Julia Wade - Solos

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Julia Wade – Solos
2012, Julia WadeJulia Wade has a singular voice born of classical trainingand operatic leanings.  As a crossoverartist, Wade’s material runs the gamut from classical to Broadway to folk, witha bit of almost everything in between. Wade seeks to inspire with Judeo-Christian inspired lyrics and an easy,contemplative musical style that lends itself to meditation.  Wade’s latest album, Solos, is cut wholly from this cloth.  Expounding on passages about God, spirituallove, sacrifice and joy.  Wade kicks off Soloswith the contemplative recitative “Beauty.” This seeming rumination on aesthetics is actually woven with phrasesthat strive for a deeper spiritual connection. Wade’s poetry is rough and unpolished at best, and her lyricpresentation style grows quickly tiring.  “Today” sounds like a labored off-off-Broadwaycastoff.  No one doubts Wade’s voice, butthe songwriting is ham-handed and her presentational style is stilted andimpersonal.  Wade hits choppy waters on“Dominion”, offering a solid vocal performance that is unable to overcomeawkward and stilted writing.  “Mind’sCamera” shows a distinct disconnect between song and style, and the lyrics areso overdone with faux intellectual spiritual musings that they become unlistenable.    “One” follows similar style and sounds, andpractically requires its own libretto.  Julia Wade is afflicted with a need to describe everythought in complete detail.  Listen to“Divine Love” if you need an example of this tendency, and how it cancompletely kill a song.  Wade bludgeonseach thought with a barrage of descriptive language that leeches the intendedspirituality and heart from the message. “Government” follows a similar path, dealing in pseudo-intellectualmusings on human institutions with spiritual overtones.  “Prayer” is truly expansive, clocking in at6:13.  Wade’s prayer is full of emotionaldisconnect.  This disconnect seeminglydecides it likes the neighborhood and sticks around through the end of Solos. Julia Wade has a distinctive voice that is perfect for the stage.   She manages to make some interest on Solos in spite of largely uninspiredspiritual writing.  You’ll want to checkout Solos for Wade’s voice, but it’sa tough garden to tend, and the songs you’ll have to wade through will try thepatience.  Solos is a tough sell.Rating: 1 Star (Out of 5)Learn more at www.juliawade.com.