Regular Columnists

Artist: Juliet Lloyd
Album: "All Dressed Up"
CD Review: Genre: Adult Alternative
Sounds Like: ?
Technical Grade: 8
Production/Musicianship Grade: 8
Commercial Value: 7
Overall Talent Level: 8
Songwriting Skills: 7
Performance Skill: 8
Best Songs: All Dressed Up, Too Little Too Late, No One's Anything Anymore, Before Me
Weakness: Lack of identity/Vocal Distinction
CD Review: Juliet Lloyd, a singer/songwriter/musician from Boston, Massachusetts, and a graduate of the famed Berklee School of Music, sent me her debut LP which contains an array of potentially great jazz, pop, and r&b influenced tracks.

The sultry and sometimes funky arrangements that she uses in the neo-soul flavored "No One's Anything Anymore," and the lyrically potent "Before Me," add spice to a roster that will spark interest from adult alternative music lovers and forgiving industry professionals alike. Her most commercial song, "All Dressed Up," features a plush string arrangement over a jazz infused composition that would make both Prince and Alicia Keys proud. It is the stand out track on this project and should be used as the building block for future projects.

As good as "All Dressed Up" may be, her greatest contemporary, heartfelt performance can be found on the project's most simplistic, but catchiest track - the pop-friendly "Too Little, Too Late" - which also represents her best chance of commercial airplay. It finds Juliet pushing her chest voice to new levels and employing the use of aggressive vocal adlibs; displaying a glimpse of the vocal agility, proficiency, and effectiveness that she is capable of.

With a strong musical foundation and blossoming songwriting skills, all Juliet needs is more development and she will soon have some place to go when she's all dressed up.

Advice: Find the uniqueness of your voice and don't be afraid to embrace and celebrate it. Once you do, it will mark your arrival and establish your identity.

www.julietlloyd.com