When the perfect mix of talent, experience and genuine spirit are rendered through recorded music, the experience for the listener is nothing less than magical. Hearing that Kay Hanley, former lead vocalist for Boston’s Letters to Cleo, and multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter and producer Linus (of Hollywood) Dotson were to join forces and collaborate, brought a smile instantly to my face. Get Wasted is a perfect example of what two individuals with enormous gifts can accomplish when they work well together.
“Happiness Has a Half-Life” bounces tightly and builds slowly as it rises to a sweet flavored, neatly packed chorus. As the song progresses, Kay’s voice dances over each poppy note brilliantly and makes your heart flutter. The song is delicious, infectious, and intelligently delivered. In “Pick Your Poison”, the guitar intro cuts with sharp, intricate, low-fi stabs then explodes into a full frontal assault of rock. Well crafted and produced, Linus and Kay play and sing effortlessly in this power-pop master track. No matter what mood the listener may be in at the moment, they will want to take to their feet and dance within minutes. Hanley commands this song with her mixture of dynamics and vocal mood. It is an instant hit from any perspective.
A classic sparkle and new breath of spirit engulfs “Here Comes the Summer” with a blanket of fantastic hooks and unlimited energy. The arrangement and overall production is the perfect recipe for a trip to hitsville on summertime radio. It makes you see the summer sun, cruising cars and seasonal heat from a completely different angle as Hanley delivers an excellent twist to a common theme. Kay’s signature style and dramatic textures shine brightly throughout the tune. You can feel her grimace as she lashes, “it’s gonna be a long one”, stating clearly her new views on the upcoming season. The thumping and jangly “West Coast Serenade” showcases Hanley’s beautiful, ringing tones as they float across Dotson’s brilliant chord changes and intelligent hooks. This shows what each of them do best as individuals and as a unit: enhance a great pop arrangement to the level that not only melts the heart, but wins the ears with great progressions, vocal arrangement, and intelligence through hot guitars and solid drums.
As this short, but colorful poem of pop comes to a close, Palmdale punctuates their statement with a tastefully charming version of “Bound to the Floor”, the 1996 top ten hit from the Illinois rock outfit Local H. Both Linus and Kay push through this tune with masterful grace. From its sparse, acoustic beginning where Hanley’s voice pleads honestly though the first few lines, the song steadily builds an amazing wave of power with the passing of every second. This is an incredible interpretation of a song, which needed to be brought to the surface once again. Palmdale has paid a wonderfully, unique tribute through their smart and honest delivery of a great rock song with its own unique identity.
An impressive piece from front to back, this hot rod of tight pop proves that both Hanley and Dotson are the masters of their craft. We can only hope that this wonderful collection of tunes is only a taste of what is to come from them in the future. Get Wasted is a five-song revolver, cocked and ready to fire bullets of killer hits. To know the musical talents and past accomplishments of both Kay Hanley and Linus Dotson should clearly show how they individually shine like diamonds on black velvet. With this new effort, a stone more precious will need to be found to make a proper comparison.
"Get Wasted" is on sale March 30, 2010 from Oglio.
