The record business hates artists that they can’t quite
cubbyhole. British pop/rock/jazz artist Billie Myers is a good
example; she first hit the US in 1998 with her hit “Kiss The Rain”,
but since then has managed little more than a few songs on bad
American television, a Lilith Fair gig in ’98, a gold record, and
no record company. Apparently, Myers recently parted company with
her label, leaving
Vertigo – her 2000 follow-up to debut
Growing Pains – in limbo.
All I can say is what a damned shame.
Vertigo is a tight, clean, upbeat CD, one of the most
infectious CDs I’ve heard this year. (Had I gotten this before 2001
rolled around, I suspect it would have made my top ten list last
year). Myers’ powerful, fluid, flexible voice, reminding me of a
cross between Amanda Marshall and Taylor Dayne, is surprisingly
versatile, slipping from rock to pop to dance to ballad sinuously.
Myers makes it look easy. Pretty good for someone who didn’t intend
to be a musician and was discovered in a London dance club. (A
producer asked her if she could sing as well as she danced.
Surprise.)
This album has more hooks than Babe Winkleman’s tackle box, but
there are a few specific highlights that I
have to mention. The Caribbean-tinged “Roll Over Beethoven”
is a viciously funny slam on a lover who takes themselves
way too seriously. “Should I Call You Jesus?” handles the
inflammatory subject of religion with gritty idealism and an
elegant, driving melody. “Am I Here Yet? (Return To Sender)” is
thought-provoking, cynically hopeful (no, this is NOT a
contradiction) view of the future and how we can handle it.
I have to, however, reserve special praise for “Flexible”. I’m
not sure what this song is about; I can’t tell. Maybe a
crossdresser? Maybe a girl who thinks she’s James Bond? Maybe
something else? Who CARES, I tell you; if there’s ever a class on
how to write the perfect “turn UP the stereo and roll down the
windows” song, this will be on the syllabus. (Along with Tom
Petty’s “Runnin’ Down A Dream”, if you’re curious.) Special bonus
points for the gratuitous Bond-theme horn riff.
Go now. Find this CD. It won’t last in limbo long since Myers
has ditched Universal; don’t make the mistake of not getting a good
case of
Vertigo.
