Hello Saferide Album: “Introducing... Hello Saferide”

Browsing has become second nature when it comes to looking for and buying music. (Amazon, CDBaby and Klicktrack: There are no better sites on the web in what they offer and when it comes to service, and I also have every music genre covered.)

My top finds so far of this year are: TWO TIMES THE TRAUMA, Hello Saferide , Emmon, Train Go Sorry.

Hello Saferide /" Introducing: Hello Saferide " is an album that connected with me more than the other way around. Being a huge fan of Kristin Hersh and Jill Sobule could be the reason ,"Nothing Like you" could have been written by Kristin Hersh. While Jill Sobule first Album would be a good musical referrence in style and lyrical feel, songs like "I kissed a Girl" and "supermodel" would be lyrically closer.

"Introducing: Hello Saferide" has more of an indie's feel with its lo fi production and cafe acoustic pop/rock/ folk music style. Lyrically to me its where reality bleeds into fantasy and then back out in to reality again . I could imagine her taking a contract out on God!

The album has made my world a better world, to me that is what music can do and does do.

Even though this album was released in 2005, it's my favorite record for 2006. In my opinion, the best pop songs are the ones that deal with raw human emotions and serve them up in sweet, three minute packages, and 'Introducing...' is 12 tracks that epitomize that perfectly. The album begins with the wistful lament of 'Nothing Like You (When You're Gone)' and immediately answers it's emotional distress by following with the pure bubblegum glory of 'My Best Friend.' That dichotomy is one that carries throughout the record, and is what makes this album so compulsively listenable. The songs play along with each other, showing that happiness and lonliness are compliments more often than opposites. You get the feeling that Ms. Norlin has had some pretty tough times but she also shows you how far she's willing to go to make tomorrow the best day ever. The tempos change, different styles are explored, she changes character voice, and alternate instrumentations abound from song to song, all the while informed by a consistent emotional honesty and humor. Maybe you're reading this and asking yourself "what the hell is this reviewer talking about?" If you want a record to sing along to on road trips with the windows down and the stereo blasting, this is it. If you want a record to play on those days when your boyfriend is the last person you want to talk to, this is it. If you want a record to remind you how good it feels to be in love, this is it. If you want a record to stay in your player for months at a time and still reveal new things about itself, this is it. 'Introducing...Hello Saferide' is a perfect pop experience.

Album has a nice coffee house pop/folk feel. Some of the songs are just brilliant (If I don't write this song, Long Lost Penpal, Highschool Stalker), and some fall flat. The strength is in the lyrics and the pop hooks. Not the best produced album I have heard.

If you like stripped down, clever pop, you should at least check out the myspace page they have and give them a listen.