Rise From The Flames
VizzTone, 2019
8/10
Listen to Rise From The Flames
Heather Newman made some serious waves with her 2017 debut Burn Me Alive, which helped her secure a pair of Blue Blast Awards, and this sophomore effort has the songstress sounding more confident than ever on a post-breakup album.
“I’m Coming For You” gets the listen off to a bluesy, soulful start with Newman’s strong vocals and equally strong guitar work as organs complement the affair, and “Zakary” follows with horns in a lively, groove filled setting.
Thankfully, the rest of the record is more of the same degree of song craft, including the deep riffs and emotive “She Sure Looks A Lot Like Me”, the nearly R&B stylings of “You Mean To Tell Me”, and the percussion heavy and powerful “Water And Wine”.
The second half of the listen offers us the pop influenced “Take It Slow”, the piano acrobatics of “What Goes Around”, and “That’s All” ends the listen with Newman stepping into gospel territory with fantastic results aided by keys.
Newman handles songwriting duties as well as bass and vocals here and she delivers like a seasoned vet along with her Kansas City band who help put a genuine, powerful and gritty yet pretty gloss over the record. If you’re a fan of blues in any capacity, this is a woman who needs to be on your radar.
Travels well with: Alastair Greene- Live From The 805; Bob Margolin- Bob Margolin