Needle's debut album, Songs Your Mother Never Sang You, probably had a number of other titles before they chose the aforementioned one. Songs to Welcome Autumn With, Songs to Rock You to Sleep Underwater and This CD is the Best Downtempo CD Ever So You'll Never Need to Buy Another One were probably all in the running. Singer Julie Cornett's melodies are truly more reminiscent of lullabies than generic songs. The blend of synthesizers, pianos, xylophones and occasional violins sets the mood as Cornett's soothing voice quietly rocks the listener to a calmer, quieter dimension. Though the band can be compared to similar groups such as Brightblack Morning Light, Elephant Parade, Mazzy Star and Portishead, Needle clearly steps away from sounding like a clone and rather makes a name for itself as a sleep-rock genius. Though guitarist/bassist/xylophonist/keyboardist Steve Beck creates brilliantly arranged melodies, one of the most beautiful songs on the album is a cover of Neil Young's "Helpless," which the group does more than justice to. Even the lyrics in "Helpless" describe the band's motive, "Throwing shadows over our eyes," which perfectly mimics what the sleepy lyrics do to their audience. Occasional bandmember Christine Banks does a tremendous job of adding violin to a few select songs, but is aware enough not to overdo it. The cover of the album features several leaves dangling on a branch turning brownish-gold and yellow, a great use of symbolism as the songs are all reminiscent of the coming of autumn and cold nights spent by the fireplace. The only song that sounds out of place is the last song, "If," which has a simple piano medley and a much more poppy sound to it. Though it really stands out against the lazy haze that the rest of the album creates, "If" may be foreshadowing what is to come.

Marked by Julie Cornett’s haunting vocals wrapped in Steve Beck’s minimalist musical arrangements, Songs Your Mother Never Sang You has a feel not unlike early Elliott Smith. With a little close, careful listening, it’s easy to fall in love with Cornett’s lyrics, but a more casual listener can bask in the mellow instrumentation. Vocals aside, the album is chiefly comprised of acoustic guitar, bass, and almost non-existent drumming, though occasionally electric guitar, keyboards, xylophone and violin (played by Christine Banks) find their way into the mix, giving the album some much-needed aural variety. The inclusion of unique instrumental voices is a saving quality on this album, as it could have easily been a purely acoustic album banished to the shelf of ambient music to play when nobody’s really listening. The album really comes together at the end. The Neil Young cover “Helpless” brings the album up from the soft indie-pop doldrums, lifting the listener from the murky, minor tone of “Black Holes” and “The Best Is Yet To Come” into more airy, open arrangements and ethereal vocal performances. “Lost” and “If” continue in the same vein; “If” finds Needle venturing into something upbeat and poppy. “If you want it, you will find it,” Cornett sings in the final line of the album. And Needle lives up to the lyric: if you want soft, non-intrusive music to play while you empty a bottle or two of red wine with a few friends, you will find it in Songs Your Mother Never Sang You. Reviewed by Ian Graham

A mix of the shoegaze sound of Mazzy Star and the introspective folk of the Cowboy Junkies are instantly noticed on "Songs Your Mother Never Sang You". It's an absolutely brilliant display of warm sound. Of two people, Sunday morning, drinking coffee, recording songs, and imagining what noise aural nirvana might make. The music can be psychedelic, often acoustic, always ethereal. Vocalist Julie Cornett has a talent for harmonizing with herself and calling up ghostly songs from deep within. Make comparisons if you wish but truth be told, Needle has a sound all their own and stand firm on amazing songwriting and talent.

If you think of say Tori Amos meeting the Velvet Underground and both getting in an extraordinarily mellow mood, you will get the idea of what this California band creates. In spite of the very subdued vibe of the songs, they are quite intriguing from the perspective of Julie Cornett's lush vocals and thought provoking lyrics. Don't expect to rock out to this music, instead relax, put on the headphones and absorb the celestial ambiance their music provides.