It can be a very difficult task for a female rock singer to be taken seriously and many have to fight the prejudices of both their audience and the industry to gain any kind of success. Whilst female R&B singers seem to be 10 a penny, the numbers of known female rock singers in this century are few and far between and even those that make it can find that they are seen as more of a novelty than a serious band. I cannot explain why in 2007 it still seems so much more difficult for a female rock singer to gain credibility than it is for a male singer but there does seem to be some kind of door that is closed to female singers attempting to make it in rock music. This is a shame as female singers can be powerful but bring a softness to music that is rarely heard in their male rock counterparts.
OK, so Grace Solero doesn’t have a unique sound and her music is a little on the light and airy side, but it is certainly listenable and definitely radio-friendly which, for Grace, must be a good thing if she is to carve a place for herself in the sexist industry she has chosen to work in. Grace has a voice akin to Skin (Skunk Anansie) and belts out the tracks on her debut album with gusto. She is also a beautiful girl and whilst other bands or artists may rely on their physical appeal to gain success, it is a breath of fresh air to find an artist who is happier to let her music speak for her and does not rely on half naked publicity shots to gain the publicity all bands need to gain lucrative success. It is the music that is important here and the band clearly want that to be the focus of their being. It is to Grace Solero's credit that she chooses her music over her looks as it would be easy to gain column inches through her looks without her music being more than a passing mention.
This is music that is accessible and likeable. It is not going to change the face of rock, but it is also well written, well recorded and well produced. Perhaps though, that makes this album just a little dull too. The music does flicker between mellow and hard hitting and the choruses are certainly catchy. Grace is confident in her voice and this is clear in her vocalistic style. She can move from a soft sounding ballad to screaming rock with ease. Grace Solero is widely likened to Jeff Buckley and for good reason. Certainly if Buckley is your thing, Grace will fit in well to your music collection. The band have 2 live shows, one as a four piece rock band and also as an acoustic duo where Grace plays with Californian born guitarist Dan Beualaurier. It was with Beaulaurier that Grace found the basis of her band and together they are the creative duo that steers this band.
Whilst this album is well produced, there are no out and out stand out tracks.
No More Tears is the most interesting track on the album for me and the mix of poetic lyrics that blends with edgy rock basics will appeal to fans but the album just falls short in it’s attempt at greatness.
Tracks from the album (
Apartheid, I Don’t, Troops and Time For Living) can be heard on the bands MySpace site at
www.MrSpace.com/gracesolero and the album is available to buy in September. It can be purchased via the band’s MySpace page via PayPal for £9.99
