The incongruously titled
Dawn of a New Day is in fact stuck in the shadows of the past -- for the most part, the album eschews contemporary fare in favor of well-worn selections from the Great American Songbook, and while
Margie Day's sophisticated, penetrating vocals approach the familiar lyrics from intriguing new perspectives, the music seems hopelessly square.
Ray Ellis,
Chuck Sagle, and
Jimmy Wisner share arranging duties, incorporating elements of jazz and blues but effectively ignoring the innovations of '60s soul -- the 1968 copyright notice on the back sleeve notwithstanding,
Dawn of a New Day seems to originate from a different era altogether, sticking to safe, predictable material like "Over the Rainbow," "As Time Goes By," and "Wouldn't It Be Loverly?"