Andrea Dawn - Theories Of How We Can Be Friends

The inner circle of modern singer-songwriters that channel their music through the piano include prolific names such as Regina Spektor, Fiona Apple, Tori Amos, and Rufus Wainwright.  These artists each possess so much power in their own right and they've absolutely inspired countless of other musicians to compose and perform.  One of those performers that seems to have been struck by this inspiration is Andrea Dawn.  Andrea Dawn is an upcoming artist from Chicago whose debut album, Theories Of How We Can Be Friends, came out last year.  The record is a lush production of sweeping tales and it's also a pretty impressive introduction.

Andrea's music is centered around her sometimes soft, sometimes throaty, vocals and a heavy dose of piano.  The piano serves as a backbone to each song, providing riffs and chords.  "Numb And Fine" in particular even gets a little jazzy.  Her voice is held above every element of the music and is truly in the spotlight for the majority of the album.  I feel that the instances where a bit of reverb hits the production are when her voice hits its ideal peak.

The album's most fascinating moments are the teetering cinematic tracks like "Peter And The Sheep" and "Theories".  Andrea has stated that she's a fan of Danny Elfman's work, she even covered "Sally's Song", and it's fairly evident by the whimsical yet menacing arrangements of the tracks.  "Aren't We?", the album's closing song, takes a different route.  It creates the mental image of soft crooning over a dimmed venue, with couples observing from a distance as they slowly dance.  The song gives off such a free flowing mood and showcases another facet of the record.

I don't want to box her into a certain role, but Andrea Dawn's music fits perfectly among other contemporaries like Alison Sudol of A Fine Frenzy. One thing that stands out the most on Theories Of How We Can Be Friends is the amount of great melodies present on the record, which one could argue is the most vital part of a song.

You can purchase Theories Of How We Can Be Friends in both digital and physical formats here.  If you'd like to hear more of Andrea Dawn's music, head this way.  You can also stream the album using the player below...