Confession time. When I first hit play, I was a little worried. “Is this a girl with a ukulele? Am I walking into an indie cuteness trap? Am I going to come out brainwashed, searching the internet for skinny jeans?”
Blades’ songwriting ability put these fears to rest. She employs a variation of the “girl with a guitar” theme we all know. The thing is, she does it better than most. And the uke replaces an acoustic guitar’s melancholy tendencies with a bit of bounce, a ray of hope underneath the sometimes bleak lyrics.
“Michigan” is a great song about losing your first love, and it bounces along on the ukulele like a beach ball in a festival crowd. “Ladybug” has a similar bounce and brings a smile with its story of finding someone that understands. And “La Luna?” Absolutely gorgeous.
Blades isn’t just a ukulele player. Her voice is amazing. It shines on the duo of jazzy tracks, “I Got the Snaps” and “Diga Diga Do,” a Duke Ellington cover. On the former, I’m pretty sure what she does is what the old folks called “scatting.” And it sounds effortless. And fantastic.
I saw videos of Blades on YouTube. Looked like she’d just get an idea and run with it, and be happy to show it to the world. I look forward to seeing what she comes up with next. She has the guts to try new things, and the talent to pull them off.
Michelle Blades has a hell of a voice. Lilting and ethereal when it needs to be, jazzy and playful when she wants it to be.
Blades’ promo CD came across my desk not too long ago. Having not heard her music, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Shades of Tori Amos? Nina Simone worshipping? Calypso-tinged hip-hop? I was clueless.
What I found upon listening was an artist not afraid to take chances. This makes her one of the most exciting musicians in the Valley. Her tools? Not much more than a ukulele and a hell of a voice.
