Reviews/Media

Skyla Spencer- You Said You’d Call Me
“You Said You’d Call Me” from Skyla Spencer is the country siren’s debut album and what a plunge it makes. The record has jolly tunes about going out for nights on the town with the girls to sorrowful ballads about the anxieties Spencer has for the future. All the songs are written by this Nashville native and no matter what their focus, listeners will be inevitably drawn into Spencer’s hypnotic rhythms.

The title track is a sprightly ditty despite the piteous undertones of the song. It contains the classic country guitar and drum vibe and is very danceable, despite the fact that Spencer croons about a man she thought she clicked with never having the decency to give her a ring. “You said you’d call me…I guess you don’t know how to pick up the phone. You said you’d call me…I sit there thinkin’ of you. I guess you really don’t have a clue. You said you’d call me.” Spencer takes a situation many women have had and turns it into a high energy song that listeners can wail to at high volumes.

On “If I Were Rain” rain trickling and lightning start off the song’s intro as Spencer uses the metaphor of what she would do if she were a drizzle upon the earth. She emotes about the panic she has for her offspring with lyrics like, “Woke up this mornin’ put the coffee on. I read the morning paper, there’s so much goin’ on in this crazy world we’re livin’ in…I’m afraid for my children. What will be left behind? What will be left behind? If I were rain fallin’ down, I’d wash away all the pain around.”

“He’s a Bad Boy” has emotive guitar work as Spencer sings about going out with her friends and a certain man she encounters. “My girlfriends and I went out to the club to let off some steam…Havin’ some fun is all we need and speakin’ of fun, Mr. Hot stuff, workin’ his way through the crowd. Yeah girl I can tell you what he’s all about. He’s a bad boy. He’s got all the moves. He’s a bad boy, He’s Mr. Smooth. He’s a bad boy. Well that’s alright cuz maybe I’ll just be a bad girl tonight. Maybe I’ll just be a bad girl tonight. He’s a bad boy.” It looks like Spencer painted the town red, came across a sly guy and decided to throw caution to the wind and have some fun with him.

From its title, Skyla Spencer’s “You Said You’d Call Me,” might sound like an album filled with pitiful tracks about misbegotten emotions, but once listeners hear the record they will see that Spencer brings an ebullient concept to each song no matter what the heart of it is.

Reviewer: Sari N. Kent – www.celebritycafe.com

*Herald Democrat In Texas*
Skyla Spencer — “You Said You’d Call Me”
Skyla Spencer, an increasingly successful young country singer from West Virginia, recently released her swinging, upbeat album “You Said You’d Call Me.”
Spencer herself composed the music and lyrics for each of the 11 original songs. The title track enjoys a wide audience for its down-home attitude and catchy chorus, an appropriate introduction to the rest of the vibrant album.
However, most of her music is not without an element of tenderness. “If I Were Rain” is a dedication to soldiers of the current war, and its sound is different from other songs in the album. The introduction’s instrumentation recalls the 1980s, then the song settles into a wistful chorus. The lyrics reflect her desire to heal the world’s troubles.
Her song “In Paradise” is a smooth, upbeat sound with a tropical affect replicated with country instruments. This works really well, and the overall affect is appealing.
“You Said You’d Call Me” is fun, yet it reflects the passion she has for life and music.
Skyla’s album is available for purchase on her Web site, ww.skylaspencer.com.

Skyla Spencer: You Said You’d Call Me
By George Peden
 
Wow! There’s more smiles here than a Golgate ad. American country newcomer Skyla Spencer beams out from every picture opportunity on her debut release, You Said You’d Call Me.  And she’s got every reason to smile. Her debut is getting radio play both local and abroad, and she’s obviously confident with her song writing prowess, having written all 10 tracks on the CD.

In tow with a sprightly band of session musos, this psychology and dance degree graduate is embarking on a musical career that started at the age of 13 while singing in her cousin’s band.

“Overall I would describe my music as up-lifting, fun, great for dancing, with a unique sound,” says Spencer.

It’s a description that sits well with tracks like “You Said You’d Call Me” and “Chuga Choo Choo” a karaoke anthem that according to Spencer’s bio made #1 on the Indie World chart in 2002. While the album rocks and bops, there are some telling tunes one in particular, “If I Were Rain”.

