By Deuce

Before running through her latest album, take a good, hard look at the artwork for Indiana Rich’s most recent Long Player. Notice how it invokes both black and white photography and color? And, that it’s a close-up of the artist and some serendipitous insect?

Next, check the title of this opus. That would be Gemini and, for those of you with some cognizance of astrology, you may be able to see where we’re going with this.

As these telltale signs indicate, Rich is absolutely, most definitely, one of those heavy duty creative types. She certainly has a unique perspective, and propensity, for songwriting, and it’s on full display on these nine tunes for which, she’s credited with being responsible for all the instruments (save for a guitar on “Strawberry Lane”).

Sometimes, she’ll just hum, or scat perhaps, the melody for say, the bass line—as is the case on the leadoff, “Independence Day”. Other times, she’ll just repeat a phrase ad nauseam, bringing forth unmistakable anaphora, which is also evinced on the same number as the artist runs through “a lot of thoughts, a lot of thoughts”.

Don’t put it past her to name-check popular web sites, and search engines for, say, hooks. Any disbelievers need only hearken to “Just Google It”. And, by all appearances, she’s not ashamed of, nor afraid, to broach topics that are certainly a tad uncommon for pop numbers, as she does in an entire verse dedicated to sunburn and fatal diseases contracted by the good old day star.

Yet through it all she’s got a strong voice that’s protean—even at, and in, the same time and space. Typically, this effect is achieved by combining her background vocals with those in the foreground (Rich is credited with doing all the vocals on the project). But when you hear her belt out the chorus, or rising action, in numbers like “When You Say You Love Me”, you’re immediately struck by the huskiness of her voice and, simultaneous, its patent lucidity. It’s an interesting combination, makes it and the tune stand out, and is pretty much par for the course on this outing.

With so many other singers rehashing clichéd lyrics, generic melodies, and predictable song structure, such ingenuity is to be appreciated, to say the least.