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Lesley Wright - Firefly
Look down the latest reviews section on this fine website, and you won't
find many female artists. That’s not a deliberate shun of girl power by any
means, so, in order to banish any sexist undercurrents (and also to get rid
of the unseemly bunch of women’s libbers that are beginning to protest outside
Indiemonkey towers), we present to you the debut release by Californian Lesley
Wright.
 Initially, the thing that pricked my attention about Wright’s debut release
'Firefly', was the involvement of former Gin Blossom, Scott Johnson. Now,
I could rave on about how the Blossoms were one of the seminal modern pop-rock
bands, but I will refrain, and merely say such luminaries don’t normally
associate themselves with any old rubbish. And 'Firefly' proves that maxim
to be true.
A pleasant blend of edgy pop-rock and slower, more contemplative songs, 'Firefly'
is definitely worth more than just a cursory listen, and even though it may
take more than a couple of spins for the album's hooks to well and truly
reveal themselves, when they do, it's well worth the effort.
Jangly, upbeat opener 'Happy' is more instantly memorable than most, and
it comes as no surprise to find ex Blossom Johnson (who plays guitar throughout
this album) co-wrote the track. With a great solo and terrific melody, this
is a great way to kick off proceedings. 'Not Beautiful' is the other track
co-written by Johnson, and it’s another cleverly written, expertly executed
slice of perfect pop-rock, advocating the beauty in everyone: "I may not
be a supermodel standing six feet tall/but that doesn’t mean I’m not beautiful".
 No less appealing, but slightly more edgy are 'Tidal Wave Undertow' which
sounds like a throwback to the 70s rock of female bands like Blondie or Joan
Jett, the cathartic 'Straight Razor' (which berates a former lover) and the
spiky attitude of '10 Year Bad Decision'. Wright does slow things down from
time to time on tunes like 'Drown' and the country-tinged 'Echo Canyon',
but is generally at her best when she's lyrically standing up for herself
on the more rocking tracks.
In short, this is a well-produced first effort that shows a lot of promise,
and whilst Wright may not be up there yet with female heavyweights such as
Melissa Etheridge, with 'Firefly', she's certainly on the right track. Now,
I wonder if Wright can use her female powers of persuasion to get the Gin
Blossoms to reform? That definitely WOULD be girl power!
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