Leslie, it's beautiful! I am so touched. Really, this review brings
tears to my eyes. I feel so honored, so...deeply understood. Thank
you so much!
xokristi


On Monday, December 11, 2006, at 12:25 AM, lbpiken wrote:

> I'm not sure if a message went out to everyone, I'm not extremely
> experienced in working with the yahoo discussion groups, I just
> posted a text file of the review I wrote, and when I looked at the
> file it came out- quite, horizontal. If it came out that way for you
> as well I'll post it here in an attempt for it to come out reading
> as it should in paragraph form. Sorry! I'll learn :)
>
> Brand New Ravengirl Review
>
> Review of Kristi Martel's: "Ravengirl" (Released 10.22.06)
>
> Written By: Leslie Piken
>
> I met Kristi three years ago, just months before her
> life-partner Littlebird took her own life. This event altered
> Kristi's life forever; and I never realized how much this event
> would change my life and so many others as well. Chronicled in her
> new album "Ravengirl," Kristi Martel's true colors are shining
> through all of the grief and hardship. Embodied fearlessly in this
> sixth (her 3rd full-length) album; joy seems to come quite naturally
> to Kristi in a strange yet enduring way. Fittingly, in her song
> notes she clarifies that her experience of joy in the year after her
> Littlebird's suicide made her feel like a "superhero." The
> superhero name she chose was none other than "Ravengirl," which
> opens up Kristi's world and her experience for all of us to see and
> hear.
>
> Poignant, would be a word that comes to mind when
> listening to "Ravengirl," but even then, that doesn't do it justice.
> Shocking or astonishing would be more appropriate. I've come to
> realize just how many dedicated listeners Kristi has out there, of
> which I am only one. Whether you've been listening for years, or
> have just been introduced to Kristi Martel, Ravengirl will
> definitely astound. All within fifteen songs, Kristi manages to
> touch every spectrum of the emotions, both familiar and unfamiliar.
> It just makes me realize how much of my emotional experience I
> neglect on a daily basis. Then to experience all of these feelings
> within a 64 minute LP is simply unbelievable. Within the first few
> strokes of the keys of "Harder than Dying" it was almost as if my
> chest was opened up and something else filled that space.
> In "Crossing into Dreams" the 'bumbling tumbling song' she describes
> in her songbook; Kristi brings out another side of herself,
> cheerfulness. This is a familiar state of being for Kristi; as she
> carries a silly smirk with her most of her days. This frame of mind
> even comes out when singing a song she used to sing with Littlebird,
> her life-partner lost. In "Dear Emily" Kristi courageously shares
> with us the events that occurred surrounding Littlebird's suicide.
> This song is not just an inscription of the events that occurred in
> those fateful days, it is a disquieting experience that seems to
> pull the listener right in. During the crescendo of the song,
> Kristi plays these big thick chords back and forth like a mad woman.
> It evokes such a haunting desperation; a wailing or crying expressed
> instrumentally unlike anything I have ever heard coming out of a
> piano. This song will stay burned in my memory for as long as I can
> imagine. It touches a part of my history that many of us struggle
> with in losing a family member to suicide, and also because Kristi
> truly is grieving through this song. Beyond its unmistakable
> compositional brilliance, it gives validation to those who are
> struggling with similar horrors.
>
> There's something downright uncanny about the way Kristi
> speaks to her fans and listeners within moments of hearing her
> sing. Her performance, her lyrics, the way she holds herself, and
> the way she dances (literally and on the keys) when she sings- it is
> as if she is, in essence a true storyteller. But, more than that-
> she's like[1] a spirit guide- as she takes you through her emotional
> experience, pain, and joy, holding your hand the entire way as if
> she's known you your entire life. She's a true artist who's
> mastered her form, and composes rich music, writes emotionally
> shocking lyrics, and possesses a four-octave range that is simply
> amazing. Her music rings a similarity to Stevie Wonder, Patti
> Griffin, Bjork and Toni Amos to name a few. She's toured nationally
> and played in legendary folk venues such as Club Passim and Stone
> Soup, festivals and conferences, coffee houses and clubs, concert
> halls and churches. She's been reviewed and interviewed in
> prominent national publications, college papers and radio stations.
> Interestingly enough she's got a style that sets her apart from the
> most legendary of performers.
>
> Ultimately, Ravengirl is a masterpiece. It's interesting to
> think about the fact that the album is just a piece, a fraction of
> Kristi's vision and hard work for over a decade. Every minute of
> her life she eats, drinks, sleeps and breathes her music, and it is
> quite apparent while listening to this master of her work. A mere
> fifteen songs only scrapes the surface of her indisputable talent in
> scoring, producing, creating, writing and performing music. Be what
> it may, Kristi captures such horrific pain, life altering loss and
> breakthrough joy with such ease that it left me completely stunned
> after listening to Ravengirl. Whether you are an experienced
> listener of Kristi Martel's work or hearing her for the first time
> on this album, prepare to be moved. There's no way you can finish
> this entire record without being touched by one or all of her
> lyrics, musically, intellectually, emotionally or all of the above.
> Kristi has a way of reaching out personally to her listeners and
> fans that is unique from the many performers out there. My advice
> is: do yourselves a favor and experience this album and all of the
> joy it brings.
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------
> -----------
>
> [1] Not to be mistaken for Bill Dvorak's foolish review from the
> Boston Dig. Meant as a comparison, not a statement of Kristi being
> spiritually divine, or for the faint in mind, "hopped up."
>
>
__________________________________________________________
Kristi Martel, avant-soul piano diva
Voted Best Alt-Rock Female Vocalist of 2006 by Motif Magazine
WERS 88.9fm Artist of the Week: www.kmetal.net/wers.html

"a fine musician...incomparable!" - Utah Phillips
"...love emanates from every note." - Vienna Teng

Sealed Lip Records
Full tour schedule: www.kristimartel.com
Hear and buy her 3 CDs: www.cdbaby.com/all/sealedlips
Hear outtakes and live bootlegs: www.myspace.com/KristiMartel
View the Electronic Press Kit: www.sonicbids.com/KristiMartel

opening mouths and blurring boundaries through performance & education
__________________________________________________________


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