Leighann Burke

Having worked in radio for more years than I care to remember, I've heard it a thousand times-people don't always look like they sound.
True enough-though I think I do.(Of course, everybody does.)
But there is truth in the statement. A case in point is local singer Leighann Burke. She's just issued her debut disc, "Divided."
A thin, very pretty redhead, I expected to hear a lilt - say, early Marianne Faithful, Judy Collins.
What I heard was more of a roar. Her voice is a tad husky; powerful, not lilting. A comparison to Pat Benatar at her peak is not out of line. Leighann is marketing herself as a country act, and this does have a country tinge. But it's very modern country - the way Shania Twain is. That is to say, this is very poppish - almost hard rock-ish.
But that shouldn't be a surprise. Leighann has been the lead singer of one of the more popular acts in this region. Y.M.I.(formerly My Fault and Jimmy's Fault), for the last four years.
While "Divided" is her first album(Y.M.I. has not yet recorded), the 20-something is already something of a veteran. She's been singing since she was 5.
"My parents had a country band called the Country Hearts," she said. "So, I started singing very young. My father knew I had something."
But in an ironic twist, "Divided" had it's genesis with a radio station contest and a truck driver.
"The way I got the CD, I won a contest with Froggy 101," Leighann said. "Three years ago I was their Froggy Idol. And as the winner, I won the chance to go to Nashville."
"I sang live over the radio," she added. "A truck driver heard it and called the producer of the CD(Michael Bush). So, then he(Bush) called me and said, "I heard you're coming to Nashville. Maybe we should consider working together."
The three years in between were spent gathering songs, lining up musicians and booking studio time. "Divided" was recorded at the Track Shack and Hilltop Studios in Nashville.
"We got the songs directly from the publishers," Leighann said. "The producer pitched me to them. They gave me about 30 songs to pick from and we picked those 10(on the disc)."
While she is calling herself a country act, Leighann readily admists it's "crossover country." So, don't expect Kitty Wells or Jeanie Sheppard.
"At first he(Bush) asked me what artists I considered influences," she said. "I mentioned Sheryl Crowe, Shania Twain, Martina McBride. But I tried to hit basically all the areas-I have so many different styles I do. I'm looking to get it to all audiences."
Opener "Get It, Got It" is an electric mid-tempo slam with a catchy chorus: "Can't give ya what ya don't want: can't force it if it don't fit."
"The Line I Used to Walk" is a mid-tempo with a melodic chorus.
The pop ballad "Devoted" opens with an airy, baroque-ish keyboard in the intro. It sticks throughout, but falls to the backdrop. SInce the lyrical perspective is different, so is Leighann's vocal approach. There's less "snarl," for lack of a better term. The soul-ish backup vocals, from Cindy Shelton and Shawn Pody, are a nice touch.
The oddest ball here, and my favorite, is "27 Names." Forget any country tinge, this is girl group power pop, and a tad reminiscent of '80s groups such as Spider or early Pretenders. Her vocal is tinged with angst-a perfect fit for the setting. The title and lyrics are clever, as well-"All you've taught me is 27 names for tears." This could and should be a pop hit.
The pace is a bit slower on the playful and slightly racy "A Little Bad"("A little bad will do you good...don't you wanna be a little bad..."). The modern country tinge is back, but is more of a backdrop table-setter, rather than a feature. Primarily, this is catchy, intelligent power pop.
"Higher" is a terrific, almost jazzish mid-tempo. Its structure probably stretches her vocal ability more than anything else here. She pulls off the range-both vocal and emotional-to "sell" the lyrics. Her vocals on the rapid-fire first verse open as something close to a lilt. In succeeding verses her approach is rather straightforward. But in the bridge, she puts down a soul wail.
"I'm on My Way" is a power poppish mid-tempo with a slightly choppy structure and a loud backdrop.
"A Woman and a Man" is something of a power ballad, with modern country touches. As with most of the tracks Leighann selected, there's a clever turn on a phrase in the lyrics: "I don't know if I understand this thing between a woman and a man."
"Take A Chance" is again more power pop than modern country, though there is a slight Nashville tinge. The verses are melodic, while the chorus is something of a mild rant. Leighann's vocal approach changes flawlessly to fit the mood of each. Lyrics are a classy, somewhat sedate description of unexpected lust.
While the pace of "Hurt Somebody" is slow, the song itself could almost pass as a Benatar outtake. It's the jilted girl out for revenge("I just wanna hurt somebody the way he hurt me"). Again, her vocal approach is perfect-straight and somewhat low-key in verses, and a growl in the chorus. In fact, she deserves extra credit for not going over the top in the chorus and falling into the "angry little girl blowing off steam" mode, as I suspect most would have done. Instead, you hear a calculated adult planning her revenge.
Musicianship is high throughout "Divided." In particular, Peter Young is highly impressive as drummer.
Production is slick-in fact, if you wanted to nitpick, you could argue it's a bit too slick.
But clearly, Leighann's voice and delivery are the star-which is as it should be. She is an outstanding singer with not only presence but an impressive emotional range.
Unfortunately, you missed her CD release party, which happened last night at Blasko's Cafe' in West Hazleton. But Y.M.I. plays often, and "Divided" is available at all their gigs. It will also be available at www.cdbaby.com/leighannburke.
She is trying and hoping to get airplay. But, sadly, the odds are against her-radio, in which I've spent most of my adult life in one form or another, has become so bastardized and corporate-controlled, a handful of consultants and consulting firms program the majority of stations in the country. But this disc deserves exposure.
Leighann Burke and her "Divided" CD are worth hearing-repeatedly.
In the "thanks yous" among the liner notes(which are mercifully comparatively short), she thanked Bush for "helping make this album phenomenal."
"Phenomenal" may be a stretch-but not a big one.
Nine out of 10. - L.A. Tarone, Standard Speaker

