Julie Scharm plays folk music - music for real people with real problems, real fears, and real dreams. And Scharm nails whatever emotion she is exploring on her debut CD, "Flames." The disc, which was recorded at Audio for the Arts and released two years ago, sets Scharm up to steal the Madison folk-rock scene. The 12-song CD opens with "As I Walk On By." Scharm's voice is warm and aching, delivered over gentle strumming. "Saved" opens with the tapping of drumsticks, and her Indigo Girls-style harmonies are punctuated by a tambourine beat. "I Like the Stars" leaves you starry-eyed. Her voice is angelic - a sound that Scharm honed while growing up in the Chicago suburbs singing in church and school choirs and experimenting with instruments such as the clarinet and piano. After moving to Madison in 1994, she starting playing guitar and used it as a vehicle for her songwriting. Songs such as "Flames Can't Reach Inside this Heart" and "Imaginary Fool" prove that she is a solid pop folkie. A standout is "Bruising of the Heart." It's a heart-wrenching song, yet ends with hope... Not surprisingly, the song was picked up and included on "Oasis Acoustic Volume 27," a radio sampler put out by Oasis CD and Cassette Duplication company.  "Go" speaks to a man's rage, an abusive relationship and a woman's desire to break away. It's a desperate and thoughtful piece. The songs are perfectly paced throughout the CD, with the fingerstyle guitar picking playing an important role on songs like "Smile That Way." Personal favorites are "To Hold You," a funky Ani DiFranco-style song and "Eyes to Sunlight," an equally hip, spunky and passionate acoustic gem. Scharm's vocals border on spoken word...
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