GIULIA
Raze Me To The Ground
G J Music Ltd
www.giuliaofficial.com
Being an album sampler EP from the forthcoming ‘Raze Me To The Ground’ set, this five-tracker shows off the vocal and composing skills of the Italian songstress to great effect. Here, Guilia – with her striking Latin looks and dress sense – hones in on her love of country pop and rock and her background – embracing time spent in Argentina – gives a twist on the standard American strand of this music. Having said that, I am sure US and Canadian audiences will enjoy what Giulia brings to the table, once they hear it. Some of the recordings have been done in Nashville – but more of this when we bring you our chat in London with the lady in the next few days.
The leads single ‘Radio Junky’ – the slinky tale of a diner waitress distracted by her thoughts of music is a crisp and tuneful introduction to the Giulia sound.; her voice sounds great against electric and acoustic guitar arrangements (which helps, in this field ) but rides over the instrumentation – fine piano on this cut – and doesn’t fight it. Indeed you can find some stripped back acoustic numbers performed on her site. The song rocks along – key change et al – and there is a knowing video to accompany the song. The freshest take on this style of music since Shania Twain but there again, different in many ways …..
‘Road Trip’ has a fresh-air vibe with wispy harmonica/ accordion tones and a heady tempo creating an urgency Giulia still manages to ride – when the beat kicks in it takes on a force of its own. Haunting tune over an almost electro-pop beat.
‘Love Love Love’ is altogether brasher with strident guitar chording and plaintive singing not a huge distance from the delivery of Miranda Lambert, one of the country singers I really like. Again it’s a catchy song and mixed in a radio-friendly manner. Pokey guitar break is well-handled and the chorus is addictive
The album title track is a mellower affair with a contemporary rhythm track and spacey instrumentation. Giulia sounds herself – in fact she doesn’t really sound like any other particular singer, to me. The vocal is confident but not melodramatic. I would have put more delay on the electric guitar figure..but that’s a minor carp.
Closer on this set is ‘Another Thing Coming’ arriving in boogie form and zig-zagging into a jerky tempo, Giulia telling it like it is. Emphatic drumming is a key feature of this one. A snaky guitar takes a solo. A touch of phasing is over in a flash.
Whatever her background, here Giulia displays a real affinity for country rock on these cuts …and I’m sure she can do it live
Pete Sargeant
