TSR Records [CD, 2007] 

So you’re sitting in your favorite local coffee shop sipping a soy latte and contemplating your day over the Missed Connections section of the alternative weekly. A woman comes in; she strolls past with her guitar case and a sign that she’s entertainment for the night.

You watch as she sets up the mic, adjusts the stool and drinks some water then clears her throat. The music that is released between breaths is soothing and comfortable; a perfect accompaniment to the atmosphere.  

Rachel VanSlyke is a throwback to the 90’s coffeehouse rock. Her catchy, well-written songs could be the anthems of several teen sitcoms, fitting snugly into the juxtapositions of teen love’s heartbroken, angsty, dreamy scenes. Her song “Into Me” could have been on many episodes of Dawson’s Creek, before Joey and Pacey finally hook up. 

Her voice is smooth and smoky, like the exhalations of a cigarette swirling in the air and gently resting on top of unsaid words. The songs extinguish into each other, creating the overarching ideas. “Weightless” is an instant favorite with its slow jam lyrics, It’s more than a moment and I want you to know that you cover me in silence.

This mid-90s comparison is not to trivialize VanSlyke or her music, rather give it an exquisite taste to ready the palette. The 90s was one of the most progressive times for rock music. Rachel VanSlyke’s album, So I Begin is a tribute to this nostalgia. 

BAND LINKS

Rachel VanSlyke: Homepage

Rachel VanSlyke: MySpace 

TRACK LIST