BESS ROGERS: Decisions Based On Information

Bess Rogers

Decisions Based On Information

© 2007 Bess Rogers (837101325653)

CD permanently out of stock. Sorry!

With a "multi-tiered collage of instruments, tones, moods and styles", Bess takes the term "singer/songwriter" and gives it a swift but loving kick in behind.

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notes

You could say Bess Rogers was born to make music. Her mother played the harpsichord and recorders in early music groups. Her father built those harpsichords, and she began learning to play them at only six years old. A few years later, when most kids were fretting about acne, voice-cracks, and the other ills of puberty, Bess was writing her first songs. And she hasn't stopped. She went on to earn her Bachelor's and Master's Degrees in Studio Composition from SUNY Purchase's renowned Conservatory of Music. She moved to Brooklyn and became a regular in the New York scene, playing at The Knitting Factory, The Living Room, Pianos, and Southpaw, to name a few. In addition to her solo work, Bess plays guitar for such up-and-coming artists as Jenny Owen Youngs and Ingrid Michaelson.

In 2006, on a whimsical afternoon, Bess and her friend Dan Romer went into the studio to record a few of her songs. There was no plan for anything like the LP that would eventually coalesce, but the sessions were so productive that they kept happening again and again. And this spontaneity is captured by Rogers' independently released debut CD, Decisions Based on Information. Bess dances through genres on Decisions…, and the result is an eclectic and immensely enjoyable hodgepodge that manages to feel somehow familiar and wholly unique. A few weeks before the release of the CD, Bess was featured on Acoustic Long Island—the most listened to acoustic podcast on iTunes, no less—and there she proved she is no simple studio maven.

Bess is a compelling performer with nothing but a guitar; she impressed people for years with her wonderful songs and her beautiful, silky voice. What's impressive about Decisions… is its ability to straddle genre-lines and to throw in more instruments than you find in a high-school band without ever veering towards the muddled or confused. Where else would you find an accordion and a banjolele on a record filled with endless 'ba da da's and accessible lyrics that beg you to dig a little deeper? Bess' songs run the gamut from strange and waltzy to alt-country to brooding folk to twee pop, sometimes in the space of a single song. The only constant is Bess' obvious gift for melody, her luxurious, sultry, or sweet voice (depending on the moment), and Romer's stellar production.

In short, Decisions Based on Information is the first full-length record by a young woman who will undoubtedly make many more—and, dare I say it, probably even better—records in the years to come. To put it as shortly as possible, Bess Rogers is here. Time to pay attention.

reviews

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  • author: Alex Smith

    Bess Rogers cd is very good! See me See You is the best track. Dan Romer's production is sick

  • hooked
    author: Guy Lewit

    I borrowed this CD from my son Geoff (who plays drums for several SUNY Purchase alumni)...I was immediately captured by the upbeat tempo of You and Me and the instruments threading their way throughout... and Ms. Roger's voice...like liquid silk (especially on Notice). Her harmonies are perfect, providing a full supporting backing to her melodies that have become ingrained in my head. I was amazed by the complexity and layers of Dan Romer's production and arrangements throughout. Modern Man is a classic waiting to be discovered...Sunday's guitar work, lyrics, harmony is first rate..a chart topper. Why aren't these songs and Ms. Rogers up for a Grammy? I have played this CD dozens of times in my office, in my car and even while I am writing this and I am hooked on Bess Rogers. Every song brings something completely different and never disappoints! I can't wait for the next CD.

