Album Review by Rocky-O

November 2000

Tina Vero - In the Waiting (Handmade Muse Records)

A-MUSE-SING…

Sometimes amongst all the noise, a whisper can be the voice that truly needs to be heard. Tina Vero is that voice. With the release of her debut CD, In The Waiting (handmade muse), Ms. Vero has gathered up the lifetime of a soul and articulated it with all the passion, intelligence and wonder that life has to offer. Breathtaking vocals give flight to her insightful lyrics, and in this case, every cut truly is the deepest.

Songs like "Two Steps," "The Halfway Heart" and "Sometimes Christina" explore the world we live in, while tracks like "Live With The Demon," "Running The Race Of Life" and "Season After Spring" explore the inner sanctum of that world. But thoughtful musings don't end there. A third dimension is crossed, which seems to appear only during those seldom-seen moments in life when everything becomes clear and confusing at the same time. These special moments can be discovered within the subtext of the entire album, but become most evident on "Hunt For The Red" and the title track.

Now, along with writing, performing and co-producing the entire album, Vero does have some inspired help along for the ride, most notably the incredible Ken Cedar (who mixed, mastered and co-produced the CD), the amazing Andy Fox (from Andy & Denise) on guitar, and the brilliant Jody Williamson on guitar and vocals. Even the packaging is inspired, with a gatefold sleeve of lyrics on one side and photos on the other that complement the simplistic complexity of the parallel lyrics themselves. The cover photo encourages one to engage in the complete project that not only mirrors what we know, but also reflects on what we couldn't even possibly imagine. On thing I do know is this is far and away the finest offering of the year and possibly of a lifetime.

And until my reincarnation, keep your eye on that twilight…

Rocky-O is a Contributing Editor of Liner Notes magazine, and can be heard on WRMX-FM in Nashville, TN.