JT’s Picks: Laurie Larson — A Striking Resemblance

If you’ve ever wondered what it’d sound like to cross The Doors with Kate Bush performing deep sounding but essentially meaningless songs, here’s your chance. Check out Laurie Larson’s 2008 A Striking Resemblance. This is well performed music with touches of Raitt-esque slide guitar and other country-pop elements. The problem is that her vocals are weak and masked in dreamy reverb. Combined with the pedal steel or slide guitar, the effect is an out of place surf vibe. A Call to Action is a slow dreamy piece that channels Clannad (go figure). The title track, A Striking Resemblance, again evokes The Doors, but now with a chanteuse fronting the band.

It doesn’t do it for me. The disconnect between the music bed and the vocals is beyond me to get past. Maybe some of you will “get it”. Check her out at www.laurielarson.com