LAURA BURHENN: Wanderlust

Laura Burhenn

Wanderlust

© 2004 Laura Burhenn (829757695129)

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If PJ Harvey and Leonard Cohen gave birth to a musical daughter, Laura Burhenn would be it. Stellar songwriting orchestrated with vintage organ, electric white-noise guitar, seering drums, weeping cellos -- and raw, honest vocals right in the middle.

tracks

1 Helicopters
2 Memory
3 Just for the Night
4 Meltdown
5 Lullabye
6 Alphabet Soup
7 Chelsea Hotel No. 2
8 Electrical Sun
9 Tattoo
10 White Noise
11 While You Can

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notes

"She catches fire. It's just that simple."
- Music Monthly

Is it possible for sound to make a heart bend? Musically, Laura Burhenn is the cure for what ails you. And listening to her sing is much like tilting your head to the sun. Lyrically, Laura speaks to the loneliest part of you and lifts you up. Or she draws you down into the darkest corner and shows you light. "After all," she says, "the light might shine you, but it's the shadow that defines you."

Laura came to music early, aiming her Mr. Microphone into the a.m. radio and turning out songs on her mother's upright piano. And somewhere in the space between her PJ Harvey, Beatles, and Nina Simone records, Laura found her voice. Then she sat at her piano and started to sing. "Ever since I was very small," Laura says, "I've fancied myself as a bit of a conduit. I sit at the piano, open my hands, and let the songs pour in."

A decade or so of classical piano and stints singing and playing Moogs and Fender Rhodes in rock bands and electronica projects all helped shape Laura's eclectic tastes. "Now," she says, "I've got my hands in so many places musically. I pull sounds, colors from all kinds of experiences I have and people I come to know, and paint them into my songs." And while she might speak of songwriting like collage work, it's hardly cut-and-paste. Her songs are at once fresh, layers thick, and wholly her own.

Live with her band, laura's voice lilts and soars and commands rooms to silence. Layering loops of wurlitzer with waves of lush guitar, Laura invites you into her world and lets the songs tumble forth. At the heart of it, though, Laura's songs remain simple and strong, her voice, honest and raw.

In August of 1999, Laura released her first album, Not Ashamed to Say, on Laboratory Records - the label independently owned and operated by Laura since 1999. Featuring bare piano and raw vocals, her debut album is a collection of thirteen songs written from 1994 to 1998. Other early releases, all on Laboratory Records, include Memory (2003, split 7" with Dagon James), and Icesongs (2001, ep).

On her newest recording, Wanderlust (April 2004), Laura forges into new territory, adding electric guitars, drums, cellos, wurlitzer organs and a lot of white noise to her soundscape. Old songs, including a cover of Leonard Cohen's Chelsea Hotel No. 2 as well as some of her earlier original works, are reworked and given new life. And new songs, like the sky-cracking Electrical Sun, are pushed beyond the boundaries of traditional singer-songwriter arrangements and given wings.

An admitted fear of stagnancy keeps Laura pushing forward. She's currently at work on an EP that will feature a new track in the experimental vein of her music and remixes of selected tracks from her latest album. "I am always hunting for new sounds, new words, new ways of seeing and saying things," Laura says. "That's my wanderlust."

Laura can be seen live with her band in the DC and New York area. A U.S. tour is in the works for August 2004. For info on shows, booking, and more, go to:

www.laboratoryrecords.com

reviews

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  • Wanderlust is wonderful
    author: Jason

    Thanks to CD Baby for introducing me to this great CD! After listening to the song clips I knew straightaway that it's something I would like. I'll admit to being puzzled by the above reference to PJ Harvey though. I'm a big fan of Polly Jean's and I don't think that Laura sounds like her at all. To my ears, she doesn't sound like anyone else and that's what I particularly like about her music. I think the best way to describe this CD is that it's one you can put on, lay back and drift away to. It's understated, subtle, haunting at times and ideal for late-night listening on headphones. I love the sound of the wurlitzer throughout the album - it suits the style of music perfectly. By this I mean that it's melancholic but also uplifting at the same time. On top of the glorious wave of the music is Laura's vocals - soulful, warm, expressive yet also laidback. It's a voice that really draws you in. The same is true of the evocative lyrics - they manage to conjure up imagery that is a perfect visual accompaniment to the music. This album is one that works best when listened to from start to finish. However, if I were to choose particular favourites, these would be the sublime opener Helicopter, Memory, the ambient/electronic White Noise and Electrical Sun.

  • Ravishing
    author: Ruby

    This album is utterly beautiful. It is gorgeous beyond words. It takes you somewhere amazing. Buy this album for anyone who loves this genre, no matter how discerning, and they will look at you with new respect in their eyes. I promise.

  • I love it.
    author: Deanna

    This CD is a one beautiful sound after another. I would love to find any other songs from this artist.

  • Unique sound!
    author: sarah nebel

    I love the album - Laura Burhenn has a distinct sound very much her own. Different and beautiful. A great listening experience.

