Search - Patti Scialfa :: 23rd Street Lullaby

A new favorite

Sally | South Orange, NJ United States | 10/14/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I first noticed Patti Scialfa's fabulous, but unique, voice during Springsteen's The Rising tour. Recently, I finally bought this album. It became an instant favorite and is seldom out of my CD player. I then bought Rumble Doll and would be hard pressed to say which is my favorite of the two. Don't expect it to sound anything like a Springsteen album. Her music is absolutely unique and independent of him. In fact, I think her light is being hidden under his bushel. Her lyrics are powerful (a lot about sin and redemption), the sounds are varied and her voice is incredible. Favorite songs on 23rd Street are "23rd Street Lullaby," "City Boys," "Rose". My absolute favorite is "Young in the City.""

Sister "Rumble Doll"........

collegemoney | 07/23/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Like its predessor "Rumble Doll," "23rd Street Lullaby" brings us some neatly produced material rich in pop hooks regardless of the tempo of the song being performed. While "23rd Street" stands nicely on its own, it's hard to give it the 5 stars I would rate "Rumble Doll" because (a) to me, the material is not QUITE as strong and (b) "Rumble Doll" was the original deal. Patti's voice pretty much rides down the same trail most of the time; it's a nice trail but probably wouldn't stand the test of a few dozen albums. At least not without a few major stylistic leaps along the way, such as (for example) a venture into jazz.

Now, as to the bonus live 3 cut CD, this part leaves you panting for more. The song "23rd Street Lullaby" evokes the same mental image as Rod Stewart's "Motown Song" that is, the ambiance of tunes wafting from boomboxes up and down the neighborhood alleyways like musical smoke. "Spanish Dancer" is an absolute killer, an emphatic lovesong rich in imagery you can touch and feel, topped off by a marvellous string section. At the very end of the song, an extremely human touch to remind us this is indeed "live," Patti's voice cracks like a shredded speaker, no problem, just keep on trooping, "As Long as I" kicks things into full blooded rock and roll. Give us whole concert, please!!"