REVIEWS

Reviewer: Jan Portugal
Karen Thurber's first CD - In a Dream - Rocks!!!

Karen Thurber is a refreshing new talent on the horizon. The timbre of her first album, In A Dream is captivating and unique, an interesting blend of jazz, folk rock, country, and latin, with a dash of the blues. The pacing is tasteful, not too much instrumentation, nobody showing off, everybody complimenting the other to present the songs in their purist form. Karen's vocal chops are instantly pleasing and delicious. Mature, sultry, warm, and sweet, full of nuance, she's not trying to imitate or to be anything other than her own frank, gutsy, let-it-all-hang-out-baby, self. Her style is really her own. The symbiosis on Don't Hesitate between Karen and Jeff Pevar, of CPR fame, is a reciprocal crossing over of voice and guitar, richly complimentary. One of the outstanding qualities of this album is the perfect rhythm embodied in Karen's singing and playing, her storytelling is a colorful assembly of brave declarations born from dissolutional love, all surprisingly upbeat and sometimes humorous. Remember is a banquet of distinct sounds and complex rhythms, I instantly wanted hear it again. The Wind rocks solid, you have no choice but to break free and be swept away. For a first album the professionalism is outstanding. I recommend this CD to all men who may need insight into a woman's soul and a good time for women everywhere who can do a little finger snapping, give me an uh huh, coz I dig what you're sayin' blues.

Reviewer: J. Wallace from Indie-Music.com 10/08/2005 s
"A James Taylor Fan would not be disapointed"

Artist: Karen Thurber

CD: In a Dream

Home: Santa Barbara, California

Style: Eclectic/Rock/Folk

By J. Wallace

It's hard to categorize this album. New age rock and roll? Neo-hippie electric folk? Whatever you call it, the songs are well-played, the lyrics are quirky and the production is good. In A Dream appeals to a certain type of listener. A James Taylor fan wouldn't be disappointed, but those fussy Dave Matthews Band people (you know the type, the ones who say they're listening to “Dave”) would probably give this a pass. Let ‘em.

For the rest of the fans of acoustic jams and jazz/bluesy riffs, Thurber offers tracks like “Beloved," “Conversation,” and “Journey,” which actually has some DMB flourishes. In fact, if DMB sang this one, it would probably wind up getting played ten thousand times on the radio.

Topically, the album goes a bit bipolar at times. “Needy Love” wants a potential suitor to take a hike, but the latin-flavored “Cosmic Tease” changes gears to a more sultry tone. ‘Cosmic tease brings me to my knees.” Thurber croons, “I'm going off the deep end.”

“Don't Hesitate” has a bit of the Texas blues tossed in for good measure, and the final track closes the disc out with a sentimental vibe. “To My Surprise” actually has a dash of melancholy, but overall it's a hopeful track.

Thurber's backing band handles the music gracefully, she also chimes in with her own acoustic guitar work. The disc is almost too musically eclectic at times, but overall the presentation is good, and the songs are ordered for maximum enjoyment — there's no sonic overkill detracting from the experience.

It may be hard to categorize Karen Thurber's new album, but fans of these kinds of sounds will be pleased to know there's another artist to add to the electric/acoustic sort-of-hipppie jazzy-jam list.

Reviewer: Chip Withrow from MusesMuse.com
CD REVIEW: Karen Thurber – In a Dream
By Chip Withrow - 10/25/05 - 12:58 PM EST

Karen Thurber's In a Dream sounds fresh and original today, but the styles she blends used to be a significant part of the popular music landscape. From the mid-‘70s through the early ‘90s, Rickie Lee Jones, Heart and Bonnie Raitt had pop radio hits, and Karen's engaging, sophisticated mix of blues rock, jazz, and folk is in the spirit of those artists.

The first two songs, “The Wind My Friend” and “Conversation with the Moon,” show the different ends of Karen's musical spectrum. “Wind” is a straight-ahead rocker with a catchy chorus. “Conversation” offers nice guitar interplay between her acoustic and Jeff Pevar's jazzy electric. Karen's wise, sultry voice stands out in both numbers.

Lyrically, both “Wind” and “Conversation” seem to be personifications of cavalier men. Much of the lyrical content of the album appears to address a shallow, self-possessed lover or former lover. The powerful, direct “Needy Love” stands out among songs with that theme because it is so electric and heavy.

“Ooh Rider” is such a cool song – a simple, passionate chorus that echoes in your head, poetic lyrics, and slippery steel guitar work from Pevar. Another great song in a similar vein is “Don't Hesitate,” in which Karen's vocals and Pevar's guitar work achingly complement each other.

“Journey” is a gem – poppy and positive with a funky groove and a great message. It puts me in the same frame of mind as the Allman Brothers classic “Blue Sky,” but “Journey” has more of a bouncy feel to it.

The album closes with a couple of acoustic highlights. “Remembering” has an Eastern folk feel to it (think “Going to California” by Led Zeppelin) and haunting layered vocals. “To My Surprise” closes the set on an uplifting note, with Karen hitting some sweet high notes. The more I listen to this song, the more heartwarming I think it is.

According to her website, Karen currently performs solo. Although on In a Dream the instruments are cleanly mixed to showcase Karen's songs, it would be interesting to hear her voice and acoustic guitar unadorned.