Jennifer Tefft – Time Is A Thief / 2007 Gypsin Spin / 11 Tracks / http://www.jennifertefft.com / Reviewed 20 March 2007

The more industrial meets “Black Album”-era Metallica backdrop of Tefft during “Uncomfortable” is turned into something that is a stylistic cousin of a Lennon or a Evanescence. Regardless, it is hard rock that is fronted by a female voice. The heaviness of the compositions is counterpointed by a set of vocals that straddle the line between pop and rock. Tefft goes beyond Amy Lee in that some of the compositions on eir disc are influenced by a Faith No More or Queensryche instead of just ripping off Nightwish.

”Enemy” is the second track, and while it is not quite as heavy as “Uncomfortable”, Tefft keeps individuals listening by being the focal harmonic point on the track. “Undone” blends the two styles approached in the opening tracks and the resulting track seems to be linked to 1997 rock as much as it is 2007 rock. The ability to operate in two different time periods only will increase the amount of individuals that can appreciate the songs on Tefft’s disc. “Soliloquy” moves the composition into the realm of pop-rock, but this does not me that the fury or the intensity that was present on prior Tefft tracks diminishes in the slight. Rather, the cycling between the rising and falling actions of the track will keep individuals on a rollercoaster ride that drops precipitously during the chorus of the track. There slower style continues during “Cry”, but the bass line present in the track meshes well with the vocals, giving a chiaroscuro that was last heard during “New York Minute”, a definite pop classic in its own right.

The dusky, dusty composition present during “Cry” is reminiscent of the desert scene in Natural Born Killers or the soundtrack for the little-seen cinema adaptation of “The Chocolate War”. “No Trial Runs” is a track that cranks back up the guitars and the speed, while Tefft’s vocals have a slinky, angular style to them that makes this yet another success that ey can chalk up. The Blur/Bush sound of the instrumentation on this track further makes this into a hit, while Tefft goes into the second part of the disc with all of the energy that ey had at the beginning of the disc. Tefft may start eir “Time is a Thief” in a way that is similar to Evanescence, but it only takes the space of a track or two to create a style that is completely and utterly eir own. Go to Tefft’s website and grab a copy of this album.

Top Tracks: Enemy, No Trial Runs

Rating: 6.9/10

[JMcQ]