DIANE BIRCH

The Velveteen Age

2011-02-21

In the follow-up to her break-through debut "Bible Belt," Diane Birch teams up with the neo-soul ensemble The Phenomenal Handclap Band to do a set of covers from late '80s/early '90s rock groups such as The Cure, Siouxsie and the Banshees and Joy Division. Why? If you missed the narrative of Birch's younger years last time around, she was raised by strict Seventh Day Adventist parents (dad was a pastor) and never heard rock 'n roll until later in her teens. Once she caught the Goth rock muse, it was breakaway time (the subject of most of "Bible Belt") and these were the songs that liberated her spirit. Birch has a great voice and she's in fine form. Her version of Echo and the Bunnyman's "Bring on the Dancing Horses" is particularly excellent, but the entire collection rings. These covers are not rote versions of the originals, which may or may not cause programmer angst. I like her chutzpah. 2/10 MJVD R-Contemporary (Brit)

Quick Links:

More reviews tagged #Rock

  • reviewed 04/2014

    DOUG GILLARD
    Parade On

  • reviewed 08/2007

    MEMPHIS
    A Little Place in the Wilderness

  • reviewed 01/2007

    SLOAN
    Never Hear The End Of It

  • reviewed 05/2010

    CANASTA
    The Fakeout, The Tease, and The Breather

  • reviewed 03/2008

    Electric Apricot
    Quest For Festeroo

  • reviewed 07/2007

    TUATARA
    East of the Sun

Compiled by the WYCE Journalism Club

The opinions expressed in these reviews are those of the individual volunteers that submitted the article and do not necessarily reflect the views of WYCE or GRCMC; nor its staff, donors, or affiliates.