Reviews Maybe it's the recording process spanning coasts both East and West, but there's something extra special on Lights. Stahler has the magical combination of performance talent and writing talent. It would seem Stahler is just scratching the surface in Lights by the time the six tracks have cycled and are starting again. These songs simply do not get old. It's not realy fair to lump Stahler in with the roots crowd or the folk crowd. If anything, tracks on Lights are rooted in humanity and the humanity of this century. Instead of an artist striving to get some message across, Stahler seems your average girl who happens to be blessed with gold for a voice and a penchant for songwriting. While there are other musicians on this recording, the centerpiece is obviously Liz Stahler and her own musical endeavors. While she does play the requisite acoustic guitar in almost every track, the guitar is more like set-dressing for the actual song. While certainly a fine vehicle for the songwriting, the acoutic seems to get lost in the mix every so often. The main part of the show is Stahler's writing combined with the growly/clear tones of her voice. She sounds like a more genuine Sheryl Crow. Stahler can seemingly tell a story with one syllable. It's hard to pick a highlight on Turn the Lights Down; each song is the best while it's playing, which is something that not a lot of records can boast. Much can be learned from Stahler's natural sounding work on this record. This record should give local listeners pause to think how lucky they are to have Liz Stahler on their home team, even if she records stuff in Los Angeles. (self-released) Liz Stahler's sound and tone don't jump out at me immediately but soon I dug the fact that while not breaking the mold of catchy female vocal rock with an "I almost care" expression, this was some pretty goddamn good music. She begins with the lyric "All night/I have been mourning/The loss/of my mind" and it just gets better from there. The tunes are delicious and emotional despite the reserved singing. Some stripped-down texture, impressive for a demo, is added in the form of sad organs, sparse single note piano and well-placed harmonies. "3,000 Miles" had my girlfriend singing along halfway through the first time she heard it. There's really not much else to see about why this is so good - just go see her! I'm mad at this CD because I despise contemporary folk and roots-rock, but dammit, this is truly good stuff. Now I'm not hardcore anymore, or something. Oh well. Ms. Stahler has a rich and beautiful voice which she wraps around captivating melodies and well crafted songs. Her songwriting has an effect similar to that of Mazzy Starr. It's haunting, but also sweet and charming. This demo is truly impressive. |
