Arienette

Arienette, The Hardest of Fights

October 12, 2011

Over the years we’ve seen rock & singer/songwriter music slowly erode into over-commercialized, corporate puppet shows providing music that is extremely sing songy, predictable, popish & highly corporate. I hereby call this new breed of music “Poser Rock” & I want to personally thank all the corporate giants for successfully transforming “Sex Drugs & Rock n Roll” into “Yoga, Vitamins, & Nikelback” Of course millions of musical lemmings don’t know the difference, but not everyone is amused. Talking to many music fans out there the response is overwhelming. Give me something new, something raw, something that’s pushes the envelope with a fresh sound that doesn’t leave it soul at the door. Something that doesn’t sound like Nikelback, Daughtry or Lifehouse.

So across my desk slides the new CD by Utah’s own Arienette entitled “The Hardest of Fights” and what I heard put a smile on my face. It’s a nice easy flowing record that delivers solid songwriting with a nice folksy feel. Arienette reminds me of a modern day Natalie Imbruglia, Lisa Loeb with maybe a hint of Nora Jones and even Sara McLaughlin. You will also hear a side of Power Pop, Americana and Classic Folk. If you like the above bands you should definitely check out this CD. My favorite track is probably a toss up between “Something Good” and “These Nights” I would recommend Arienette go get herself band to back her up both on tour and in the studio. Many amazing artists like (Joni Mitchell, Edie Brickell) did this and it was a prelude to the best years of their career. CD is available on CD BABY and can be downloaded on I – Tunes.

“The Hardest of Fights” by Arienette is clearly a solid release with many feel grooves with a pleasant singer/songwriter persona that is just a pleasure to listen to. It’s a record that gives us a fresh glimpse at an amazing artist and takes us back a few years – before everything started sounding like – well Nikelback.

By: Michael Morrison - Skope Magazine

The Artist I recently checked out the latest CD from singer/songwriter Arienette (Katie Ainge) entitled The Hardest of Fights (2011). Arienette hails from Utah and this is her third release to date.

The band
The playing abilities of Arienette and her band are pretty solid across the board. I would say they possess intermediate playing abilities and intermediate writing abilities. Timing seems to be spot on within the indie-alternative rock grooves. Arienette's voice is effective as she delivers many solid vocal performances that match the folk-pop style of music perfectly.

The music
Upbeat, funny, interesting, thought provoking, and melodic. At times even melancholy. Musical textures reminiscent of Jewel, Nora Jones, The Sundays and Sara McLauglin. – anything indie and fun but possessing allot of depth as well. If you like those kinds of artists you will no doubt get a kick out of this CD. The songs Above average songs. Very simple yet effective, conservative, highly original, and passionate It strikes the prefect balance between alternative pop & just a dash of Indie folk. Arienette and company are clearly being themselves as songwriters and this is what comes out on the other end. My favorite song on the CD is "Something Good" Trust me on this one folks.

The vibe
Great vibe. Perfect for late night college parties, coffeehouses, or even magazine shops. The production delivers a lot of musical variety. Honorable mentions go out to amazing singer/songwriter hypnotic abilities of Arienette. She has something special to offer and I have no doubt she means every word of every song she sings. I give her high marks for not being afraid to let it all hang out musically. Arienette's not trying to be some popish artist striving for mass appeal – she’s just being herself. The CD refuses to try to hard – that’s what makes it so amazing

The good
Very likeable, marketable record – amazing songs, fun to listen to. The voice and presence of Arienette is to die for.

The bad
Not the most polished sounding record I've ever come across. At times CD suffers from a sever case of lack of instrumentation and is extremely sparse. The better pieces are clearly pushed to the front of the catalogue.

The ugly
The sound quality of this record is in serious need of upgrade and is comparable to a dull knife.

