Shawna Ross - Glass Jars With Lead

Hear The Track Here

A review request now from the ever lengthening blog list (this one I notice is almost three months old!!). Shawna Ross is a new name to me, a folk/indie artist from Birmingham, AL, who seems to have a regular gig there, and that to generally means they have something more to offer than yer average online musician. As a live, working musician myself, there is nothing more intensive than playing before a live audience and definitely something that hones your skills, whether you want it to or not. As a songwriter too, this is a vital part of teaching yourself what works and what doesn't. As you probably also gathered that Shawna is a guitarist, and all of the tracks on her webpage are pretty basic - as indeed is Glass Jars With Lead.

Essentially this is probably a track that was recorded almost live, and in one take as are all her tracks. She is, however, about to go into a studio but until then, if female singer/songwriters get you all hot under the musical collar, she has all the right credentials; a rough but ready guitar style that supports her voice. Said voice being certainly good enough to turn heads when she starts singing. In that respect Glass Jars With Lead is a good showcase for her vocal but, like all basic home recordings, leaves someone like me wishing that I could have heard it wearing aural blinkers. As much as I like what she's doing, and I do, I can't help the very basic sounds grating on my production nerves.

Bad Gilmore!! I hear you scream in horror, how can you be so mean??? T'ain't mean ya damn varmints, it's the truth. Having reviewed literally thousands of tracks online I know how high the bar is in pretty much every genre and, surprisingly enough, some of the indie folk I hear is very special indeed. My point is that, in this day and age, even a basic computer has powerful enough (often free or close to it) software to both enhance and clean up pretty much and track you want to name. Personally I think I will wait and see if Shawna now allows me to hear the studio stuff which I would guess shows her talent in a much more focused way. In the meantime, as I say, if you like the sound of her music then this track does indeed get the message across - but that's all it does.