REVIEW: Mary Ann Farley, First Few Words (River Records)
- Bob Gajarsky
Hoboken has produced or helped influence a slew of bands during the last ten years, including the Cucumbers and the db's, Yo La Tengo and Tiny Lights. One of the area's brightest new performers shines in the name of Mary Ann Farley.
Farley's E.P., First Few Words, concentrates solely on her keyboard skills, which cover the gamut from the a brilliant rendition of "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" (more on this later) to the Vince Clarke (Erasure, Yazoo) styled "I Hear Them Singing", to an Enigma-tinged "My Poor Boy".
Ah, "Grapevine". The song's been covered to death my millions of undeserving artists, but Farley twists the original in such a way that this author was mysteriously whisked away by the track to a darkened cocktail lounge, where the song is performed as an evening's final selection. It was all in my head - but the sultry vocals and mood of this unique interpretation took me elsewhere.
Interested parties may catch Farley in Hoboken at Maxwell's on November 15th at 9:30 p.m. for a free performance, which also includes several guitar-based tracks not available on the cassette. Or, to hear her version of "Grapevine", call 212-802-8496. The four song cassette can be purchased direct from Farley for $6.
