Chrissy Flatt
"Wings Of A Butterfly"
"Walk With Kings"
by Johanna J. Bodde

Chrissy Flatt - "Wings Of A Butterfly" (Self-Released, www.chrissyflatt.com Also available via Glitterhouse Mailorder) --- It's always fun, when a CD of an unknown artist comes into your direction. Chrissy Flatt, I call the name to an insider and he asks chuckling: "Who?" Be quiet, I will listen myself. A pretty lady with princess Maxima-hair looks at us from the cover, her hands spread out and on them actually landed a Monarch-butterfly, it also comes back again on the black disc. "Wings Of A Butterfly". On the backside is a small picture of a churchyard out in the country, the album is dedicated to her father. First impression: appealing. The listening doesn't bring any disappointments, I do like Chrissy's sound and the music turns out to be my first love, countryrock! A fragile voice with solid guitarwork in the background creates an exciting contrast but it requires a perfect balance in the mix, nothing fails there either. Chrissy isn't like any other singer, she has made a very accessible album with her own sound. Every song has been approached differently, variations in tempo, here and there tempting to a little dance. Guitarist Scrappy Jud Newcomb plays on two tracks, the other musicians are definitely at least as good. There's a beautiful "fid-olin" featured, especially "Once Again I Sit Here" with a part of "Swing Low Sweet Chariot" intertwined, works out wonderfully. Chrissy's lyrics are simple but easy to relate to, first and last track are about an admired big sister. Producer/guitarplayer Eric Hisaw wrote one too: "You lifted a whole lot of weight, by letting me down". I really hope to hear from you again, Chrissy! =====

Chrissy Flatt - "Walk With Kings" (Self-Released, www.chrissyflatt.com Also available via Glitterhouse Mailorder) --- At the end of my enthusiastic review regarding debut-album "Wings Of A Butterfly", I wrote that I would really like to hear from Chrissy again. That opportunity came now, as "Walk With Kings", including a pretty coverphoto and lay-out, was released! An album that combines the strong points of the first one and adds a few too. The twelve tracks lean more towards rock this time and I also hear some flirting with 60's pop, there's even a perfectly chosen cover of The Kinks included: "I'm Not Like Everybody Else". Chrissy's partner Eric Hisaw (their first ever encounter was at a punkclub), wrote one song again, took care of the production and played acoustic and electric guitars. The musicians from the first album also participate here: bassist/organplayer Ron Flynt, drummer Stephen Belans (Beaver Nelson) and celloplayer Brian Standefer (Alejandro Escovedo, Patti Griffin), a guarantee for quality. Chrissy's one-of-a-kind, fragile voice became a bit stronger and she unfolded herself completely as a songwriter in the meantime! She didn't receive much on a silver platter in her own life, so she can put herself in the place and feelings of other people, like no other. The titletrack deals with the interesting subject of reincarnation. "Murder In The Garden" developes as a mini-thriller about a lady who gets shot in her paradisiacal garden, while she poisons cats! "Came Back Broken" has a Vietnam-veteran as the leading character and "Sign Up Here" is a rhythmic protest against the political system. "Reach Out Your Hand", a quiet song that tries to bring comfort for a person who doesn't have a long time to live anymore, is the most beautiful... Whatever the subject is that Chrissy sings about, it comes straight from her heart! --- Written by Johanna J. Bodde, Dutch originals of CD-reviews previously published on Real Roots Cafe, The Netherlands. =====