On her forthcoming EP, Pittsburgh native Melinda Grey sings bluesy rock with a whiff of country and pop. Her previous release titled The Melinda EP, from 2007, leaned more toward pop music. She attempts a rougher, more down-home sound this time around. Her new style is part Etta James, part Aerosmith, and part Britney Spears. It's a solid performance by a talented and well-trained singer (she attended Berklee College of Music in Boston) but she was at her best singing upbeat country and pop. Even if I ignore her teen-idol style PR photos, I just can't buy her as a gritty soul singer.
One of her new songs “The Hard Way” was co-written and produced by Kevin Bowe, a Grammy winner who's worked with blues legend Etta James. It's better than the irritating “Can't Take The Mud Out,” but the track I like the most is the wistful ballad “Don't Be Sweet.” It's a message to her unhappy boyfriend who's trying to hide his true feelings. The story and relaxed delivery ring true compared with the forced grittiness that saturates the other three songs. The band is descent and gives her a standard backdrop to belt over. No big deal since, after all, Melinda is supposed to be the main attraction.
Overall this new EP didn't grab me. Melinda grey is talented and photogenic, but this release is somewhat lacking. I'd like to see Melinda Grey produce more light fare like the 2007 track “Devil's Garden.” I'd rather hear her doing some solid mainstream country-pop than mediocre blues.
Nathaniel Rolnick – MuzikReviews.com Staff
February 2, 2010
