Jamie Lynn Hart’s latest CD The Let Go builds upon the success she has had with her previous vocal driven pop-rock CD. Hart’s powerful but smooth voice allows her to cruise through or belt through each of these 11 songs with equal aplomb. Driving rock, lovely ballads, mid tempo sultry blues, Hart makes these elements all hers with a voice that never lets go of the ear.
Opening track “All Defeats” finds Hart singing with a pop crooner’s swagger over an edgier support band. Her voice emits emotion with terrific effusions of feeling and musical clarity, a pureness that she maintains no matter which tempo or register she sings in. Contrasted with a brisk rhythm section and a flinty guitar line, Hart rises above the pack with her pristine sustains and warm backing vocals. She certainly succeeds in making this tune an anthem of empowerment with the vocal power she brings to each verse.
“Bad” gives Hart a chance to rock things up a bit. She soars as she belts and sustains over frisky synthesizer lines and bristling lead guitar work. Her voice is a perfectly smooth partner to Chris Enright’s flowing electric piano melody and a perfect contrast to Doug Standley’s percussive drum smacks.
“Breakdown” showcases Hart’s assertive attitude toward a person who cannot ever hold it all together. She means business when sings about not wanting to go through another episode. She keeps her beautifully developed attitude smooth and strong through all the twists and turns in this tune’s sonic landscape. She belts the chorus like she’s got her fists ready, sassy, bold, and she makes it all work with the integrity of a voice that can carry this kind of rocking momentum.
Hart shifts into mid tempo mode for her gentle melodic ballad “Not This Time.” She gently lays her voice around jaunty grooves and pretty sparkling piano notes. It’s a treat for the ears to hear how she moves her vocal through and around the instrumentation. Her songwriting is also noteworthy for having many things going on at once, and each of these strands tug at the ear. “Not This Time” goes through changes that keep one tapping one’s toes and bobbing ones head to its catchy vibe. Hart’s voice, again, has that way of soaring ever upward, a voice that has star power written all over it.
Hart takes her sweet time unfolding her independent attitude and strong personality on “Fade Away.” Her slow boil intro simmers with tension that waits just beneath the surface to erupt, thanks to her sultry voice, one she uses like a well honed instrument. Hart emits emotion with a voice that soars upward in dramatic grandeur. The listener feels the big moment that arrives when she lands there, just like the higher moments in the greatest ballads and pop songs.
Getting brisk and feisty, Hart turns “Sidelines” into a sassy expression of her bolder side. She pushes her voice coolly and smoothly through some quick, tight verses before landing in a smooth chorus territory, one she pours through like honey. Yet, Hart is more than just a machine of vocal gymnastics. Her musicality is at a level where she can marry her techniques to appealing vocal expressions that work equally well as art. Kevin Eldridge kicks things up a notch with his fierce lead guitar expression, a burning flame that makes a nice finish.
Bass player Louis Ochoa injects his plucky charm into “Undone,” a breezy affair where Hart finesses with more of her vocal aplomb. Here, she rides the rails smoothly from down tempo glide to a mid tempo crescendo. “Seeker,” another quaint ditty, allows Hart to unfurl her lighter, breezier approach over a simple marching beat. She blossoms in this wide open space, reaching joyful peaks with her voice while making the song work with her sensitive approach to its melody.
“Thank You” is a fun, snarky reply to a former love. Hart’s voice snakes its way through a funky groove and above gritty organ and guitar. As her voice rises above the instrumentation, her theme rises in attitude and tone. She really tells this guy off, and she does it with such a sassy attitude that you have to admire her personal resolve as much as the polished vocal work, instrumentation, and songwriting.
“Something More” is a beautifully sung ballad. Hart does reach for something more, both musically and lyrically, and she gets there on the strength of her soaring vocal, ever rising higher, more lofty, more floating, with lovely sustains. By the end of the song, it’s nearly impossible to believe it began as a light piece with just Hart singing over a gently picked acoustic guitar.
Hart closes out her album with “What Could Be,” another very pleasant vocal performance. Here, Hart offers some of her most beautiful sustains ever, sustains woven into a terrific pop ballad.
Hart has come a long way since her debut CD. Academic knowledge and abundant natural talent combine to make The Let Go a powerful musical statement. It’s hard to understand why Hart isn’t already signed and famous. She has a natural flair for writing hooky pop-rock songs and engaging ballads. From there, she only needs to coat her words with her amazing, beautiful, rangy voice. Impressive. Most impressive.