“I wanted to write a song that sends a powerful message and makes a clear statement,” says Spencer of the song dedicated to serving troops overseas. “This song talks about the troubles we are currently facing and how to deal with them.” 

Welcome to the Blazing Boots Review Page.   We hope you find this a useful addition to the site.  The purpose is to review Country Music and it’s suitability for Line and Country Dancing, we will also pass comment on it’s viability as a listening album.

This month's review's are: Skyla Spencer & Tresa Street
Skyla Spencer -
They tell me to make it big in Nashville you have to have a great voice, (if you’re female) you have to have even better looks, if you can write a song or two that will help. You’re starting to get the picture by now. Sklya has all this and then some.
Let’s get down to the nitty gritty, Skyla’s debut album is an 11 track self penned album

Track 1  You said you’d call me - a really nice swingy number that makes you jump up and start dancing as soon as you hear the opening bars. The title is self explanatory, though I can’t believe Skyla has ever waited for someone to call her.
The ending is quite funny. Shows off Skyla’s inbuilt sense of humor.

Track 2  Chuga Choo Choo - I defy you not to be singing along within five bars, a really catchy number that grows on you once again you’ll be dancing round the living room listening to this number.

Track 3  If I Were Rain, - a change of tempo slower than the first two, a lovely moody song you can feel your body swaying to the rhythm.

Track 4  He’s a Bad Boy - I can see all the guys at her gigs saying me let me be
your bad boy. another good dance number.

Track 5  Wild Dreams - A Black coffee dance number if I ever heard one, I thinks this is a number about me dreaming about Skyla!

Track 6 Why Do You Do This To Me - A nice slowish cha cha number, you know the feeling this song provokes when you think you've gotten over someone and then they come back and open up all those feelings, Just sway along, what's known in the trade as a bum grabber.

Track 7  Oh What A Day - We've all had one of these a total write off day.  Once again highlights Skyla's humour, a good cowboy strut type of rhythm definately a dance number.

Track 8  You Made Me Believe - A cheating lying son of a ***** song, another bum grabber.

Track 9  In Paradise - A nice County Line or Stroll along Cha Cha,

Track 10 One More Chance - Self explanatory title about a couple trying just one more time.

Track 11 Reach for the Stars - A nice quickish cha cha type rhythm suitable for dancers,
My overall feeling is quite a good debut album well worth buying a good mix between listening and dancing tracks.

REVIEW
Songwriter Rayburn is well known to many in the UK as he toured here and in Europe on numerous occasions over the years and will now continue to tour with the Trio).

SKYLA SPENCER YOU SAID YOU'D CALL ME.SS3205
Skyla is a new name to the European market, with an 11 track CD of all her own songs. This is her first album recorded in Nashville though not her first recording, as she released a CD in 2000 "All I want" which gave her three Indie Singles Chart successes. This one is by various producers at various sessions Ted Hewitt (2 songs), Bob McGilpin (3 songs) and James Williams (5 songs). The musicians include Sonny Garrish, Mike Johnson and Tony Paoletta on steel guitars, Catherine Marx keyboard, Shawn Fichter drums, Michael Severs and John Foster guitars, Joe Spivey fiddle, John Foster and Shawn Fichter tambourine, Mike Chapman and Mark Prentice bass, with John Foster, Ted Hewitt, James Williams and Michael Williams background vocals. The album opens with a punchy modern feel with heavy guitars and loads of steel and fiddle on "You said You'd call me" and continues in that style through "Chuga Choo Choo" "He's a bad boy" and "Oh! What a day". All 11 songs are written by Skyla who says that some of them are from life, some not. She dedicates the ballad "If I were Rain" to the US troops in Iraq and the message of Christian peace is evident in this tender ballad. "You made me believe" is a broken affair love ballad while "In Paradise" is a mid tempo falling in love song. Good production and arrangements on the variety of songs and Skyla sings well, good delivery and she never stretches the vocal. On this outing I'd say that Skyla has a solid future and could score with the singles taken from this CD.Check out her website at www.skylaspencer.com

OTHER SONGS:-wild dreams- Why do you do this to me-One more chance-Reach for the stars.

©-March 2005-"Joe Hendricks Photography"