Leah Crystal Keller

"Deified" EP

self-released

Genre: singer / songwriter

Bristol, UK

Feb 6, 2009

Put flatly, this home produced singer/songwriter project needs work. Keller's voice is passable but the overly complex and corny production doesn't do her justice. For example, "Deified" is simply laughable - the programming isn't synchronized well with the vocals, and the song ultimately comes off as overly dramatic and even hokey. It sounds as if Keller wants to be a soulful, passionate singer but the execution just doesn't cut it on this EP. Strings-based "Never Meant Any Harm" pulls off a drastic, cinematic seriousness but needs major polish. I realize Keller doesn't have a full studio with which to produce her record; however, given these limited resources, she should focus on her songwriting and attempt simpler songs. The instrumental version of "Never Meant Any Harm" is a good start - up until its latter third, it makes use of a pretty, emotional melody but isn't overly clouded with extraneousness. It's even better than the version with vocals. In short: keep it simple!

leah's myspace

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youuuuuuuutube!: "deified" live

Matt Shimmer

[Vitals: 4 tracks]