Almo Sounds

by Marie Skoczylas

If you've spent two years aching for something new from Alanis Morissette, arguing with critics that venting is art and not just anger, insisting that "yodel/screaming" is a derogatory term for a wide vocal range (made up by disgruntled males that truly believe Alanis was attacking them personally), iMEGAPHONE is the album for you.

Of course, you must be a big Tori Amos fan, too.

Imogen Heap, a determined 19-year-old from Essex, England, has drawn from two successful performers to create her own version of inner angst as the result of outside influences. Though the style is less than original, her low, folksy, straight-forward voice and classical piano training make her qualified enough to deserve a chance.

"Getting Scared" kicks off the album with a poppy, upbeat tempo that makes it danceable as well as thought provoking. "Sweet Religion" begins with a tribal chant crescendoing, interrupting piano scales, as Heap cuts in with razor sharp flair. Her lyrical repetition of opposites adds poetic depth and abstract meaning to a song that can be interpreted in many ways.

Heap captures the stress and frustration of everyday life in "Oh Me, Oh My." Her religious background from Quaker boarding schools seeps through as it begins to sound like a tribute to Amos' "God Sometimes You Just Don't Come Through."

"Shine" ironically throws out some dark repetition, which nicely illustrates psychological struggle inside the mind. Set to a creepy melody, the lyrics take on a mysterious tone "Sun gun me down and burn me/ Nature hates me today/My head distorts reality/Madness just moved into my shadow."

The catchy beat and seductive mood of "Whatever" and the clutching emotion of "Candlelight" lead us further into the depths of this album. Arriving at "Rake It In," Heap seems to be metaphorically portraying a thunderstorm. A spooky piano recital drifts into an eerie calm before the sudden, angry pounding sets in at the climax. The aftermath is a chillingly tranquil ending.

We come to a close with "Sleep," a sing-song melody of simple piano scales and breathy vocals that actually could pass for a lullaby - a great way to end the album.

iMEGAPHONE is a good representation of Heap's music and vocal talent, if not a collection of poems that can jump-start your mind. This "Angry Angel" (as one track on the album is titled) has learned from the best and continues to take it to a new level.