  • One of the best albums of 2008
    author: John Book/The Run-Off Groove

    It wasn't until after I played this album for the fifth time did I know that Bess Rogers had a rich background in music and had played with a number of artists in the past. It made sense after the fact, but I went into Decisions Based On Information without any information but the music that was in my hands. Pop in the CD, and the music begins. I see an attractive lady on the cover (the lady being Miss Rogers) and I'm wanting to take it all in. I had seen a promo photo of Rogers carrying what I thought was an 'ukulele, so at first I'm assuming it would be something a bit retro and maybe eclectic, if not quirky (I later found out that the instrument was a custom-made banjolele, which is played on the album by producer/engineer Dan Romer). "Modern Man" has a light feel to it, with that banjolele, a stand-up bass, and the kind of spirit that brings to mind those great pop albums of the 1970's where there are no cares in the world. "You And Me" starts out sounding like some bluegrass or Americana from Nashville, or as if Tanya Donnelly became less angelic sounded and wanted to switch genres. It's a bit Wilco-ish, and for me I'm thinking great, this is going to be something rootsy, something earthy, especially with the jangly guitars and a nice fiddle solo. All of it is interrupted by a weird synth sound at the 1:55 mark, which immediately sets it apart from artists that I might want to compare her too. It makes me readjust in order to take in any other surprises she might throw my way. "I Would Never" (free MP3) begins with the filtered sound of what sounds like a guitar tuned with piano strings, I'm not sure what it is exactly but it being filtered (it sounds dry or as if it's being played through a Dairy Queen speaker) helps limit its sound so that it doesn't go overboard and overshadows her voice and lyrics. One of the more effective moments of the album (and there are many) is the second chorus when she sings I would never call you back/I would never hurt you...that bad/I would never, I would never, I would never even think about that, and it leads to a synthesized solo that sounds like a mariachi horn section, and it works so well that I wished she was able to find real musicians to take it over the edge. It works alongside the guitar and bass work and helps drive the song to its conclusion. It's a song I think would be appreciated by someone such as Dave Grohl, and he'd be the kind of guy who would bring Rogers with him in the studio and hire a mariachi horn section. "Undone" is a bit more funky, as it begins with something that sounds like discarded Mellotron tape, so immediately it has a slightly trippy/psychedelic feel. Over hints of violin, cello, French horn, choir-type vocal chops and a synth that sounds like a Moog or ARP, she sings seductively on If I could change the world around me, then I wouldn't be so down/Baby can't you see that I'm the kind of girl that could easily come...undone/now what else can I do? The song is done so well, that I wish I could call every station in the U.S. to play it so she could have a big massive hit single. However, I'd be broke if I did that, but it's that kind of song that can fit well with something as addicting as Sara Bareilles "Love Song" and sit alongside something as corny as Colbie Caillat "Bubbly" but still carry on with its edginess that most people in the Top 100 do not have right now. Just before it gets too safe, she goes in for the kill with a razor blade in "Sunday", which sounds anything like a day of rest with her ripping out guitar riffs, as if she was saying "forget the Lilith Fair, I want to headline Bonnaroo". What does sound appropriate is "Earthquake", which features someone pounding a piano while a slide guitar glides over each beat with some strings before she stirs herself up vocally as the music builds, only for it to prove anti-climactic, but letting the listener know she's going to do it this way again, and again, and again. It works well, especially when she sings well I don't love me, and I don't love you/now I've been telling all these lies my whole life/it's never gonna stop/so tell me why I don't wanna go/tell me why, I don't wanna go down with you, which then leads to a break in the song where the string section adds their melancholy and solidifies what Rogers is trying to convey. It's an album that moves like that in the right places at the right time, but just when one thinks the song will begin, end, or head towards familiar territory, she takes it by the hair and says "come here". Decisions Based On Information is an album that will be recognized as one by a talent who deserves all of the praise that comes her way. Her songwriting is revealing and yet you still want to hear her stories, for life is about discovering those stories untold and perhaps finding someone who has faith in sharing them. The arrangements by Romer compliment Rogers beautifully. Rogers has a voice that is very comforting, one that has room to explore other musical territory if she feels the need to explore, and after hearing the ten songs on this album (actually eleven, there's an uncredited 11th track) it seems Rogers has her backpack and guitar case ready for the journey that lies ahead. This is easy my nomination for one of the best albums of 2008.

  • can't stop listening
    author: suzanne plachy

    got it a week ago and i'm still listening to it with the same intensity as when i first got it!

  • Talented and Clever
    author: Gregory Zeigerson

    Bess Rogers is talented and clever, and this CD is enjoyable. You won't be disappointed if you like any of the tracks on this preview page.

  • surprising
    author: andrew decker

    I previewed some of the tracks on this cd but had no idea how much i would love it...it arrived quickly and i have not stopped listening since it came...thanks bess and cdbaby!!

  • Beautiful & Eclectic
    author: Whimsy

    This CD has had steady play in my car for the past two weeks. The style seems to wander from song to song, but stays pretty solid. The album is a lot of fun and something different from the normal fare.

  • Love it!
    author: Christian

    Love it! Love it! Love it! I've been lucky enough to hear many of these songs live, and now having them on a CD is fabulous.

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