"Cherry Blossoms" by Girl on Top

a Review by Sarah Bernardi

Since I'm primarily an obsessed fan of the Goth/industrial rock music genre, I was definitely excited to start sampling some more "classic" rock albums. I was fortunate enough to receive a copy of Girl on Top's second release "Cherry Blossoms", and I can honestly say I wouldn't go anywhere without it.

To start, Girl on Top is a Boston-based band, fronted by Karen DeBiasse. Karen is definitely no stranger to the music business. In fact, she seems to be an authority figure as she runs and maintains her own Voice/Music Instruction school in the city of Boston.

With a degree from the Berklee School of Music, and a student of Emerson College, Karen was playing music wherever she was, eventually meeting esteemed vocal instructor Dante Pavone. Karen met with him after previously straining her voice, and soon enough, Karen was back to writing and producing her own independent music.

The release "Cherry Blossoms" is all around amazing. Listeners will instantly fall in love with Karen's voice as she sings about love, loss, and life in general.

Standout tracks include "Air Waves", where Karen takes a stab at the current state of the industry, and how difficult it is for artists to break through.

My personal favorite is "Protect Yourself" as Karen sings warnings to people everywhere.

There are 2 excellent covers on this record as well. "Gimme Shelter" and "Paint it Black" are very well done.

Posted on June 27, 2004