CD Review: Queeva – How Do You Know
by Roque Lazarus for Country Music News International
Quoting from her website: ‘At a Los Angeles competition, she caught the attention of an executive who connected Queeva with Nashville-based singer/songwriter/producer Jamie O’Neal, known for such enduring country hits as “When I Think about Angels,” “There is No Arizona” and “Somebody’s Hero.” Under O’Neal’s tutelage Queeva found her voice as a songwriter and her new project is populated with songs that reflect the young singer’s positive spirit.’
- LIVE LIKE A SONG 2:55
- STAND OUT 2:58
- YOUNG, WILD AND FREE 2:35
- WHO YOU REALLY ARE 2:55
- DREAM BIG 3:07
- CLOSE TO YOU 3:07
- GOING BACK 3:21
- LIVE LIKE A SONG: A Sudden riff 1& 2& it goes to a tight kick and snare commanding your attention. Queeva reveals the secret of her songwriting and explains about revelations and salvation when this groovy tune gets to you. When she seems confused all she does is takes a piece of paper and starts scribbling, letting the inspiration flow through her senses. This Composition is in Ternary Form, 4/4 Dm, and Moderato. The Bridge isn’t detached from the main song’s body like most others you hear these days but the break-down post-bridge gives you breathing space. A drumroll crescendo at 2:26 in classic flam doing a 16th beat flow concludes this song to the short surprise Coda ending with the songs title.
- STAND OUT- This melody is brilliant as a crowd slogan when you’ve got to the Chorus. Quaint vocal harmony is beginning on the verse 2 and flows normal in the chorus. Smart guitar comping fills in between the vocal phrases. Form: Binary T.S 4/4, KEY Fm Tempo: Allegro-Moderato in a groovy-soca/samba like feel. Stand out from the crowd Says Queeva, keep reaching higher, like a rocket from the ground. She inspires her listeners citing her own life-story, she is now comfortable in her own skin. The Bass moves in a lovely muted-released groove that will make you sway. The break-downs are a traditional effect post-chorus in her tunes.
- YOUNG, WILD AND FREE- This stereo-strum guitar number makes you visualize wind in her hair, green grass, blue skies a songbird cooing away as you roam bare feet grounding emotions and soul freeing your spirit. Queeva spins a surprise new-age epic-ballad at a quick pace. You get a happy feeling in your solar-plexus chakra as the harmony grows on you and the open prairies, canyons, ravines and ranches beckon yet reminiscing the Celtic Moors of her ancestry. Form: Binary, T.S 4/4, KEY: F, Tempo: Moderato. Shakers chasing the clouds keep the rhythm tightly bound to home ground of youthful bliss.
- WHO YOU REALLY ARE- A dilemma, a puzzle unfolded and enacted as a game to the intervallic crowd-claps and heavy drum-beats and cymbals. Group harmony (possibly her own voices) give a clue-don’t you know you’re the brightest star. A hint of a warm-pad underlying the strings to uphold her message of wisdom. Let them see you glow says Queeva giving advice to the youth to follow their calling. FORM-BINARY, T.S 4/4, KEY-Am. I’m realizing the songs end oh so quickly before you even get to make your way to the dance floor…but maybe that’s the way for them to be as the album like a singularity rolls each priceless section, the hummable-tunes one after the other in the same spirit, the calling of her sound as she reminds you there isn’t anyone like you.
- DREAM BIG: A pleasant Obbligato to accompany the intro on an octave arpeggio on guitar. A heavy backing to hold the Big-dream in the chorus. I’m going to be the best with my own melody, lighting this world on fire…Queeva tells her fans. You can make it to the top of the mountains if you just try. Her chord progressions are stitched in six chords but create a refreshing impact with a fixed pattern of ‘more and less’ data in the spatial field. Form: Binary, T.S-4/4, KEY-D Tempo : Moderato. Rock oriented in its structure but with clear-crystal vocals in her unique vocal timbre that’s both pleasing and adorable. There are some nice fretless-bass emulated slides that round up the coda.
- CLOSE TO YOU- Engineered with a retro-mix, Queeva’s voice has a classic tap-tempo delay in her fervent appeal to ‘take her as she is’ and she feels she is in heaven when you see her that way. The specialty of the album is you can groove to it all night seamlessly and continuously as the rhythm and pace is same. FORM: Ternary, Key: Abm, T.S 4/4, Tempo: Moderato. Whatever and forever what she’s gotta do, she is here to rule her domain. A beautifully mixed album with musicians who have gently arranged and recorded the music required to truthfully give her the support she needs for her brilliant songwriting.
- GOING BACK: A portamento/glissando fiddle/violin wail heralds the end of the glorious album but the beginning of Queevas rule in the young artist category in the world of western music. Her Irish fiddle accompanies and embellishes her journey from Ireland to America and the Appalachian roots of Country-rock music. As she reminisces yet has a vision of her country roads but that will lead her into unforged paths of musical territory. Although I loved all songs and tunes in her seven song album, this one is memorable in its grandeur. Form: Binary, Key- C#m. Pace-Allegro Moderato. T.S 4/4. As the E note of the country-fiddle fades away into oblivion. A fishing-trip in her uncle’s boat, bonfires, visiting cousins, sunny days and hike to the light-house…days moved slowly through the dance of life.
One is inspired that the next-generation has taken over from what was left of the past glory. Weaving a new story, I remind myself as I smile…the future is here there aint need to worry! We remember our roots regardless of where we are and what we have become. A wise Queeva inspires!
ABOUT QUEEVA:
QUEEVA is one of six siblings of an Irish family but born and brought up In the USA. She is Seventeen but penning lyric and melodies that would have you begging for more. At the age of three she could sing and memorize complete lyric of songs she heard. Her family speaks Gaelic and have kept the Celtic tradition alive in the new Country. She dreams of meeting people on World-tours and amalgamate with their culture and way of life. “I want to live life a song!” She was winning singing competitions and talent shows from the age of seven with her unique voice.
I greatly enjoyed listening to the QUEEVA and recommend all music-lovers to buy her music and appreciate the hard-work put in by their whole team. She hopes to visit your town and tour the World. So kindly support her dream! Thanks!