Having apparently already created somewhat of a splash in Canada, singer/songwriter Melanie Dekker is about ready to make an impact on our shores as well. Cuts above the usual acoustic-pop dross, Dekker offers cleanly-produced fare with much more lyrical punch and frustrated emotions than the glut of Brand-X guitar-strumming lookers.
The flirty "Haven't Even Kissed U Yet" has some charming talk-singing with ringing guitars and sunny piano; it's a pretty little number about a celebrity crush. The infatuated daydreaming, "Hand in hand we grab the sunset and Moulin Rouge/Go cruising through Egypt, like we were meant to," is particularly girly but the song is too cute and innocent to resist.
After the summer spell of "Haven't Even Kissed U Yet," the record somewhat takes a more downbeat (lyrically, at least) turn, giving Dekker's work more depth and courageously candid twists. "This Song" playfully describes heartache with pop-culture (Dave Matthews) and geographic (The Gorge) references, giving it a modern, you-are-there perspective that is hip and contemporary.
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Despite the angst, Dekker often sounds quite cheerful. "This Song" conveys more warmth than tears of pain, and "Little Miracle" doesn't feel as bitter as it really is. However, not everything here is about losing lovers. "Fall In (Wounded Soldier)" is about the battle-scarred afraid of giving love another chance, and "Calling" seems to be mourning the death of a friend.
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