Linda Smith and Paul Baroody, also known as
Yours Truly, offer up a simple and poppy parade of songs on their debut,
Domesticated. The disc starts off with the title track, a synthesizer-rich and bouncy song, with Smith's vocals prominent. The synthesizer and keyboard have a more haunting and aggressive sound on songs like "Psychopathic People," "Qualms and Misgivings," and "Bells of Saint Michael's." On some songs, the organ and Smith's vocals are almost similar to
Siouxsie & the Banshees. Overall though, the mood is bright, like on the frolicsome "Sing and Be Glad." Even ominous-sounding titles like "Bitterness" and "Everything Is Falling Down" have a poppy instrumental backdrop. The disc's final track, "Give Thanks and Praise," has a definite 1980s feel to it, as the band takes out all of its synthesizer tricks, creating a unique sound. Smith's voice is sometimes comparable to
Sarah Dougher's, while at other times it's more reminiscent of Rebecca Gates.
Domesticated was released on New Jersey's Ba Da Bing Records in 1999. ~ Stephen Cramer