Melissa Ferrick

A music veteran still going strong

Melissa Ferrick's been making music for more than a decade since her Atlantic Records debut, Massive Blur, without making any lasting inroads to the mainstream, despite possessing strong, passionate vocals and a pop sensibility that's absorbed the lessons of Sarah McLachlan, Sheryl Crow and Thea Gilmore. The music on The Other Side -- all recorded by Ferrick on her own -- has a light, folky flow tinged with rustic Americana. While as richly melodic as McLachlan, Ferrick's route is understated, with the spare guitar support and occasions of horns or organ greatly subordinated to the vocal line. Like Crow, there is something refreshingly straightforward about Ferrick, though she lacks Crow's easy charisma, settling instead on a brooding persona that recalls Springsteen around Nebraska. Ferrick's always been notable for the angst and pain that inhabits her albums, and The Other Side is no exception. Like matching pitch, it may take a moment to find the resonant frequency Ferrick's operating from, but once you do, prepare to be overwhelmed by the desperate intensity of her songs. Whether imagining her heart "like blown-out semi-tires all over Nebraska," or complaining "it's not fair, if you've never loved this way," Ferrick's songs are rife with emotional brinkmanship, as though buoyed by the belief that honesty only comes from live, naked wires.

 
My Voice Nation Help
0 comments
 

Concert Calendar

  • May
  • Wed
    22
  • Thu
    23
  • Fri
    24
  • Sat
    25
  • Sun
    26
  • Mon
    27
  • Tue
    28
Phoenix Event Tickets
©2013 Phoenix New Times, LLC, All rights reserved.
Browse Voice Nation
  • Voice Places Phoenix

    Voice Places

    Find everything you're looking for in your city

  • Happy Hour App

    Happy Hour App

    Find the best happy hour deals in your city

  • Daily Deals

    Daily Deals

    Get today's exclusive deals at savings of anywhere from 50-90%

  • Best Of

    Best Of...

    Check out the hottest list of places and things to do around your city