Inara unplugged

Inara George has attained a fair amount of fame as the vocal half of the electronic pop duo The Bird and the Bee. "An Invitation" is her second solo album, and for it she enlists Van Dyke Parks to provide lush orchestral instrumentals on the album.

Parks' influence on this album cannot be overstated. While his arrangements do follow loose variations of the verse/chorus/verse format, each segment of each song feels unique rather than repetitious due to subtle changes to rhythm, syncopation, instrumentation, and melody. It's not avant garde-- as a listener you'll never feel lost or left behind by a composer who's disappeared up his own behind. It is, however, *interesting* music.

And George's vocals follow Parks' lead. While she lacks range as a singer, on this album she certainly displays a lot more depth than we've heard from her before.

"An Invitation" is quite a departure from Inara George's previous work both with The Bird and the Bee and as a solo artist. If you're looking for guitar and synth driven pop, you won't find it here. But you just might find something far better if you're willing to give it a chance and really listen.

8/10

8/10