  • Beautiful!
    author: Sandra

    Soothing with beautiful lyrics.

  • Wow, even better than I hoped.
    author: Andrew (thepitt)

    I have seen Laura live twice with her band Georgie James here in D.C. She was wonderful live and I brought their demo CD, but I needed more of her sweet voice. So, I tracked down this CD "Wanderlust." It is outstanding. I put my headphones on and close my eyes and let the tunes take me to another place. A great trip. Also on a side note: CD Baby was groovy to deal with. Kept me informed on the status of order and they really let me know that they appreciated my business.

  • Incredible sound!
    author: Tiffany

    This soundtrack is so swanky and chill with a beautiful sound. A must have CD!!

  • an awesome album to both enrapture and stir you
    author: Sanghee Jung

    needless to say, the CD lays bare many of the topics and emotions experienced by the world today. Fortunate enough to see Laura perform this CD in person, I listen to the CD to see not only her say on the world, but also the things that I wish to see in my world. The touching melodies and contemplative lyrics are enough to have this CD on your favorite list in no time.

  • Absolutely Scintillating.
    author: Hanson

    I can’t remember the last time I enjoyed a visit back to Dallas for the holidays as much as these last few days. I hope everyone else had just as pleasant of an experience as mine was. I've been wanting to review this album for months. Back when I hosted a poker one or two nights a week last spring semester, one of my good fellow music snob friends would occasionally bring over his iPod to promote a few of the artists that he was currently listening to. Although he and I have very different leanings when it comes to certain styles of rock, we were able to carry on a conversation about a number of obscure independent acts without so much as an afterthought. So whilst we never necessarily liked a lot of the same things, our similar drive to stay on top of any and all active outfits elicited all sorts of pretentious name-dropping and “Dude, whatever, they’re fucking terrible”-esque commentary across the green felt. So when this guy walked through my front door with his iPod clutched in his hands as usual, I didn’t really think it’d be any different of a poker night, until... “Hey, man, I think I’ve got something you might really like,” he affirmed. “I know you’re into whispery female vocals...” Those words don’t really come up too terribly often between us; usually, it’s more like, “Hey, have you heard of [insert artist(s)]?” I was curious. “Whatcha got for me?” “Um, her name’s Laura Burhenn.” I’d never heard of her before at that point. I just shrugged and didn’t know what to think. We ended up kicking off the night with whatever asinine mainstream rap mix I had going over one of my roommates’ Mp3 CD player, but after a couple dozen of hands, it didn’t take too long for Music Snob Buddy to remind me, “Hey, so you wanna listen to some of that Laura Burhenn?” I nodded. “Yeah, hook it up.” Needless to say, I was pretty much enraptured after Burhenn’s vocal entrance on Wanderlust’s opener, “Helicopters”, superseding the opening bars of a delicate triplets run on the Wurlitzer. Being as infatuated as I am with this particular vocal style, I can now compare her to a lot more artists after having a few months to dwell on the thought – the best I can describe it, however, is that she’s inherited Fiona Apple’s voice quality. More interestingly, she’s seemingly traded in Apple’s propensity for torchy bravados somewhere along the way in favor of a softer, deeper, and more pristine delivery frighteningly reminiscent of Sophie Barker (check out my previous review of her and Zero 7). Thankfully, after undoubtedly several hundreds spins of this record to confirm this, Burhenn can write songs and play instruments with as much mind and grace as well as she can sing. And also to my pleasant surprise, I found out she was versed in virtually all manners of keys instruments, from pianos to organs and to Wurlitzers. The instrumentation and refinement used on this album are of a perfect balance; no track ever sounds “too acoustic” as to appear overly bare, stripped down, or under-produced, and likewise, the polishes made to the album electronically never override the organic quality created by the keys-led melodies. It’s a bevy of electric basses and guitars meshing perfectly well alongside pianos and lending the love tunes an honest, minimalist quality (her Leonard Cohen cover of “Chelsea Hotel No. 2” comes to mind). That’s not to say that Burhenn is nothing more than a bleeding heart with overly romanticized generalizations of love; her swagger comes out a bit in the rhythm section-heavy “Lullabye” and “Meltdown” to illustrate her passion in another light. And whilst she’s not the technical marvel that, say, Chick Corea is, Burhenn’s ability literally bend your emotions to her will is what clinches for me her undeniable command over keys and music theory. All of the dynamics and deliberation – the stretched, sustained, swelling and falling notes, and the hushed runs and rhythms – that she incorporates into her painstaking keystrokes allows her playing to take on an entity all its own. “Electrical Sun” and the anthemic “Tattoo” feature poignant, unmistakable climaxes all the way into the last few bars of the song, both starting with an understated Wurlitzer melody, light cymbal rides and rim knocks, and Burhenn’s serene voice – that is until the rhythm section and electric guitars join in to back the melody and make their presences felt. Colorful brushstrokes are painted with cascading arpeggios in “Just for the Night” as she runs triads up and down the scales against her keys, all while singing in a restrained but moving fashion. It’s this attention to these finer details that compel me to come back for multiple listens. Conversely, there’s also something unmatched in listening to Evgeny Kissin shredding apart a masterfully-crafted Frédéric Chopin mazurka, but there will always been something in the simple piano balladry of musicians like Burhenn that allow me to regard them both forms of sophistication and elegance in equal amounts of esteem. As far as her songwriting goes, it’s a safe bet to say that it’s pretty much fantastic throughout the entire record. The playful, melodic “Alphabet Soup”, my favorite song on the album, showcases in particular subtly rhythmic and charming wordplay to vividly color in her wonderfully-enunciated narrative. She makes little metaphors and analogies and psychology references in a very stream-of-consciousness, free association manner, but her meticulous choice of words is what ultimately allows you envision every bit of it without effort or incident. And even the formless, dreamlike “White Noise”, whose lyrically Spartan quality makes it a complete contrast of the rest of the album, brings a lot of beauty to the table with dense electronic production and a sparse, gently-repeated chorus. And it might seem like a copout for me to say this, but the final track on the album is definitely an appropriate recommendation for the song that combines all three of her strengths into a sad, heart-wrenching tune. Beautiful piano-playing and sincere lyricism are present, but it’s her singing towards the end of it all that really allows this song to take off. She is, by no means, a power singer in any sense of the word, but still manages to deliver as much conviction as any of those Mariah Carey or Christina Aguilera balladeers out there. In only two albums, this is Burhenn’s finest creation to date: the biggest, most balladic and heartfelt testimony for love and serenity spread across 11 tracks. These are some of the most disarmingly soothing songs you will find this side of Norah Jones, and you'd be hard-pressed to deny that this material is just as R&R-inducing. Mark my words – when it comes time to compile my top albums of all time, this will surely make that cut, no questions asked. Download it, buy it from CD Baby, find it on my personal radio, do something; I sincerely doubt you will regret taking that chance.

