Amilia Spicer – Love’s For Living

Amilia Spicer – Love’s For Living 

URL: http://www.amiliakspicer.com/

Amilia Spicer’s decided to release her first seasonal single and, unlike many other performers, has decided to go with an original composition rather than following the customary rules of the road and releasing a cover of some Yuletide standard. Her single “Love’s for Living” will, no doubt, show some commercial legs thanks to its charismatic vocal and the sheer abundance of melody confined within its three plus minutes, but the song is every bit a part of Spicer’s musical tradition of so called “red dirt noir” folk/Americana. There’s a discernible folky/country vibe to this song, but it’s ideally balanced against an equally entertaining pulse that should have listeners tapping their feet early on. “Love’s For Living” continues on with the superb standard Spicer sat with her most recent studio release Wow and Flutter while entertaining longtime fans and newcomers alike with its undeniable spirit.

Spicer’s voice puts on a showcase for listeners. Her increasing mastery of her voice, discovering more and more about what it can do, has resulted in a steady upward tick in the quality of her performances on the last two studio releases and this single as well. It’s equal parts skill and passion; the sheer dependability of her voice to show immense elasticity while still filling every syllable with great commitment is the hallmark of great singers and never relents throughout the course of the song. The track runs just a little over three minutes and comes off as a condensed, sure handed musical outing that never makes a single misstep. It percolates along at a steady pace and never veers off track for any sort of sideshows. It’s been a characteristic of Spicer’s recording output that, while she definitely works in an Americana/folk style often, she makes every attempt to produce lean, economical musical works that never waste listener’s time.

Her vocals are likewise focused on conveying the song’s intent. She has the command and presence of a singer much older, no doubt a reflection of her skills and experiences, and the quality of her voice is enough to take already good lyrics and make them even more impactful. The words are, clearly, expertly aimed to fall in lock step with Spicer’s vocal melody and alternating them with an occasional bit of backing vocals makes the mix all the more compelling. The obvious attention Spicer and her collaborators have paid to bringing the song’s elements into an entertaining yet dramatic balance personifies the excellence and professionalism defining Spicer’s career. Even on a song that, in the hands of a lesser artist, would be some sort of throwaway, Spicer looks to provide her audience with a good time while still advancing her music in a meaningful way. “Love’s For Living” doesn’t remake the wheel, it doesn’t need to, but it certainly enhances Amilia Spicer’s growing reputation as one of the finest musical performers working today.

TWITTER: https://twitter.com/amiliakspicer

Mindy McCall