Syreeta Neal's My Space headline reads: "A little bird with a big song." It's the middle of summer-- one of the hottest on record, yet it feels Autumn cool as I listen to the chill sounds of the aforementioned little bird in the headline singing her big song, "Stand Tall". Her cool refrain "…I love you most of all, stand tall..." resonates in my ear; a worthy hook from a beautiful song. Syreeta Neal's honest and fervent delivery backed by the minimal strains of an acoustic arrangement, brings a cool calm to the sometimes frenetic buzz of the urban indie musicscape. With so many artists proclaiming their difference, it is ironic how often they end up sounding alike. Not so with Syreeta Neal. She distinguishes herself almost immediately from the crowd with a flavor that is reminiscent of a Carly Simon-esque aria (a-la "You're So Vain") tempered with a modern day acoustic-soul sensibility that is fresh and unique and sets Syreeta apart from the competition, "Stand Tall" is a finely constructed mid-tempo ballad with a lively melodic arrangement that leaves you wanting more. Syreeta's myriad influences can, from time to time, be heard in a line or a musical phrase here or there but it all coalesces into one big sound for this talented little bird. I would be remiss if I didn't warn you of Syreeta Neal's wicked sense of humor before I put my pen down from writing this review. Her funny musical discourse on the groupie-turned-artist phenomena so prevalent in today's music culture, left me chuckling throughout the song. It's quite a clever little ditty that she pulls off with great panache. I can almost imagine her sitting on a stool in the cutting booth, accompanied by her guitar and a wry little smile at the corner of her mouth laying down the vocals to this catchy little gem. "Touche, Syreeta…only a class act like you could take such liberties yet bring us back to what matters most about the music: authenticity and skill." No Auto-Tune here! Syreeta Neal's album Stand Tall can be purchased at www.maplemusic.com. (August 2007 Review by Mimi Jones, www.indieshows.net)
