专辑简介

Alexandra Slate专辑介绍：by Johnny Loftus

The major-label debut of Canada's Alexandra Slate reflects that of fellow traveler Lucy Woodward. Like Woodward, Slate got her start as a teenager, writing songs and working the coffeehouse circuit in her native Toronto. She eventually signed with a major, and found herself working with a top-shelf producer. While Woodward's While You Can was issued by Atlantic and featured the talents of John Shanks (Sheryl Crow, Michelle Branch), Slate landed at Hollywood, who hooked her up with star helmer Rob Cavallo, known for his defining work with Green Day's Dookie. The two artists share a sculpted pop/alternative sound that aims for the green pastures of adult alternative -- they're like newly minted Liz Phairs. What's more, Woodward and Slate introduced themselves with soundalike singles. For Lucy, it was "Dumb Girls," while Slate went with "Bad Girl." Both cuts featured perfectly timed curse words, the better to grit up their messengers in a world too used to Avril-come-latelies. But for all their sincerity, the striking similarity between Slate's and Woodward's burgeoning careers exposes their behind-the-scenes grooming. The two musicians do differ a bit in style. Where Woodward's work is flecked with urban soul, Slate's work on Edge of a Girl approaches the jaded sexiness of Fiona Apple, with none of that stubborn, "world is bullsh*it" attitude. "If I take off all my clothes, does that make me a bad girl?" she asks over the song's jag of processed alt-rock guitars. "Guilty" runs the same muddy guitar effect through twittering synths and sampled strings. When her rich, sultry vocals aren't losing ground against the onslaught of busy, scratchy, heard-it-all-before production, Slate is able to convey some real emotion. The best example of this is the moody "Die Awake," even if it too is gussied up with "WEE-ooh WEE-ooh" effects and a drum loop. While its manicured sound rarely varies, Edge of a Girl does feature a clutch of memorable melodies, and Slate proves adept at doling out potty-mouth wisdom like "Don't take my sh*t/Just get used to it." It's the kind of sound and vision that should get an endorsement from the Gilmore Girls crowd, especially since all of her and Woodward's songs would fit perfectly onto the show's soundtrack.