Languishing in Turbulence

Album Review

The singer/songwriter field has had its share of waifish female artists with small, delicate, girlish voices; Suzanne Vega and Jewel immediately come to mind. But there have also been plenty of big-voiced, robust belters who took the stage at Lilith Fair — or, for that matter, small clubs and coffeehouses that book a lot of female singer/songwriters. Languishing in Turbulence, Lorraine Ferro's debut album of 2001, makes it clear that this East Coast singer/songwriter is definitely among the belters. Ferro is no waif; on this promising debut, she favors a gritty, bluesy, rugged approach along the lines of Sheryl Crow, Joan Osborne, and Melissa Etheridge. Ferro (who co-wrote most of the songs with manager Ava Parnass and producer Teddy Kumpel) has also been compared to Alanis Morissette, which is valid (up to a point) because she brings a great deal of angst to introspective, emotional pop/rock/adult alternative items like "Thank You," "Be Kind to Me," and the title song. But for Ferro, angst doesn't mean whining, wallowing in self-pity, demonizing men in general, or displaying the sort of sexist female chauvinism that Camille Paglia has courageously taken a stand against — ultimately, Ferro comes across as a strong-minded survivor, not a whiner. "Screaming and Laughing," in fact, is an inspiring, anthemic number that reminds the listener of Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive"; it's about moving ahead after a romantic relationship ends and coming out stronger. Unlike the rest of the CD, "Screaming and Laughing" employs a disco/dance beat — and it would probably become a club smash if Gale Robinson, Jennifer Lopez, or another dance diva covered it. A memorable and inspired, if somewhat derivative, debut, Languishing in Turbulence demonstrates that Ferro is well worth keeping an eye on.