MADELINE:  RAIN BABY
By Alicia Healey--Victory Review, Volume 25, Number 12, Page 13, December 2000

If you've attended any Victory Open Mics at the Antique Sandwich in Tacoma, there's a good chance you've come across the commanding personality and music of Madeline.  Longtime attendee of that Open Mic, Madeline also graced the cover of this magazine late last year (Victory Review, October 1999).  An excellent first CD, Madeline's Rain Baby offers a variety of folk-rock songs, each arranged with special consideration given to the context of the song.  I found the first several most interesting.  They have a wonderful retro sound, reminiscent of the haunting reverb and hyper-present vocals of Jim Morrison and the Doors.  The use of electric guitar with the acoustic guitar and piano (with ornamentation by some harmonica and mandolin) is simple and effective.  It has the feeling of musicians sitting in a room, listening to each other, and making music.  This is no small feat in this day of recording technology that, with all its amazing capabilities, can easily strip the music from a song.  The poetry within the songs also rings of the candid and earnest phrases of the early '70s.  In "One Chance" she makes a frank request.  "So, I will give all it will take/To show you how happy you should be/If you'd only take that one chance on me."  It is neither sentimental nor does it harbor a disguised motive, but rather a simply stated action and consequence.  In later songs, the folk-rock sensibility makes way for a more bluesy, and at times jazz-like, feel.  There are many Victory musicians that appear:  Sue Tjardes on mandolin, Jesse Caro-Maier and Vickey Lyn on vocals, and Liz Savage on vocals and lead guitar.  Also worth mentioning is the extensive work of Erin Gullaksen on many of the background and duet vocals.  Her pure tone and lyric harmonies, weave well with Madeline's husky alto melodies..Check out this recording.  **Available for a listen at the Victory Music Library.  (Alicia Healey)