Search - Pina :: Quick Look

Folky Sonic Romp From A Great New Artist

Stuart Rice | Sacramento, CA | 08/15/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Real World Records continues to surprise. Peter Gabriel's pet project to bring world music to the masses has spawned the Grammy nominated Afro Celt Sound System, the Grammy award winning album by long-time gospel group Blind Boys of Alabama, the dark sonic melange of Joseph Arthur, and now, Pina. While Pina came to Peter Gabriel's attention on Afro Celt Sound System's Volume 3 release (singing "Go On Through"), this album proves that she can more than stand on her own.When I first heard this album, I asked my friend how she would describe it. She responded with "Female Rock Folk." I guess that works. "Quick Look" (which clocks in at a quick 37 minutes) is filled with incredible guitar and vocal performances. From the first track to the last, the album astounds. The opening track "I Loved the Way," features a romping syncopation in the lyrics, along with a sonic mess of a chorus that quickly becomes addictive. Her voice has bit of bite -- a lack of smoothness that provides something easy to grab onto. And she uses to great effect, moving from one mood to the other. On the meditative, "Josephine," her voice launches into the heavens on the chorus, rising into a defiant cry that is positively spine-chilling.This is an album to buy if you like female vocalists with some bite, wit, and a future in music."

Worth a Look

Stuart Rice | 10/15/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Listening to BBC's "The World" on public radio a few weeks ago, I heard a short feature story on Pina and a bit of the first cut from the cd which was riveting enough to send me to Amazon.com for its purchase. Ms. Kollars knows how to set the musical hook, she's obviously worked at her craft and knows how to create pop songs that are engaging. But there's much more than that here, including lyrics that display a talent for writing that is sensitive, intelligent, and touching. I know that she came from Austria but her adopted home has cast a certain Celtic spell on this music--there's a lot of Irish soul here. Her ability to create rich textured layers of sound is truly remarkable, an uncanny ability to combine various instruments and voices into something delightful and fitting for each song's mood.That being said, it is too bad that samples from the cd are not available here... I've noticed that some people, like my wife, don't care for Pina's voice which was described to me as a cross between Melanie and Buffy Ste. Marie. For her, that wasn't good, but I think that this album is a rare gem--different strokes and all that. As for complaints about the short run time, I would say that considering all that is put into each song, this disc is very full indeed."