Amanda Grace "Give Me Away"
Review by: Dani Erin, Writer @danierinmusic
Edited by: Andrew Perrizo, Owner/Editor @PlaylistTC
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Do you ever get the feeling that you should just hop into your car, turn your phone off and start driving with no GPS, just your intuition leading the way. You grab your favorite snacks (pizza flavored Combos and cool ranch Doritos obviously), fill the gas tank up and go. The only real question is what do you play on the radio. This is where Amanda Grace should come into play. When I played her first song “Give Me Away” I was instantly transported to my car with the windows down on I-94 or maybe it was 35W. Pushing the gas pedal a little too angsty while the Twin City skyline fades into the rearview mirror.
As a whole this album flows like a great book you just can't put down. I love when albums are designed in a way that you want to know what the next song could be. Amanda’s album is eclectic and definitely beckons you to listen from start to finish. I am enticed by her intros, almost like a little whisper in your ear saying, “Yes, yes you do want to keep listening.”
“Hey Pretty One” is perhaps one of my favorite songs on the album, it's simply a well constructed song. The song flows and changes at the perfect time. Also her callbacks in this song are just as important as having a chorus. On this track Amanda’s backing band feels like the most luxurious pillow, offering support for her vocals to sore to each note.
At this point in my imaginary roadtrip I have made it to the country where I stay in the slow lane, freight trucks look like small dots in my rearview mirror and as they get closer they are massive and the wind pulls my steering wheel. On the radio next is “Mothers Lullaby,” the 6th track on Give Me Away. It's a song that makes me think “what am I running away from?” This is where my imaginary road trips gets interesting. All the thoughts that were cloudy in the inner city are now processing in the openness. It's a touching song that sings to your inner child. I remember myself on a swing set when the world felt simple. There is something about this track for me that makes me think it will all be ok, that it has always been ok.
You can tell that a lot of care and thought went into this record, that the album was meticulously combed over. Amanda’s vocals are raw and refreshingly real. At points I felt like she was right in front of me and we were having a cup of coffee talking about…well I'm gonna keep that between us.
When I asked Amanda what inspired her to write this album she said “Give Me Away as a title track in essence is sort of about letting go of your ego and realizing that you have gifts for others in doing what you do each day. A lot of the time the things that we do for others don’t seem like anything special, in fact, we probably would say most of them would go unnoticed. But it’s these tiny, seemingly insignificant moments where we reflect some of the kindness in us to another person is what life is all about.”
So it is settled then the next imaginary road trip I go on Amanda Grace is coming with me.
You can listen to Amanda Grace's album Give Me Away on Spotify and Bandcamp.
