by Joey Guerra
Entertainment Editor
Amanda Marshall
(Epic Records Group)
I have to admit, when I first received the unassuming debut from Amanda Marshall, my first reaction was "File under filler," meaning a review would only be deemed necessary if there was absolutely nothing else to do.
I hadn't actually given the disc a listen, but the earthy-diva cover art, featuring a thick, curly-tressed Marshall seated on the routine couch in a desert, cried out, "Hey, I'm an introspective, alt-rock-lite grrrl with somethin' to say, too!"
Fortunately, I decided to give the album a quick spin one night as I drifted off to sleep, and was truly impressed by the kick-off track, "Let It Rain." Marshall projects a strong, self-confident tone and immediately conjured up similarities to the ever-cool Sheryl Crow. "Hey, this girl's pretty good," I thought.
Marshall definitely crows in a vein that makes you happy, stretching her throaty deliveries to a point where you can hear the slightest crack. She does it nicely on "Fall From Grace," a steady rockin' number that further encourages comparisons to that singer who says every day is a winding road.
While the songwriting on Marshall's offering isn't quite up to par with the world-weary brilliance of Crow's two albums, many songs touch on themes similar to Tuesday Night Music Club and Sheryl Crow.
Love gone wrong ("Birmingham," the current single), forgotten towns ("Dark Horse") and plenty of liquor references ("Last Exit to Eden") pop up, often disintegrating into general catch phrases but rarely losing their effectiveness.
On songs like "Beautiful Goodbye," Marshall captures a true beauty through heartbreaking vocals and nice instrumentation, and she rocks merrily on "Sitting on Top of the World," which is perfect for cruising with the top down on a hot Houston day. Marshall needs to push herself just a bit more, but if you're stuck without your Crow discs, this 10-song collection will do just fine as a temporary substitute.