I feel a little...betrayed

When it comes to music, I'm not really that picky. I'm not a big fan of country music, death metal, or those female pop singers who stretch their words waaaay out (like Beyonce), but other than that, I'm not hard to please.

My favorite genres, however tend to be rock, like the Beatles, world music, and what I like to call "folkish rock". My two favorite bands (besides the Beatles, who are pretty much a given) are the Waybacks and the Duhks, both of which practically no one has heard of. The Waybacks tend to be more of a rock band (especially their live performances; they played part of a Led Zeppelin song at the last concert I went to!), with folk and bluegrass influence. They have a banjo and a fiddle, so people tend to automatically stick them in with bluegrass, but really, they defy categorization.

My other favorite band is the Duhks. They're a band from Winnepeg, Manitoba that plays what they describe as "fusion of traditional bluegrass, folk rock, Afro-Cuban jazz and soul", which really is a spot-on description. A lot of their songs are instrumentals with a marked Irish influence, while still others are folk songs sung in French. It's a great mix of INCREDIBLE musicians (the violin player is magnificent!), amazing lyrics (check out "Heaven's My Home" or "Mountains of Things") and fantastic vocals.

My favorite part of the band was the lead singer, Jessee Havey. She has an amazing, really powerful alto voice. It was a treat to see them perform live, because she would get so into the music and dance onstage. Unfortunately, about a year ago, she quit the band to "pursue solo endeavors" or whatever the words they used were. Just recently did the band release their first album without Jessee Havey, "Fast Paced World". I hadn't even heard the new lead singer until I got an iTunes gift card for my birthday a few weeks ago and decided to download the new album.

These were not the same Duhks.

Not only was Havey their lead vocalist, she was also the songwriter for the group. The woman who took her place, Sarah Dugas, just doesn't have the same style as Havey did. The very first song, "A Mighty Storm" is a lot more blues-y than their previous CDs. Don't get me wrong, it's not bad, it's just not the same. I actually liked quite a few of the songs. The ones that were just instrumentals are just as good as their old instrumental numbers. But I really can't stand the song "Toujours vouloir". It sounds way too much like pop music, and has too much of that slow, same-y sounding female singing that's heard in so much music nowadays. And I don't even know what to think of the song "You don't see it". I try to tell myself that I would like it if I didn't know it was supposed to be the Duhks. It's a lot more pop and country-sounding than their old songs. It's just so different!

I feel almost childish for complaining about the change. I mean, it's the band's choice if they want to play different music. And you never know, the rest of the band may have hated Jessee Havey's songs, and that's why she left and why they've changed now.

So, basically, I'm indecisive about the new album. I like a lot of the songs, but it's so different that I'm a little bit in shock. It feels almost as if I had a boyfriend, but then the boyfriend went and got a haircut, and I'm trying to decide whether I like the haircut or not. I liked his old hair!

Give me a few weeks to get used to it, and I'll get back with you.




I miss Jessee Havey.