, catchy melodies, and simple arrangements that let the music take center stage. Karen Fay has cut her musical teeth singing backup for bands in Arizona, California, and beyond. She has also honed her songwriting chops, transforming universal experiences like heartache, yearning, desire, and surviving into heartfelt, uplifting songs that cut straight to the soul. These ten songs are simple, unadulterated samples of what one songwriter can do with solid material, uncluttered arrangements, and a voice that demands to be heard. People will likely draw comparisons to other strong singer-songwriters like Carly Simon, Linda Ronstadt, or Bonnie Raitt, but in all honesty, Karen Fay is an artist all her own. Certainly, those influences show up throughout the record, but the more one listens to “Empiric Lyric,” the more one realizes that this is the work of a talented, original voice for a new generation. Great things await Ms. Fay, and this CD is just one joyous step towards tomorrow.
- author: Keith "MuzikMan" Hannaleck
Karen Fay’s music and words held me spellbound on her new album Empiric Lyric. She gets her hooks in you right from the get go with the lead off track “Don’t Know.” It kicks into high gear with a rollicking rockin’ guitar followed by some wake up call lyrics. I very recently covered a CD and mentioned how the band was singing about how people seem to have such difficulty just being themselves. “Company Man” has similar cynical and cold hard truth to it, with an unbeatable rhythm and hooks all over the place. In fact, the entire album is like that. Fay is a wonderful vocalist that can come across with a hard bite or a soft touch to place emphasis upon her ever-changing emotional lyrics. Fay may look like the wholesome girl next door on the cover of this CD, but looks can be deceiving. She is a queen bee with a deadly sting, and she proves it from start to finish on her outstanding new recording. So offload all of your excess baggage with this music and don’t look back. Let’s rock ‘n’ roll! © Keith "MuzikMan" Hannaleck