As the liner notes to this 1995 EMI release point out,
Once Blue consists of two people,
Rebecca Martin and
Jesse Harris. The band assembled behind this duo is there primarily to showcase
Harris' songwriting and
Martin's vocals, so if you are looking for the synergy of a tight band you might look elsewhere. That said,
Harris' songwriting and
Martin's vocals are well matched, her voice carrying off the emotional tones of his lyrics, sometimes sexy, sometimes blue, sometimes happy. The sound of the CD doesn't venture far into any particular genre, although it has a particularly light, jazzy feel. This CD deserves more than one listen; since it is a rather moody recording, it sometimes takes the right mood to realize its beauty. [A 2003 Japanese version adds a bonus track.] ~ Jeff Crooke