SWEET TALK RADIO

My Hallelujah

2010-03-02

Sweet Talk Radio is the Los Angeles based husband and wife team of Kathrin Shorr and Tim Burlingame out with their debut on Two Pop Music titled "My Hallelujah." The sound here is sometimes upbeat but mostly more on the mellow side of things as the duo combines elements of folk, americana, country, blues and even jazz. The vocals are predominantly Shorr's with her husband providing the backing vocals occasionally. On the uptempo tracks "Labor of Love" and "Lovesick," the singer/songwriters pull together two really nice songs. While not "pop" songs in their fullest expression, these two represent the closest thing to a "pop" sound found here. On the opener and title track, Shorr laments the loss of one she calls "My Hallelujah" as she sadly and yet passionately sings: "All that I have left / Is his voice and it's fading fast / Grey Sky, brown box, black dress." Such is the essence of many of the songs here - relationships that for whatever reason, haven't quite worked out. "The Good Life" takes things in a more positive direction as the soulful voice of Shorr sings "He's all I need to live the good life." Here, the sound has much more of a jazz feel with the soft combinations of percussion, piano, and guitar used to create a lush and cool atmosphere. "Ballad of Hank Williams" is an interesting take on the life of the troubled Williams, and is written from his viewpoint. Here Shorr and Burlingame write: "And I think I speak the gospel / When I tell you this truth / If Jesus wore my shoes / He'd reach for the bottle too." Overall, the mixture of uptempo and the slower and more melodic songs here is nearly perfect. The production is superb and the voice of Shorr is nothing short of infectious. In the end, most of the songs here are really well done and sound like a soundtrack to a mostly sad movie that somehow ends with a sliver of hope. ~Reviewed by Jeff Bouma

Quick Links:

• Official Sweet Talk Radio Website