"Give and Take " by Kim Char Meredith

a Review by Anne Deming

Well, I almost had a seizure just looking at the CD jacket. Green, yellow, black, orange -- all assaulting the sense--I think my eyes are still crossed. One would think this was a poster for a traveling comedy troupe. Ah, but looks can be deceiving.

After repeated attempts to listen to this CD, I have to confess a frustration with multimedia development. Long story short, it's an "enhanced CD" which plays video on PC or MAC so when popped into a computer you're prevented from listening to the music while you surf through menus and web links to get to the songs -- if you ever find them at all.

So, after no less than 4 tries I finally marched out to my car and jammed the stinker into my CD player and took a drive. It was pure stubbornness alone that made me listen to these songs, but I'm damn happy I did.

Kim Char is worth the wait. Her music borders on pop; extremely radio friendly and jam-packed with catchy lyrics and guitar riffs. Kim Char, however, is the CD's best quality. She sings like Reba, her voice emotes; it drips with sensation. Make no mistake, she doesn't sound like any other singer I can think of, but she deserves to be categorized with some hard-hitting rock stars.

Instead of simply sounding pretty, Kim Char uses her voice to create the story. If she decided to mumble her way through the CD, I have no doubt the listener would still be able to absorb the essence of her songs. Her music is funky and direct and--well--it pulses. Breathes. It's alive. Now, let's all say a quick prayer of thanks for independent music. Pause-- Amen.

Posted on September 23, 2003