lambchops's Full Review: Your Little Secret by Melissa Etheridge
I’m infinitely appreciative of singer-songwriters with a knack for the guitar. There are very few productive ones out there, and even fewer female examples. Melissa Etheridge is one woman who definitely qualifies.
Etheridge burst onto the music scene in 1988 with her self-titled debut. Incorporating good old fashioned guitar rock, her sound was wonderfully refreshing amidst a sea of hair metal and synth-pop. Her powerfully classic rock styling continued on into the 90’s with a number of album releases.
It took until 1993’s Yes I Am for most people to become more than slightly familiar with Etheridge. There had been some amazing moments earlier in her career, but this particular release finally gave her some star power and subsequent musical momentum. Released by Island, the album marked a coming of age for the performer. She seemed confident and aware in such lovely songs as Come To My Window.
1995 marked a new release for Etheridge. Your Little Secret helped her to further popularize her songs and her albums. Although it’s important to note that it seems as though she became too comfortable and lost some of her passion for recording and music that was overwhelmingly obvious on her three four previous releases. It fact, I would go so far as to say that this album is possibly the weakest of her career. The only one remotely close to that position might be 1992’s Never Enough.
With that said, there are some good things about Your Little Secret. Etheridge still has a amazing, yet gravelly, voice. She oozes emotion and talent on most tracks while some are mediocre attempts at best. The album is short. It features just ten songs. That’s a fortunate thing, too. Otherwise, I may have found myself hitting skip more times than not. The problem here isn’t with Etheridge’s voice, the lyrics, or her guitar really. Rather, the problem is that there isn’t anything really great about the songs themselves. These songs lack a memorable melody to back the aforementioned elements.
I do honestly get great joy out of a few of these songs. Very few, of course, but a few nonetheless. I personally find that the commercially popular single I Want to Come Over is one of the most musically, lyrically, and melodically interesting tracks on the entire album. Sure it’s a bit melodramatic, but that’s usually what Etheridge does best. Another thing about the songs that bothers me a bit is the fact the song wallows around in the midtempo range. Etheridge
In addition to that track, I see a bit of promise in Your Little Secret. It’s more energetic and seemingly more sincere than some of the others. The guitars are fast and upbeat and Etheridge vocalizes her emotions in a way that most artists could only hope to achieve. This is probably the most widely appealing track on the album.
Besides those two tracks, there are a few that offer an average level of entertainment value. I have a tiny soft spot in my icy heart for I Really Like You and the softly melodic All The Way To Heaven. I’m pretty much lulled to sleep by the six other offerings.
They all pretty much sound alike. There are fast songs, slow songs, midtempo songs, loud songs, and soft song. The overall effect is flat and uninspired. I could do without some of the rants and pseudo-laments provided by Etheridge. She is certainly an amazing talent, but rather than releasing this only moderately okay album she should have worked on the content for another year or two. Maybe, just maybe, then Your Little Secret would have turned out a bit better.
This is an average album in the overall musical scheme. For Etheridge, it’s definitely sub par. You’d be better off with just about any of her other albums. I for one would suggest Yes I Am and her eponymous debut. Your Little Secret is no more than 3/5 stars. I will recommend Etheridge in general to fans who like classic and roots rock. If you’re into Pantera or Britney Spears you may just want to skip her.
Track Listing:
1. Your Little Secret
2. I Really Like You
3. Nowhere to Go
4. An Unusual Kiss
5. I Want to Come Over
6. All the Way to Heaven
7. I Could Have Been You
8. Shriner’s Park
9. Change
10. This War is Over
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