Philadelphia audiences have a reputation for being notoriously tough and demanding. Why? Jazz bassist Gerald Veasley, a Philly native and resident, has theorized that listeners in his home town are spoiled. The East Coast city has boasted a long list of musical heavyweights who range from John... [+] Expand

Philadelphia audiences have a reputation for being notoriously tough and demanding. Why? Jazz bassist Gerald Veasley, a Philly native and resident, has theorized that listeners in his home town are spoiled. The East Coast city has boasted a long list of musical heavyweights who range from John Coltrane and Lee Morgan to Teddy Pendergrass, the Delfonics, and Patti LaBelle -- and Veasley believes that, as a result, Philly listeners have unrealistically high expectations when they go out to hear live music. Veasley's theory is certainly an interesting one. And if you go along with his assertion that Philly listeners are too spoiled and demanding for their own good, you have to admire the fact that Nancy Falkow was able to win many of them over in the late 1990s. The Philly-based singer/songwriter showed a lot of promise on this late 1990s EP, which demonstrates that the generally favorable press she has enjoyed in the Philly media is well deserved; all five of the tunes that she wrote or co-wrote for this release are impressive. Listening to pop/rock items like "Your Affair" and " "Killing Time," one hears a strong Carole King influence; like King, Falkow isn't a R&B singer per se, but does have R&B influences. For Falkow, being R&B influenced is hardly a negative on the Philly scene -- from doo wop to urban contemporary, Philly is famous for its R&B heritage. But King isn't Falkow's only influence; one also hears traces of Natalie Merchant and Lucinda Williams in her honey-voiced performances. Falkow, however, is very much her own person -- and, in 1999, this EP indicated that she was someone to keep a close eye on. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide [-] Collapse

• songs
• similar
• videos
• eyeviews
• reviews
• download directory