Album – Deep Waters – Stavia

Posted by admin on November 10th, 2006

I have a real headache because of this album and it’s not because of the music, which is on the whole great. I hope Stavia doesn’t take this the wrong way, but her voice reminds me of a woman who used to do a lot of UK TV theme tunes. I say tunes, but I can’t remember any of them by name, I just know the voice and it’s very similar to Stavia’s. I can’t even remember any of the shows, which makes it even more annoying.

When it comes to more conventional comparisons, I’ve seen Stavia compared a lot to Dido. Whilst there are similarities, especially in the slow, piano tracks, there is a certain earthiness to Stavia’s voice which makes Dido’s seem saccharine sweet in comparison. I discovered Stavia through a single song and on the basis of that, requested the album. At first I have to admit, vocally her voice has a certain nervousness about it, but the more you listen to it, the more it seems to fade.

Stavia’s music is her passion and this indeed is her second released album, put together with a cast of supporting musicians and indeed friends. It may however come as a surprise that she studied medicine and actually trained as a neurologist.

This 12 track album opens with one of my favorite songs on the album “Falling” and is the perfect opener. “A Different Song” continues in a similar vein, but the two songs that follow “I Don’t Need You” and “Just Can’t Help it” up the tempo a bit. I must admit, I much prefer the slower, more thoughtful side of her music. Fortunately the rest of the tracks follow this more laid back and relaxed approach. “Broken Hearted” has a very strong Greek feel to it and nicely breaks the album up. Every silver lining usually has a cloud and for me that cloud is “Vulnerable”. Musically this track is great, but lyrically it seems very weak and almost childlike in the lyrical construction and phrasing. Fortunately this is the only low point on the album, but it is just one of those tracks that has my finger reaching for the next button. Picking out my favorite tracks, they would have to be “Falling”, “Lucky Day” and “The Tide has Turned”.

Conclusion : An interesting artist, with a distinctive sound. Certainly Dido lovers will feel right at home, but there’s certainly enough on this album to win over all that listen.

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