Markus Druery
Indieshark Music Critic - Indie Shark

CD REVIEW: Arienette - The Hardest of Fights

By: Cyrus Rhodes



"infectious - powerful - passionate"

- INDIE MUSIC DIGEST -









**********



Artist: Arienette
CD: The Hardest of Fights

Website: http://www.arienette.net

Label: Independent Artist

Genre: Alternative Rock, Indie -Folk

Sounds Like: Mazzy Star, Jewel, Cowboy Junkies

Technical Grade: 7/10

Production/Musicianship Grade: 10/10
Commercial Value: 7/10
Overall Talent Level: 8/10
Songwriting Skills: 9/10
Performance Skill: 7/10
Best Songs: Something Good, Ready or Not, The Hardest of Fights

Weakness: Mix, Lackluster Production quality


CD REVIEW:


Acoustic singer/songwriter Arienette releases her second release entitled The Hardest of Fights in 2011. Influences include Owen, Bright Eyes, Ace Enders, Sarah Bareilles, Regina Spektor, & Sufjan Stephens just to name a few. Arienette hails from Utah.



The CD quickly takes to flight with “Something Good” an upbeat intro piece that serves up steady rock rhythm, well placed guitar ambience against hooky vocal melody from Arienette that peaks and valleys its way through to emotional fruition. Track 2 “Bare Feet” shifts gears a bit with solitary musical intro against Americana rhythm guitar and a grand slam chorus. This piece is quite impressive with its demonstrating impressive vocal harmonies and percussive accents. Track 3 shifts gears back down another notch with “These Nights” a melancholy yet folksy groove that delivers earthy rhythm guitar against another heartfelt vocal delivery from Arienette. As this CD slowly unfolds I can hear many different musical influences reminiscent of such classic acts such as Mazzy Star, Jewel, Sinead O Conner and perhaps a splash of and Cowboy Junkies. The music itself is an impressive blend of acoustic rock, with folksy-type elements Despite this the music has an unmistakable alternative indie-rock aftertaste. The musicianship of everyone involved is above the bar. Along the way you will notice lush instrumentation with things like lush harmonies, earthy acoustic guitar, piano, keyboards and various percussive accents. Turning our attention squarely on Arienette - as for her vocal abilities she has an infectious soprano showcasing a notable falsetto and delicate vibrato. Her voice also works well within the confines of this conservative catalogue reminiscent of Natalie Merchant and Hope Sandoval (Mazzy Star). I might add Arienette takes several vocal risks throughout the CD indicating to me a song & confident vocal ability. From upbeat “Little Bird” to tranquil ”La Luna” to striking “Last Call” and “Adrenaline” this CD has something for just about everyone. The CD ends with title track, the perfect finale piece waving you end for a smooth landing.



I’m not a fan of how the drums sound on this CD. Kick drum lacks low end punch. Snare drum lacks fullness and sounds extremely thin. This could indicate a bigger issue. Looking now to the production liner notes I really have no idea who the Production Engineers were (Recording, Mixing, Mastering). As a result the mix lacks dynamic, bottom end frequency and crystal clear high end clarity. As a result the CD has a lack luster quality to it. Some of the songs are a bit winded and repetitive. All songs over 3.5 minutes tend you drag you to the finish line



From start to finish The Hardest of Fights from Arienette is an impressive catalogue of music. The music is very passionate, powerful and comes from a deeply honest perspective. Note for note, song for song there isn’t really weak piece on this entire catalogue. The strong suit of Arienette – the emotions showcased in her voice. Because of this, Arienette just brings the whole thing together.



Cyrus Rhodes - Indie Music Digest

CD REVIEW: Arienette - Arienette
By Cyrus Rhodes - 11/03/2010 - 11:22 PM EDT

Artist: Arienette
Album: Arienette
Label: Stone Vista Media
Website: http://www.arienette.net
Genre: Acoustic Rock, Singer Songwriter and Sadcore
Sounds Like: Sened O' Conner, Jewel
Technical Grade: 6/10
Production/Musicianship Grade: 6/10
Commercial Value: 6/10
Overall Talent Level: 6/10
Songwriting Skills: 7/10
Performance Skill: 7/10
Best Songs: Higher, Rainy Season, Catching On
Weakness: Weakness: Dry production, lacks musical depth & dynamic, repetitive catalogue
CD Review:

Acoustic singer/Songwriter Arienette releases her debt self titled CD in 2009. Influences include Owen, Bright Eyes, Ace Enders, Sarah Bareilles, Regina Spektor, & Sufjan Stephens just to name a few. She hails fro Utah.

