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Universal
Hall Pass: Mercury
Though few high school attendees have ever been lucky enough to obtain one, one might think a universal hall pass would allow its possessor to wander at random, entering even the most elusive corridors. Mercury the debut album of one-woman-band Universal Hall Pass, allows singer/songwriter Melissa R. Kaplan to do just that. Starting out in the classroom of artists like Bjork and Tori Amos, Kaplan goes on to roam a variety of musical paths, traipsing through pop, rock, electronica and Middle Eastern influences along her way. Kaplan started her journey as part of Splashdown, a Boston-based electronic-pop assemblage that earned itself a dedicated following, as well as soundtrack action in motion pictures and WB television shows. Universal Hall Pass and Mercury are her latest efforts. Starting off with a pop, opening number Tutelary Genius is a stepped-up, more visionary version of the bouncy teenybopper numbers gracing todays Top Ten stations. But Kaplan quickly veers toward more serious, often piano-driven trip-hop by the second track, Dragonfly, a progression that continues through the albums finish, especially in Solar/Lunar and the brooding Misdirected. As promised, there are sidesteps along the way. The largely a cappella Katrinah Josephina, true to its name, sounds lyrically, melodically and accentually like a traditional German polka. Traveling further east, Six-Step Dragon is a translation of a Chinese song. While modernizing the music electronically, Kaplans interpretation stays true to its origins. Only in Avril Lavigne rip-off Special Agent does Mercury orbit back to the mainstream. Otherwise, Kaplan prefers to remain in the rarely visited back passages to which her Universal Hall Pass gives her access.
Universal Hall Pass Official Website Check Amazon, Insound and CD Universe to purchase this album. About LOTD Contact/Staff Advertise Home All content LEFT OFF THE DIAL 2001-2005. All rights reserved. |
