“Waiting 4 The World 2 End” opens up Summer Skin, the 2012 release from country-inspired alt-rocker, Amy Cook. The Austin, TX-based singer-songwriter has uncovered the perfect method for blending rock and roll style grit into sweeter, feminine ballads. On the first track, there’s an upbeat drum pace underneath down-home guitar strumming, which mesh seamlessly with the ragged sound of the vocalist that somehow remain true and soft in nature. The artist features the work of several guest musicians on the album including Robert Plant, who puts the cherry on top of “It’s Gonna Rain.” The song has a catchy, old school, finger-tapping feel that builds into something romantic as the vocals of Plant and Cook overlap.
The record’s title-track, “Summer Skin” is a melancholy tune with lyrics describing the transition of moving forward in life via the changing of seasons. In more than one way, Cook sounds like the female equivalent of Tom Petty with a little less electric guitars. She also has an interesting vocal range that allows for the mood of her music to vary from whimsical to raw. Despite the more rock and roll oriented moments, Summer Skin maintains a speed that would be better described as a journey. “Break Your Fall,” a distinctive break up song, has a pleasantly negative tune to it that along with its piano parts makes for a good listen. After hearing the album in its entirety, what the listener gets out of Summer Skin is a fuzzy memory. While the musician in question appears to be one with an arsenal of talents, distinction between each of the 11 songs is often lost on the record.
In A Word: Lackluster
