Tracy Shedd’s third release and first for label Devil in the Woods, is a light, lucid attempt at bringing her singer/song-writer roots together with a solid backing band. Whether it works well enough is the question.
While Shedd’s vocals are a perfect fit to the mellow and sugary sound of her band, it’s often hard to tell when one track ends and where the next one begins. If this was the intention, then I guess it works very well. Otherwise, I found it hard to grasp onto any one song enough to find it likeable.
The opening track, “End of the Night,” has Shedd tripping over a Liz Phair circa Whip-Smart-era vocal style. Unfortunately, she can’t quite hit the mark, and the feeling is that she just isn’t trying hard enough. While her voice is very soothing and quite beautiful, the record has a tendency to feel listless, lost in the haze of over-softened guitar and drum sounds.
Most of the tracks between the opening song and the ending piece “Brighton,” hang like dead weight on a hollow frame of a record. I think Shedd is fully aware of where she wants to go, and what she wants to do, but Louder Than You Can Hear can’t quite get her there. Her songs lack emotion, but her voice has the intention to feel what just isn’t there.
Tracy Shedd should get an A for her effort, but overall, Louder Than You Can Hear feels like a glass half-empty. Pleasant but not satisfying, this album is best kept by the bedside, for nights when the hum of the refrigerator just can’t help you fall asleep.
