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Old 07-08-2012, 09:35 AM   #23 (permalink)
Trollheart
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Issa very good album (sorry)


Artiste: Issa
Nationality: Norwegian
Album: Sign of angels
Year: 2010
Label: Frontiers
Genre: AOR
Tracks
Angels crying
I'm alive
Give me a sign
River of love
What can I do
Closer
Unbelievable
How will I know
As I live and breathe
Flying high
It's not me
Falling angel

Chronological position: Debut album
Familiarity: Zero
Interesting Factoid: Um, she's young and sexy? Okay, then: Issa got her first break with a song written by Dimmu Borgir's Stian Aarstad, how's that?
Impression: I think this lady may have quite a career in front of her (she already has quite a lot in front of her, ahem!)
Best track(s): Angels crying, River of love, Unbelievable, It's not me
Worst track(s): None really
Intention: Isn't there a new album out this year? Must have a listen to that.
Comments:I've been meaning to listen to this album for some time. Issa, real name Isabell Over Sveen, is only 26 and comes from the cold lands of Norway, but there's nothing cold or bleak about her music, from what I'm hearing here. Uptempo, commercially hooky rock with a strong melodic flavour, it's the sort of thing that's almost exclusively male-dominated territory, but she combines the power of Nancy Wilson with the passion of Pat Benatar, while still retaining the innate innocence of a young Britney or Susannah Hoffs and throwing in the streetwisdom and raunch of Chrissie Hynde or Debbie Harry. She certainly has a powerful voice, which can rock out on songs like Angels crying, plead passionately on Give me a sign or “crunch” it on What can I do?, and with a powerful and accomplished backing band her music really hits the spot!

Of course, what would an AOR album be, especially one recorded by a female artiste, without the obligatory ballad? And yes, it's there, but it's damn good, in fact, “Unbelievable”. Well, that's the title anyway, but it is very good; a sort of cross between rock and nu-country, sung with a lot of passion and angst by Issa, and in fact it ramps up near the end into something of a power ballad, with a great backing choir. Overall I'm impressed with this album and with Issa: very satisfying and certainly one to watch for the future.
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Last edited by Trollheart; 01-13-2015 at 05:24 AM.
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