The Power of Serena Ryder's Voice
When, three songs into the disc, she breaks into "My heart cries for you, sighs for you, dies for you … please come back to me," the vocals are so huge and wailing, it’s impossible to not long for whomever it is she’s singing about. Indeed, Ryder’s gift as a vocalist is to emanate that indefinable thing, whatever it is, that makes her listeners know exactly what she’s talking about, without having to pepper her songs with ornate poetry and melodic gymnastics. So the fact that those things abound in her songs, too, is just icing on the cake.There’s always a danger with impeccable instrumentalists that arrangements can go too far to drown out the skills of the artist, that some misguided producer will steer the instrument into overkill, or that the artist will be too far in the forefront, surrounded by mediocrity in hopes that the talent can shine ever brighter. Ryder’s vocals could easily carry the whole disc, overpowering her songs and the accompanists who back them. Thankfully, though, she brings us tunes like "Some of These Days," where her voice is far off and muted from the beginning, then interrupted by an exquisite guitar solo, before she really lets it rip.
The Bottom Line
From there, she moves into a lovely rendition of the French language tune, "Quand Les Hommes Vivront d’Amour" ("When Men Live for Love"). The song, lightly nudged by a distant accordion, sings of the lovely misery of love and mortality. Other highlights include "This Wheel’s on Fire," a bluesy crooner tune containing the line after which Ryder named the disc. "(Take Me For a Walk in the) Morning Dew" is a haunting R&B tune that could just as well have been masterfully performed by Ruthie Foster, with an excellent performance from the drummer. "Coconut Grove" is a smooth jazzy number with sweet, subtle emanations from the vibes."Weak in the Knees," which could easily come off clichéd, instead is a moving, heartbreaking tune about moving on. Finally, "Just Another Day" comes in like the tune that plays over the credits as the film comes to its cathartic end. Fitting.
