Wednesday, June 4, 2008

Join the Silent Parade of Sydney Wayser

NEW MUSIC REVIEW:
Sydney Wayser, Silent Parade
Jenna Avery-Lawyer

At age 21, with the debut of her first record under her proverbial belt, Sydney Wayser has only just begun her artistic journey. Silent Parade, released in 2007, reflects a deep understanding of life and love; a perspective rarely seen in artists at such a young age.

Wayser's sound has a wise and beautiful quality that pleads to be heard. Never without melancholy, her voice glides along with the finely placed strings; the two complimenting each other perfectly. As she sings, the cello weeps with cascading sounds of sorrow, adding to the ever present, but never over powering, sadness that swirls in the air. Along with sadness, I hear contentment. Sydney seems at peace with life and all its hardships.

My favorite song featured on MySpace from Wayser’s debut, is the beautiful and sincere “Papa Don’t Worry.” It tells the story of a person who is no longer a girl, but a woman. It’s about breaking free, and becoming an adult. A harmonica blows, announcing its worried presence. Sydney then enters, crooning “Papa don’t worry, I’ll be alright,” as she tries to sooth its upset tone. I hear a question and response between the harmonica and Sydney; perhaps a conversation between parents? Putting the gorgeous and tightly knit orchestrations aside, the harmonica itself adds a completely different level of emotion to the track. It is these simple additions that make songs so attention grabbing and memorable.

The ironic and delightful “Carousel,” showcases Wayser’s French-American heritage. Its whimsical French melody, bouncing up and down on the piano, is slightly offset by the entrance of lyrics that contradict the set mood, as she sings, “Oh misery, stop this spinning.” The acoustic guitar, which can be heard swirling around and around, adds to the visual of an old French carousel. The song stops as the carousel finishes; slowly winding down to the end.

One of Wayser's main self-proclaimed inspirations is the artwork of the Italian born, but French inspired, Amadeo Modigliani. Being submerged in such an array of creative mediums ensures that her music will only continue to grow with time. Her overall artistry and apparent love of life will help her to produce more sweet and melancholy tunes. I suspect Silent Parade has only touched the surface of the deep pool that lies within Sydney Wayser.


Sydney will be playing a show this Thursday at Moomia in NYC along side several other acts, including our featured artist of the week, Will Knox.

Sydney Wayser's MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/sydneywayser

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