Critic's Review
William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide
San Diego-based blues singer Michele Lundeen has a strong voice that she applies to some traditional electric blues on her debut album, Song Inside Me. Nine of the 12 tracks are credited to her as songwriter, but, while the lyrics are certainly original, the tunes will be familiar to anyone who listens to blues music. So will the performances of the band, which is led by producer and guitarist Johnny "V" Vernazza (a veteran of Elvin Bishop's group) and includes some blues veterans, among them keyboardist Austin DeLone, with Roy Rogers guesting on slide guitar on "All Day Blues." Of course, blues is a highly regimented style, and to say that these arrangements are familiar is only to say that they conform to the style. What really matters is Lundeen's powerful singing and blues swagger; she takes charge of her music forcefully and expresses the sentiments, however typical they may be, with tremendous feeling. This album makes an excellent calling card for a performer who clearly knows the blues inside and out, and who is able to put her own stamp on the style with the strength of her vocal interpretations.
