[TR24][OF] Melissa Menago - Little Crimes - 2016 (Chesky Records, Binaural+, Pop, Singer-Songwriter)

Transitioning from being in a band to going solo is never easy. Particularly for a lead singer who is so identifiable as the face of the band, the act of going solo involves a certain amount of reshaping one’s identity and also reframing audience’s expectations. For Melissa Menago, her transition into solo work appears to have been a smooth one. Known mostly as the lead singer of the rock group June Divided, Menago recently released her first solo album entitled Little Crimes
The album is decidedly gentler than June Divided’s more hard-hitting sound, with songs usually featuring only Menago’s voice and guitar, along with some minimal percussion spread throughout. Menago’s guitar playing is tight and her voice is more exposed and affected than some of her work with June Divided. She lets her delivery ride along with the emotions of her words. At times the music shows tendencies of writing for a group and almost begs for Menago’s band mates to join in, but she still manages to find her voice as a solo artist.
The most noticeable aspect of the music from the album’s opening moments is Menago’s rhythmic guitar playing. The repeating figure that starts “Traveler” establishes her strong musicianship and unique ideas in songwriting. The other obvious noteworthy piece of the music is Menago’s voice, which is vulnerable but true as she sings about finding her way in the world. While most of the song is mellow and introspective with lines like: “All the open roads can’t help me find the truth,” there are moments the lean toward the more aggressive style of a rock band, particularly in the chorus with her rhythmic delivery of the line, “I was just overthinking it.” Menago’s performance is effective but she still seems to be straddling the two worlds of sensitive solo work and more bombastic writing.
Menago takes a turn toward a more traditional folk style on “Airplane.” The song has a standard chord progression and her voice takes center stage as she offers a more upbeat perspective. She writes about staying true to oneself against negative messages from society. She sings, “You can fire away / but I got a steel frame, so I’m not gonna break… try to stop me now / ‘cause I’m like an airplane / I’m not coming down.” The song may not sound entirely original, but it shows that she can live comfortably in the folk realm and offer original ideas as well.
There are three tracks toward the back end of the album that perhaps best exemplify the potential of Menago’s original solo sound as a true blend of the sensitivity of the singer-songwriter world and the raw energy of rock. The first is the title track, in which Menago bares her soul in the opening line: “I lost again / to the war in my head / now apathy is my only friend / now I understand.” The song has a signature guitar rhythm underneath the verse lines that give it momentum without taking anything away from her emotional lyrics. The song “If You Were Here” presents a marked change with its 6/8 feel and offers seamless blend of emotions between its calm verses and sweeping choruses. It’s a song that could certainly work with a full band but seems to fit just right in Menago’s solo sound. The third song is “Smoke Signs,” which is one of the more musically energetic and compositionally intricate tracks on the album. Menago’s guitar playing is forceful and rhythmic, reflecting her more self-assured lyrics. In the chorus she writes, “don’t need your smoke signs to get to you tonight.” Even though the song keeps pushing throughout, Menago makes strong use of dynamic and emotional variation, particularly in the breakdown and eventual buildup to close the track.
Even though there are a few moments on Little Crimes that seem to beg for the rest of June Divided to join in with Menago, the album as a whole shows that she has found her footing as a solo artist. She is well on her way to cultivating a wholly unique sound that incorporates some of her rock edge to balance with her emotional vulnerability. Her playing and singing are effective on the album and she offers many unique perspectives on relationships and navigating the world. These traits, combined with her strong musicianship, will undoubtedly allow her signature style to continue evolving in exciting ways for years to come.
(Evan Crandell, 24ourmusic.net)

Melissa Menago - vocals, guitar
Chris Kissel - guitar
Keith Gill - percussion