Cheryl Bartlett
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Cheryl Bartlett

Honolulu, Hawaii, United States

Honolulu, Hawaii, United States
Band World Adult Contemporary

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""Like Ocean, Like Lace" Music Review"

Like Ocean, Like Lace
SHAWN LIVINGSTON MOSELEY
FEB 25, 2009

LIKE OCEAN, LIKE LACE / Cheryl Bartlett Akimbo Productions

There are records that you listen to once and know what they’re all about. There there are records that change, evolve and grow with every play. Like Ocean, Like Lace, Cheryl Bartlett’s debut record is one of these. “Can I Touch Your Heart” opens like a young Joni Mitchell, evolving through island-inspired songs, validated by slack key master Ozzie Kotani on “Aloha U’ilani.” Cheryl then offers “Renda Branca” a danceable number sung in the “sexy” Portuguese language, so use your imagination wisely.

The record’s diversity is a perfect mirror image to Cheryl as a multi-talented artist. No stranger to putting herself on the line as a former Miss Hawaii, Cheryl not only sings on the record, but is responsible for writing most the songs. They are clearly heart-felt, yet sophomore in nature, with “Fallen Woman” being the most powerful and memorable. A special treat on the enhanced CD is the accompanying music video, directed by Michael Wurth, which pulls you into the song’s meaning deeper and poses the question, “Is a fallen woman better in or out of love?”

The engineering on the record is well balanced across the frequency spectrum, but the stereo compression strips some songs of crucial dynamics like the chorus in “House in Pauoa.” The production shows great attention and care was clearly given to the lead vocals. Being classically trained, it’s certain that directing and smoothing out Cheryl’s strong voice in the softer songs was a learning experience, but mostly successful. It’s not often that you hear debut records like this, and less often that you look forward to the next one, but with Cheryl Bartlett and her obvious devotion to music, it should be worth the wait. Until then, turn your stereo up, play “Renda Branca” and dance.

- Honolulu Weekly


"Island Mele by John Berger"

"Like Ocean, Like Lace"
Cheryl Bartlett
(Akimbo Productions)
Cheryl Bartlett's full-length album is a bold and beautiful debut. Bold because almost every song is an original, beautiful for the airy acoustic arrangements that complement her sweet voice and engaging lyrics, well, beautifully. Her voice is a delightful instrument over and above the emotions she conveys with it; a Portuguese number proves the point.

Acoustic melodies accented with flute, guitar and catchy Latin rhythms predominate, and they fulfill the promise made with the cover art, but Bartlett taps other genres as well. Ozzie Kotani is her sole accompanist on "Aloha U'ilani," an original hapa-haole song that draws on her classical vocal training. With guitar and electric keyboards backing her on "A Million Miles," Bartlett shares a memorable taste of her pop capabilities. - Honolulu Star-Bulletin


Discography

Cheryl's debut CD of 12 original songs, "Like Ocean, Like Lace" was released in October of 2008 to critical praise. Selections from the CD and an accompanying music video may be heard/seen on Cheryl's Myspace site, www.myspace.com/cheryljbartlett.

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Bio

Cheryl Bartlett is an award-winning singer, songwriter, actress, dancer, and speech-language pathologist residing in the state of Hawai'i. Cheryl attributes her appreciation of the arts and all things creative to her musical family and her international roots in Norway, Guam, California, West Virginia, and Hawai'i. As a former Miss Hawai'i, Cheryl has enjoyed the opportunity to sing Hawaiian music as a promotional representative in Japan, New Zealand, Australia, Western Samoa, and across the mainland United States. A love of dance has brought the rhythms of Brazil, Panama, Ecuador, Spain, and the Middle East into Cheryl's body of work. Cheryl's work has been featured in two independent films, as well as numerous stage plays and musicals. Her music video "Fallen Woman" was recently nominated for a Na Hoku Hanohano Award in Hawai'i as Music Video of the Year for 2009. Cheryl performs in various restaurant, lounge, festival, and concert venues throughout the year. When she is not performing or writing, Cheryl serves the children of Hawai'i with special needs as a licensed speech-language pathologist.