Wilde; Laura: Sold My Soul

Laura Wilde is a young Aussie guitar-star, now based in Los Angeles, who has just unleashed her debut album Sold My Soul a few decades too late. With her flowing blonde locks, sultry pout and undoubted six-string panache, Laura only needs one of two things to assure success. Either a time machine to whisk her back to the late seventies, where the Brit-Glam of the likes of "Sold My Soul" and "Anything Goes" would have ensured plenty of air-time. Or to be brutally honest, some more genuinely good songs. Now there's nothing wrong with a bit of bubblegum rock with pop sensibilities and neither does revisiting the sort of stuff that Suzi Quatro, or even The Runaways did, do anybody any harm. However the simplicity of the material on Sold My Soul really just leaves you completely under whelmed.

Wilde keeps her vocals in the chant in tune style, with hand claps, boingy tom sounds and a dirty, yet polite distorted guitar tone, all leaving an air of an album desperately trying to sound retro, when in fact it just sounds contrived. The real disappointment comes from the fact that there's no doubting Wilde's guitar playing, with smart solos, and sharp rhythm playing only being let down by the fact that the songs they are bashing out are not very inspired.

It's never easy being harsh on a debut outing, however there's simply no getting away from the fact that Sold My Soul doesn't make the sort of first, second and indeed third impression that will keep you coming back for more. Talent and good looks usually make for a killer combination in the music business, however usually, although not always, smart songs go a long way too. If Laura Wilde can get herself some of them, she's going to go the distance. If not, I hope she kept the receipt when she sold her soul...

Track Listing
1. Intro
2. All Alone
3. Sold My Sol
4. Freeek!
5. Irate
6. Back Seat
7. For You
8. Anything Goes
9. Classical Guitar Star
10. Nothing Back
11. Love Buyer
12. Angel

Added: June 4th 2012
Reviewer: Steven Reid
Score:
Related Link: Laura Wilde Official WebSite
Hits: 1938
Language: english

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