The CD gently takes flight with “Higher” a melancholy acoustic intro piece that serves up solitary vocal delivery from Arienette that is passionate, & up front & very personal. Track 2 “Friendly Fire” keeps things moving along the intimate path with solitary acoustic guitar ambience & Arienette’s passionate voice front & center. This track along with Track 3 “Giving Me Hell” are both striking pieces that flow & ebb their way through emotional fruition. Track 3 is quite dynamic in the sense that there are several subtle time changes throughout the piece. As the CD slowly unfolds I can hear many musical influences reminiscent of classic Jewel, Suzanne Vega & & perhaps a splash of Sinead O Conner. The actual musical format is very intimate, & is an up close & personal snapshot of the artist. The songs themselves are very naked & personal with messages revealing the highs & lows of life, love, passion, & naked vulnerabity. Overall the catalogue is extremely melancholy. Besides the voice & the acoustic guitar you will also notice brief splashes of well placed solo guitar, piano & keyboard accents along the way. The acoustic guitar playing abilities from Arienette are conservative & in the pocket, with honey coated vocal timber that remonds me alot of Jewel. I might add Arienette’s displays an impressive falsetto every no & then. Lyrical content is extremely revealing as all songs cut deep to the core. From passionate “For James And Codeine” & “The Call” to striking “Light Out” & “Catching On”. to heartfelt “Your Name” & “Lullaby” to dynamic “Rainy Season” this CD has something for just about everyone. Arienette will work best on days you want a delicate acoustic sound to fill your atmosphere.

Though Arienette’s voice is full of sex appel & passion - it’s nothing legendary. Throughout most of the CD she plays it safe, and avoids taking risks that would showcase a strong, confident vocal ability. Earthy type productions such as this create ample opportunities for these kinds of "pin drop" moments for both musicians & singers out there to show what they are capable of. When done right - will blow you right out of your chair, or take your breath away. When not done right - will sound empty & somewhat repetitive. No doubt more work is required from to fill this sonic space effectively, thus keeping the attention span of the listener during those critical moments. Arienette is on the right track with these songs as theya re striking, but there are risks you take when delivering a bare bones musical performance such as this. You better hold your own well while the musical spotlight is yours. It’s fair to say more musical depth is often needed to compensate. Again I can’t help but wonder what some of these songs would sound like with other musical elements behind them. Instruments such as a pedal steel, mandolin, fiddles, viola, stand up bass, cello, piano, banjo, percussion, whirly bells, celeste and even a saw would add a much needed musical dimension. Due to lack of musical depth the production goes down extremely dry. Some of the songs are a bit winded & repetitive. All pieces over 4 minutes in length will drag you to the finish line, even at a coffee house. Again it takes an amazing amount of talent and skill to deliver a bare bones musical production effectively. Hats off to Arienette for taking all this on, but in the end of the day, this CD just sounds like it's missing something.

Overall Arienette is a striking & compelling musical production. Its strong suit is it’s overall consistecy, lyrical wisdom, & bold straightforwardness. Make no bones about it folks; It took raw honesty to write & perform some of these songs. What I like most about Arienette is there is no attempt to hide how she feels, or sugar coat the truth. I really admire artists out there who are themselves and just let the chips fall where they may. Praise goes out to the artist that has the courage to show us something real and genuine beneath their veil of vanity. Arienette is one of those artists. Be advised you may not want to listen to this CD on the day you get fired, but if you like melancholy music that provides a very real assessment of the - Muse Muse