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MUSIC REVIEWS
Alyson
Take
a Good Look (PM Media)
Alyson falls squarely in the middle of the mix of today’s mainstream dance
music. That’s good and bad. The good part is she’s accessible. Almost every
song on Take a Good Look sounds instantly familiar. She channels dance-floor
divas of the past with subtle but effective nods to everyone from Cathy
Dennis and Taylor Dayne to Billie Ray
Martin, Exposé, and Janet Jackson. Alyson is less
effective in those instances when she sticks too closely to established
formulas. Some album highlights are “Like That”—a song Jennifer Lopez
could only aspire to record—and “Didn’t Ya Think”—a
relentless throbbing update of “Keep Me Hangin’ On.”
Alyson also gets my vote for her vocal restraint. She’s got a powerful and
subtle instrument but she employs none of the over-the-top histrionics to which
others with her abilities fall victim.
Tom Kieliszewski
Frontiers Magazine,
Los Angeles, California – July 5, 2005