navigating by stars
© Copyright-Teaspoon records/Lesli Takasugi Publishing (SESAC)
(700261227764)
Record Label: teaspoon records
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"Lee, navigating by stars" is the first solo album from Lee Takasugi, lead singer and songwriter of Los Angeles-based indie band, "Visiting Violette." Five years in the making, this album began in "The Cave," recording studio owned by actor/musician, Billy Bob Thornton. Seven songs were produced by grammy award-winning engineer/producer, Jim Mitchell (Warren Zevon, Guns 'N Roses), Lee Takasugi, and her two principal band-mates, Glenn Suravech and Shin Kawasaki. The second half of the album was recorded at "Groove Masters," owned by Jackson Browne. There, Lee teamed-up with Co-producer/engineer, Bil Lane, (Jakob Dylan, Vonda Shephard), where they finished the rest of the album in different stages in studio and via internet.
The end result is a compilation of 15 songs, rich in acoustic warmth and story-telling depth. There is a lot of space and air pushing between instruments, allowing the presence of breath, string noises, bowing noises and wooden piano hammers to come through with character. This approach to recording mirrors the over-all theme which surfaces in many of Lee's lyrics. She writes about different stages of our unrest and how we constantly battle to keep our spontaneity and expression in this fast-paced and confusing world.--The preservation of humanity and sanity amidst all our doubts, questions of purpose, feelings of aloneness, mistrust, and fear-- On the positive end, Lee attacks love songs with a passion, open heart and vulnerability that basically scream, "Here I am! What are we waiting for?!"
Like the Indigo Bunting Bird, a night-travelling bird which the album is named after, Lee captures in song, the journey that we all travel. We often knock about like creatures making sense of the night, but our goal is to hopefully learn to use the stars to guide our way--and what those "stars" are, is open to interpretation.
Overall, "Lee, navigating by stars" is a testament to having faith and returning to what makes each of us the most simple, the most grounded, and the most able to believe in ourselves.
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Demo Critique
author: Music Connection
Lee Takasugi has a flair for the theatrical and a well-schooled voice that's note-perfect. The tunes, "Love Ain't Easy," "The Circle Song," and "A Little Strange" embody the humanity and sensitivity of a mature artist. Rather than jam her tracks with artificial energy, the production provides this heartfelt performer with calm, organic space which she inhabits with graceful melodies and complex harmonies. Perhaps this artist would do well to apply her talents to an original musical-theatre collaboration.
Music Connection Vol. XXXII, No.4,
2/18/08 to 3/2/08
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Review, "Lee, Navigating by Stars"
author: Jimi Yamagishi; director, SongNet
Like an exceptionally fine wine or dessert, this collection of songs from Lee Takasugi is to be savored with your undivided attention, preferably through a fine sound system to capture every subtle nuance she has crafted into each piece. The lack of reverb in almost every mix, while startling at first, provides an intimacy and presence that enhances the overall concept of the project, especially when time is taken to absorb the flavors of each song one at a time. Lee's vocals are clear and expressive, caressing every word and syllable, and her supporting musicians also follow her vision here, keeping the arrangements clean but quirky.
Different but accessible, unique but familiar, "Navigating by Stars" is an excellent and very personal rendering from the heart and soul of the artist.
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