It’s not often that you encounter an artist with a sense of fun. There is too much money at stake for the big players to let their hair down and the small, independent, artistes are often so busy being musicians that they forget to entertain their audience. Teresa Masciana is therefore something of an anachronism even, when you think, about it, she should not be so. Her album “Shine” is a collection of songs – some in English and some in her native Italian – that simply exude charm.
There is no doubt that the American mainstream rock sound is close to Ms Masciana’s heart and she uses this style for sonic decoration throughout. Nothing wrong with that of course especially when you have the songs that settle nicely into that mould. Who could argue with the smile inducing pop commerciality of “Melissa Knows” or “Have A Good Time” for example? It certainly won’t be me.
The mid-paced mellow elegance of a song like “Crazy” suggests that that the irony that is part and parcel of the American dream has not been lost on Ms Masciana and, accordingly, this is the most bittersweet of the songs on the album. Even in the rockiest moments however, such as “Gundo Senado”, there is always an underlying complexity to the rhythm patterns that draws from more than just rock for inspiration.
“Shine” impresses as an album due to the obvious skill that has gone into its creation and to the endearing girlish charm and sense of fun that Teresa Masciana uses to overwhelm any cynicism that you might have.