Northern California new age-ish folk singer Allette Brooks recently saw my video "If Polar Bears Were Humans" (link) and sent me a copy of her latest CD suggesting I might want to use her anti-global warming track "Lost the Shore" on that or a future video. I believe she knows my video was a bit of a satire and she was chiding me a bit. But, that's OK: I need chiding. Also, people sending me tapes (or in this case CDs) makes me feel important, almost like the Internet Superstar I am in my mind.

As for the CD, I listened to it and I played the title track ("Blaze") a few times, and it's not that bad. She does have a good voice. However, the first thing I actually heard is the generic production; I don't know exactly how to describe that, but it would be nice if it were either more raw or more wall of sound. From the folk perspective it's more in the New Age rather than the "Nasally Whining Songs of Peace and Freedom Being Oppressed by the Oppressors" variety of folk that I tend to prefer when I'm in the mood for things like that. From the pop perspective it's not as lush as I'd prefer. And, while I'm sure she believes in the things she's singing about, I'm not exactly feeling that coming through. With something like the first one here, the fact that she actually believes what she's singing comes through loud and clear. Those are, of course, a matter of personal taste, and you can check out the samples at her site and decide for yourself.