TANYA PHILIPOVICH - Secret Fiction Romance

Toronto’s Tanya Philipovich looks like a bleached-blonde Maggie Gyllenhaal in the ‘50s and sounds like a somber Lucinda Williams combined with that cute folk-girl you met in the park. With Secret Fiction Romance, her sophomore release, the songs are calm and rhythmic, but most sound alike. Her voice is generally soft and inviting, but it occasionally veers away from the safety of her mid-range style. Her low notes sound like a bad impression of an obese man while her high ends are strained and unnatural. On Holy Tomato, she sings existentially, “Holy tomato, don’t know what to do with my lifestyle” – though it probably makes more sense in Toronto. She admits that she “should be visiting (her) grandma in Winnipeg,” who may not know what to do with her lifestyle, either. Philipovich’s rambling guitar licks and alt-country twang make this a great lazy Sunday afternoon listen. A perfect side stage act for Folk Fest.

Published in Volume 64, Number 20 of The Uniter (February 25, 2010)

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