Dawn Landes
Fireproof
Fun Machine


If you enjoy a sweet, idyllic treat such as Cat Power on occasion but find it to be an overbearing experience of flimsy piano balladry, then your ears will take pleasure in hearing Dawn Landes' fresh, upbeat folk with classic sounds and pop tinges. The reason I liken Landes to Cat Power is because at first I thought it was Cat Power. But 'Fireproof' heralds a change in folk music and could be the beginning of something marvelous. Landes not only lets her own influences run amok, but gingerly takes pages out of the books of artists of yesteryear and today without bearing too much resemblance to the sources.

It's in the timid moments that Landes shines. The gently finger-picked Twilight strengthens into a beautiful jangle akin to Sheryl Crow, complete with country slide guitar. Oddly, Landes displays weakness on several tracks (I Don't Need No Man and the very Cat Power-esque Private Little Hell) despite the strength she emanates in composure. Also, the poppier she gets, the better she sounds. The light plod of Goodnight Lover and the desperate I'm In Love With The Night allows her vocal to push through her shyness and create quality sitting alongside the likes of modern day marvels Feist and Regina Spektor. Amidst the acoustic folk laden with banjo lies the jazz injected Picture Show and it sits rather uncomfortably in the mix. The following track Kids In A Play picks up the slack, though, with a weak vocal but brilliant chord sequencing and a plush ending.

Not instantly noticeable is the ingenuity and new direction Landes has taken folk in, so small criticisms aside, 'Fireproof' flourishes with every listen.

Monika Laskowski