Stella Polaris Project - Private Road

Hear The Track Here

I bet that Ricky (Mancini) and Melinda (Mohn) known collectively as Stella Polaris Project are probably a bit stunned that, finally, I managed to spell their name right. Couldn't get it for the life of me until I came up with an ingenious (nay cunning) plan. I had the name tattooed on my childrens foreheads because I see them every day so I am not likely to forget. There again, my children are not likely to forget what I have done to them either so mebbe the less said about this the better... I first came across this duo late last year (October to be precise) and since then I have reviewed two tracks, both of which still reside on my hard drive so that should tell you much.... My giving Hello Anonymous a Track Of The Year award in my review of 2007 should say a whole lot more.

It isn't easy to stand up to anything from any number of sites, but Stella Polaris Project are that ideal blend of rough and smooth that somehow manages to soothe at the same time as bruise. Should you catch my drift, and I'm not sure you should want to. Anyway, having my appetite sharpened already, I looked forward to a new taste. Gotta say Melinda Mohn has a totally captivating vocal style that sounds so apt, whatever the genre it is encased in. The kind of voice that makes you go 'oooh yeaaahhh'. She uses it well too, especially on Private Road, peppering the lead vocal with lots of vocal flourishes. The lady has soul, not much question about that and vocal tone to carry it off with tremendous style.

OK, so that's done with the smooth :D

Actually, considering Ricky Mancini's (aka MD-1 Project) usual musical style, this is smooth too. At least to a certain degree. I think this a lot more like Melinda's solo work in feel. It even features her collaborator Ron Soderstrom playing some very tasteful trumpet licks. On the whole more jazzy and chillout than I was expecting and I have to say that it came as a welcome new side to this duo, and one I would like to hear more of. There again, the one thing that got me about this MP3 Unsigned artist from the start was their willingness to work outside of the normal boxes. This may be electronica in name (and indeed in instrumentation) but it's heart and roots lie in jazz. Terrific track sung by a very, very classy vocalist.

(sigh) MUST HAVE (again) (note to self: I must not get addicted)

(Ed: No tattooed children were errr tattooed in the making of this review.)