PRINTSound Advice: Dawn Landes
Fireproof
JLM PR Inc.
April 3, 2008 | 12:00 a.m. CST
Dawn Landes just seems so nice. And her second album, Fireproof, embodies that simple niceness. With its bouncy music, innocent crooning and rainy day, sore-hearted lyrics, it is perfect for springtime.
A true urban cowgirl, born in Kentucky but musically educated at NYC open-mic nights, Landes’ voice is light, airy and a bit jazzy, reminiscent of Feist. She kicks off the album with its catchiest song, “Bodyguard,” which was written after her New York City apartment was burglarized. The song begins with some simple finger-picked mandolin and gradually gets more complex as Landes toys with loops and vocals.
Related LinksShe reveals her southern roots on a meandering alt-country tune, “Tired of This Life,” with hopeful, slightly naive lyrics including “Tomorrow brings / a brand new blossoming / It’ll only make your heart sing.”
Although Landes’ songs at times tend to meander and fail to hold listeners’ attention, she tries to keep things interesting with unexpected instruments. Reflecting her musical inspirations, which span Woody Guthrie and Tom Petty, the album plays around with the occasional twang of a banjo, the tinker of a bell or the strums of a pedal steel guitar.
Just when you think you have Landes figured out, she flashes an indie-pop side with the quirky “Picture Show.” To the background of crackling film, Landes plays around on a toy piano and lets loose with some not-so-sweet lyrics.
Fireproof culminates with a hidden acoustic cover of Tom Petty’s “I Won’t Back Down.” Although she’s a city girl now, Landes proves on Fireproof that she’s the kind of woman who could break your heart and still make you some homemade biscuits. She’s just that nice.
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