There are several mainstays in the Hazleton music scene, including Something Wet, Those Guys and the band formally known as My Fault, now called Y.M.I.
Leighann Burke, the lead singer of Y.M.I., released her first solo album entitled "Divided" last month.
The album features original music in a crossover country style, which Burke described as a cross between Shania Twain and Martina McBride. And while Y.M.I. covers top-40 hits from artists like No Doubt and Britney Spears, Burke said that the band also covers crossover country. Therefore her songs fit right in with the group's normal selections.
"We are sticking to what we have, and the new cover songs we learn, but adding my songs in too," she said of the band's song rotation.
Burke's path to her first solo album started in 2003 when she won a contest, sponsored by Froggy 101-FM, to the CMT Flame Worthy Video Music Awards.
"Froggy 101 played the song that I sang at the karaoke contest on their station and someone in this area heard it," she explained. "They called the producer in Nashville and the producer in Nashville called me at work," she explained. "We made plans to meet while I was in Nashville to discuss making an album."
Next, Burke made plans-while she was in town for the awards show- and later started recording her album at the Track Shack and Hilltop Studios in Nashville. The singer said that was her first solo recording experience working with original material and was a lot of hard work.
"It is a lot different than being out live with the band because when you hear the recording played back you think to yourself, 'Maybe I can do that part better,' or 'Maybe we should do this,' " Burke explained. "So you can sometimes become too critical of yourself, but the support system I had going into the recording...really helped put me at ease."
The followers of Y.M.I. have shown support for Burke's solo album.
"The Y.M.I. fans have been waiting patiently for me to finish my album," she said "They have been buying them left and right!"
Along with the group's fans, Burke's fellow band members have been supportive of their lead singer's solo album.
"I think that Leigh is a very talented singer and will go far in any project she does," drummer Chris Schuster said. "As to how I felt when I heard she was doing a solo album, I felt great for her and only wished the best for her."
Although other musicians wrote the songs on "Divided," Burke also writes her own material.
"I find that extreme emotional pain or happiness inspires me to write," she pointed out. "I am a very emotional person so when I am moved, good or bad, that is when the wheels start turning."
With fans and bandmates backing her up, Leighann Burke's journey into a solo career has been smooth sailing so far. Her future goals include writing more music for both Y.M.I. and for her solo project, and to contiue to connect with her audience when she performs.
"I want to let pople know, through music, that there are good people out there and good things happen to good people," she said "I use music as my vehicle to connect with people, and my goal is to reach as many people as possible." - Michael Danilowicz, Weekender

#5 on the Top 10 Albums:

"Divided"-Leighann Burke. Yes, a local girl in the year's top 10! Hazleton's own Leighann has been singing since she was 5 and is best known as Y.M.I.'s lead singer. I have never met her. But I sure did like this disc a lot.
Belying her feminine good looks, her voice is a roar. But she's not a hollerer-she's got presence and an impressive emotional range. Some of this can be called "modern country,"and if that's all it was, it wouldn't be here-I am no fan of it. What makes "Divided" impressive is the ease with which she glides among styles, or facets if you prefer-from sorta-kinda country, to girl-group power pop, to near-jazz. I think Pat Benatar meets Martina McBride. - L.A. Tarone, Standard Speaker

Local act Leighann Burke is getting her first shot at opening for a major national act.
When The Wreckers-Michelle Branch and Jessica Harp-play the Crocodile Rock in Allentown Saturday, Burke is the opener.
"I'm excited; it's my first time opening for a national act," she said last week. "I'm hoping this will lead to something."
The Wreckers are a country/pop duo whose second album, "Stand Still, Look Pretty," issued in May 2006, made the top five on the country album chart and the top 20 on the "Billboard Top 200" pop album chart.
In December, they were nominated for a Grammy Award for best country performance by a duo or group with vocals for their hit single "Leave the Pieces." They also sang "The Star-Spangled Banner" during the 2007 NHL All-Star Game.
Burke is the lead singer of Y.M.I. (formerly My Fault and Jimmy's Fault) for five years.
In April 2006, she issued a solo album, "Divided." She described it as "crossover country."
It was well received critically and sold well.
Though the lead singer of a rock'n'roll band, her first experience with music came with her parents' band The Country Hearts. She sang with them on occasion, starting when she was 5 years old.
She cites Sheryl Crow, Shania Twain and Martina McBride as influences.
"Divided" was recorded at the Track Shack and Hilltop Studios in Nashville.
Her show as the opener for The Wreckers will consist of six or seven songs from "Divided." Y.M.I. will back her up.
Burke is expected to hit the stage about 8:30 p.m.
A bus will take local fans to the show. It will leave from the Lowe's parking lot in West Hazleton.
To reserve a seat, call 233-6613.
Burke is also planning a solo show this summer. The tentative date for that show is Aug. 25.
"Divided" is available at www.cdbaby.com/leighannburke. - L.A. Tarone, Standard Speaker