Honeysuckle Sweet

by

Jessi Alexander

Edit

Jessi Alexander's debut is an impressive outing filled with excellent songcraft as a writer, stellar delivery as a vocalist and excellent arrangements that deliver the punch. Looking much younger than her 32 years, the cover art radiates sunshine. On the slow dreamy "Unfulfilled," Alexander croons & moans, "I'm tired of tastin' sulfur, Damn this river water, And lately you know he ain't been too much help, He wasn't always this lazy, I guess he's just gone crazy, He's probably feeling the same way I feel myself." It's a powerful punch. The title track is a lovely anthem to country life with Darrell Scott & Wendy Waldman joining a chorus of background vocals. The set concludes with the gorgeous melody "Canyon Prayer" whose arrangement builds to anthematic proportions with strings as Alexander sings to the Creator, "Tie my hands, ignore my demands, build a wall that stands so high I can't get through until I turn to you." "Can You Make It Feel Right" propels with a hot toe-tapping beat with Colin Linden's excellent electric lead guitar. "The Long Way" makes me hit the repeat button with a catchy melody and Alexander's powerhouse vocal, "He wants to change my zip code & change my luck with warm beer & stale cigarettes." "Honeysuckle Sweet" is an excellent & promising debut. Enjoy!

This album deserves about 3 1/2 stars (but that is not an option). It was good...the songs were mediocre...it just really sounded like she wasn't trying when she was singing these songs. It was like she wasn't exerting enough power and passion while singing. She was singing the song...nothing more. She definitely didn't give it all she had (like Carrie Underwood or Dolly Parton) and it seemed like she was holding back. In other words...when you sing...the listener wants to feel energy coming through the music...and with Jessi, I didn't feel much at all. More energy needed. Good album though (nothing great). This album is worth about $5.00 (nothing more...only less)