Kira Fontana - The Inner Revolution Review
by Patrick Muldowney
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There is something wrong with The Inner Revolution. It lacks an identity, varying from Evanescence to Kate Bush/Tori Amos to Afghan Whigs to Sun Kil Moon, which is not a delectable mix. It also considers itself overly important, often laboring through long tracks (4 are over 6 minutes) of sonic minimalism and commonplace verse. Many solo artists employ co-writer(s), but Kira Fontana's musical accomplishments may have bred some belief that Pop music is a simple transition that she can make alone. As much as The Inner Revolution is indicative of talent, it also reveals a frequent lack of tact and taste that an effective co-writer could alleviate.The strongest track musically and melodically, "Always", takes almost 9 minutes to complete. Effectively ending at 3 1/2 minutes, this song spends 5 minutes in the hands of So Percussion members Lawson White and Jason Treuting. The bells always sound nice, but they are so heavy-handed at times, I'm under the impression that Treuting may be Fontana's boyfriend. There is really no other reason, other than personal, for having so much bell. I doubt The Inner Revolution will ever become material for an SNL spoof, but I would love to see Will Ferrell as part of this studio work (like Blue Oyster Cult skit). Upon listening to "Spark the Fire", I had to double check the disc for Mark Kozelek's name. I have no doubt that Ghosts of The Great Highway has some sort of ghostly presence in this song's creation. Fontana's vocal work does not even compare in content or delivery though, which is the most likely reason Kozelek is the least imitated Indie god.
At the end, The Inner Revolution leaves as quietly as it enters, without clearly making a statement about how musical talent connects with quality listening. While I definitely appreciate part of Fontana's vision, especially since it does not involve the soup du jour Cat Power approach, her direction seems more pretentious and circumventive than honest and direct.
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Kira Fontana - The Inner Revolution
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