Alison Scott

“Chinese Whispers”

Who are my top five favorite bands on the Minneapolis music scene? Well, I could only give you one name, because I don’t listen to any of it. However, one soulful singer has grabbed my attention. Her name is Alison Scott, and she is defintely going places that are far away from the Minnesota state border. I hope you’re ready.

I will never forget the first time I heard her voice. We were in a studio for class, and our teacher was Kevin Bowe, Alison’s producer. It was the day where we learned about working on vocals in the studio, and he had her come work on a song for her then upcoming album. It was his way of killing two birds with one stone. Now, I had never heard her voice until this day so I didn’t know the kind of awesomeness I was in for. Now, as she was on the other side of the glass preparing to start the song, I prepared for what I thought was going to be another girl singing indie rock music. Then she started singing, and I was pleasantly surprised. This girl has the kind of soul that’s been missing in a majority of mainstream music today. I had never felt the feeling I got when I heard her sing in the studio that day. This girl has paid her dues on the Minneapolis music scene, and with her sophomore effort, “Chinese Whispers”, I have a feeling that all her hard work is going to send her on a unforgettable musical journey.

For those of you who liked her first album, you’re going to love her new release. Even though I believe you should get the album, and just press play, let me tell you about some songs on here that prove she’s destined for greatness. One track that I had the pleasure of helping record during my time at IPR is “Smash And Grab”. When I first this song in its unfinished state, I fell in love it. I remember Bowe saying that he was trying to get an Amy Whinehouse style vocal on it, but I would take Alison’s voice over her any day. When I listen to the song not only do I love the fastpaced urgency of it, but also the fact that it’s like a mix of the big band sound added by the saxophone (thank you, Walter Chancellor), and the soulful energy created from Alison’s voice and her band. The next song that I just flat out LOVE, is “The Trains”. It’s got this haunting jazz vibe to it that is just addicting to me. The last track that I want to mention brings me to the beginning of the album, which is hopefully where you intend on starting your listening experience with this record. First off, “So Why”is a great opening for the album, because it’s one of those songs that’s not too fast, but not too slow either. It’s a song that showcases what Alison can do with her voice, and I believe it also does an amazing job letting the talents of her band shine through. Now if I haven’t sold you on this record yet, then maybe I should tell you that she does a cover of “Waterfalls”. Yes, I am talking about the song that made TLC a houshold name. Alison actually does the rap on it, too. So who knows, maybe later on in her career she can create an alter-ego and give Jay-Z a run for his money. However, something tells me she’s gonna stick to using her soulful voice to bring us some meaningful music for a long time.

As I end this piece I would like to say that Alsion is a really all-around cool person. She’s also normal, too. What do I mean by that? She’s not Lady Gaga. She won’t wear a meat dress to an awards show, and she probably won’t take a household object, put it on her head, and call it a hat. If she started her own clothing line, you would actually be able to wear her stuff in public. These days a lot of the top pop stars need a handful of semi trucks, and costume changes to put on a good concert. In my opinion, and I believe many others would agree with me, give her a piano and her band. That’s all she needs. She has what I believe is missing in mainstream music right now, simplicity. Now all I ask of you is one thing, press play.