Album Review: Miranda Lee Richards “Light of X”
By Leslie Ann
Driving down Sunset at 4:30 on a Friday on my way home from a grueling week at work will, without fail, always piss me off. It’s the kind of thing where I will blast the music in my car so loud to drown out my profanities. Last Friday was nothing new. So I figured I’d give Miranda Lee Richards’ new album, “Light of X” a listen, to add a little productivity to my routine. Before I could even reach the end of the first track, I found it utterly IMPOSSIBLE to stay mad. This music, a blend of mellow pop with a country twist, was literally lulling me into submission, even with the blasting sun, car horns, and idiotic LA drivers doing their best to wear me down. I was in awe.
I couldn’t figure that the rest of the album would be as good, but as I ventured track through track, I quickly realized what a well crafted and seamless album it is. “Light of X” is a breath of fresh air. While it seems other mainstream artists are always trying to one up each other by pushing the limits of their genre (and not always with great results), this album feels as though Miranda Lee Richards is doing the opposite. Going back to the roots of this genuinely soul filled pop genre is like a lullaby; and within this submission she creates something pure and beautiful. The album plays like a fairy tale, drawing me in to reminisce about my own past. All I can think is that I wish I had loud speakers on the top of my car so I could play this for the rest of LA!
Miranda Lee Richards recently played at the Clean Air Clean Stars festival in Joshua Tree, CA. I can’t even fathom how well her voice and music would have blended with the cool, crisp desert air. There’s always next year for that. But for now, her album is staying put in the front seat of my car; my new best friend on those long drives home.
Miranda Lee Richards will be playing shows in Los Angeles this fall, including a residency at Spaceland in February. See her myspace for tour dates, and check out Miranda Lee Richards “The Early November EP” out November 4th, 2008, and her full length “Light of X” due for worldwide release February 10th, 2009.
