PotionCountry of origin:U.S. Type of music generally:Acoustic folk/pop/jazz Status:Most recent release, Parallel Worlds (EP, 2010) See also:Potion's site Comparisons:Dave's True Story, Once Blue, The Pretenders, Stereolab Covers/own material:Own General comments:Potion is a folk-rock duo made up of Annie Maley and Michel Diaz de Bedoya that is hard to pin down. Their press pack advertises them as James Taylor-flavored West Coast Jazz—whatever that means. The songs are catchy, and Annie Maley's vocals are confident and competent without being flashy. Michel's backing voices add just the touch of support and harmony to flesh out their sound nicely. (jjhanson@att.net) Recommended first album:Band of Outsiders Recordings:
Among DreamsRelease info:2000—self-released Availability:See website for availability Ecto priority:Recommended Group members:Annie Maley Produced by:Potion Comments:Each song is quite a bit different than the other, pulling in a wide variety of influences. "Carousel", the opening track, has a touch of reggae, and the next song, "Clinging to No One" has a bit of a samba feel to it. Overall their music is like a spring breeze, its reminiscent of a lot of things, while still completely fresh. The duo wrote all tracks on the album, and their songwriting is accomplished, using a wide variety of styles and instruments. (jjhanson@att.net) Circa epRelease info:2002—Blue Orange Records Availability:See website for availability Ecto priority:Recommended Group members:Annie Maley Produced by:Potion Comments:Bright energetic pop with Annie Maley's rich voice leading the way, almost in counterpoint to their bouncy sound. Very interesting conjunction of catchy sounds. (sophiagurley@hotmail.com) Band of OutsidersRelease info:2005—Blue Orange Records Availability:See website for availability Ecto priority:Recommended Group members:Annie Maley Produced by:Potion Comments:A really catchy, lively album. Good songwriting and and again I'm really intrigued by how the almost-smoky, almost-dark vocals play against the bouncy pop instrumentation. Occasionally The Pretenders' influence feels strong, other times there's no likeness at all. Sometimes I hear a touch of Stereolab, too. Pretty delightful. (sophiagurley@hotmail.com) |
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