  • Absolutly beautiful
    author: Ruth

    A beautiful album. Everyone thats heard my copy so far loves it. Cant wait for more :)

  • Awesome
    author: Aubrey

    I have been listening to this CD non-stop since I got it. Will definitely buy the next one!

  • Absolutely Exquisite
    author: Larry Jenkins

    This Cd is one of my all time favorites. I find it both elegant yet simply emotionally compelling. Laura's voice is soothing, soulful and hypnotic. This music like the other reviewers have said, is a creative force. This is my cd of choice when i want to create. Sensual and sensational, this is a must buy!

  • Simply beautiful
    author: Jon D

    Wanderlust is a wonderful composition. Laura's draws you in with her jazzy, sensuous voice and her beautiful, melodic music. This is definitly one of the best CD's I own.

  • Good CD
    author: Kimberly

    Great tunes. Favorite is Helicopters, but they are all good.

  • For those Intament Moments!
    author: Lee N

    this is one of my favorite Cd's that I own! And I own somewere around 500?I Love Laura's music and will by the next one!

  • author: Nicole Yocke-Atkins

    Laura, This CD is wonderful. It never ceases to amaze me. Awesome :)

  • fantastique!
    author: michelle poliwka

    The music is absolutely fantastic! Ditto on what everyone else said. Really. Sarah? PJ? Norah? Laura Burhenn is more amazing! The CD has yet, after a week, to leave my stereo! She's going to be a huge STAR!

  • author: Scott Fogelgren

    This is a short review and I don't want to repeat what everyone else has said. Plain and simple. Everyone needs music like this in their lives. This album will remind you of what inspires to create.

  • hot and repeat hot again
    author: paige green

    The first thing you'll notice is the hooks that keep swirling around your head. You won't want to swat these away like the gnats of pop music today but instead you'll want to put them in a jar like the fireflies of your youth. You'll then notice the precision and production (all by the same hands.) You can tell her musical tastes are fully evolved from influences that seem to stretch from portishead to stevie wonder. The record is a tension and release, coming to a full with the standout track, "white noise." There's no pop format here, instead its structured much like a classical composer would go about writing a modern hit. An open dreamy landscape and a throbbing chorus is all that's needed to keep you hitting that repeat button on your player. After you've done that about 5 times you'll hit the repeat all about 10 that day. Oh the artwork is hot as well.

  • All the hype was more than justified...
    author: Dave Nuttycombe, Washington City Paper

    We had heard about Laura Burhenn long before we actually heard her. And when we finally did feast our ears on the music of the sultry singer/songwriter/pianist, it was obvious that all the hype was more than justified. Frankly, we are stunned that such a youngster can write and sing with such old-soul authority. Songs like "Memory" are now stuck in our memory, and the hypnotic melody of "Helicopters" has us spinning round and round with delight. The clean, sophisticated production on Laura's new CD, Wanderlust, is also surprisingly assured for a local artist. But one suspects that the Burhenn bandwagon will be taking off for the top of the charts soon, so you'd best get on board now while you can.

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