New Madi Diaz / Kyle Ryan EP - “Ten Gun Salute”

Since downloading their new EP from the NIMBIT widget on their MySpace page, I’ve had a hard time not listening to this surprise (to me, at least) release. While I had some kind words to say about Madi’s first record Skin and Bone, I think these new recordings have taken her songwriting and studio chops to an entirely new level. No wonder Cherry Lane Music Publishing snapped her right up and featured her as one of their up-and-coming songwriters.

What impressed me most about the Ten Gun Salute EP was an obvious improvement in the recording of and subtlety in Madi’s vocal performance. Earlier recordings of her voice seemed to attempt to capture an almost too-powerful creature, where the newer takes have more breaths, more dynamic range and therefore making a more compelling listening experience. The production work on this recording allows the songs to exist within a specific, creative realm versus being trapped in a broad, faceless genre such as “alt.country” or “singer-songwriter”. There are drums when there need to be drums, piano when there needs to be piano, shakers when there need to be shakers, choir vocals when there need to be and so forth.

Spinner.com deemed the song “Nothing at All” their Free MP3 of the Day. Don’t let the upbeat nature of this jam fool you, it’s dark underneath, like the loose heartbreak theme that runs through the EP.

What would complete the EP is a sweet digital booklet or even a MySpace blog listing the credits so we can all marvel at who is responsible for aiding and abetting this recording into fruition.

(hint, hint)