Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 9/10
Where others fall and drown in their lyrics, Dana Fuchs takes it all in her stride. With a voice that endears itself to the listener as she soaks up the intensity and passion afforded by the generous musicianship by Jon Diamond, Jack Daley, Shawn Preston and the superb Glenn Patscha and in return her gravelly smoky voice blows tenderness up the backside of those who might dare to dismiss her and her latest album, the fantastic Bliss Avenue.
There surely won’t be many of those that do though, by the time they have listened to the album and realised that like the U.K.’s Joanne Taylor Shaw, sometimes the most amazing things, the most incredible female singers and musicians can come out of the most surprising areas. Having been born in New Jersey and raised in Florida, gives this woman and her music a reflection and self-analysis that isn’t found in many. The blue-collar work ethic of the north coupled with the so called Sunshine State’s laid back attitude makes this a woman whose words not only should be taken in but revelled amongst as if wrestling an alligator in the full throws of attack, there can only be one winner and won’t be the listener’s negativity.
Dana Fuchs’ music and the rich tapestry of lyrics she lays down on Bliss Avenue’s tracks speak volumes about her and the way she looks and deals with life. Life may sometimes be harsh, in some cases undeservingly so but it is how you deal with the kicks, the beatings th/at come your way that define you and in tracks such as the sensational Rodents In The Attic, Baby Loves The Life, Livin’ On Sunday, Vagabond Wind and the title track of the album, the wonderful Bliss Avenue, each song feels as though it’s been forged in a fire of such penetrating heat that the emotion she carries inside of her is only the start of what is to come out and pour down into the listeners sub-conscious.
If 2012 was an exceptional year for female performances, then 2013 has been extraordinary and Dana Fuchs’ Bliss Avenue is a breath-taking addition.
Ian D. Hall