Don’t let the title mislead you; the sound of Bari Koral’s
Confessions of an Ingiegirl is more Indigo Girls than
Riot Grrrls. Honest and heartfelt? Yes. Passionate? Absolutely.
Activist-oriented? Not so much.
Koral’s third disc, Confessions of an Indiegirl
is a reflection on life as an independent artist finding and losing
love, opportunity, and herself. Though its title is cliché
on first impression, the twelve-song collection is incredibly
catchy from the get-go. The hook to “Bonnie & Clyde”
will undoubtedly find itself a home in your head, and Koral’s
smooth vocals give the tune a poppy-er sound than the rebellious
title initially indicates.
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The album easily shifts
between upbeat melodies (“In Time” and “The
World You Call Home”) and darker introspection (“Breathe”
and “Choices”). No matter the mood, all of the
tracks share an alt-country twang embedded within, courtesy
of the guitar work and Koral’s singing. Her voice
effortlessly reaches the higher notes (reminiscent of ‘90’s
folk-oriented Jewel), and its simple beauty is captivating.
Given the sound-scheme of Indiegirl,
a surprising inclusion is Koral’s cover of “Midnight
Train to Georgia.” Originally sung by soul legends
Gladys Knight & the Pips, the song’s R&B roots
are retained and slickly mixed in with in Koral’s
country flavor. The ability to take a song as well known
as “Midnight Train to Georgia” and make it her
own is a testament to Koral’s strength as an artist.
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The
lyrics on Confessions’ eleven other tracks
are personal, straightforward and diary-like. Lyrical highlights
include “I won’t live my life in second gear
/ Don’t you want to fly / Prove that you’re
alive / Take the car and drive/ And just fly for a little
while” (from “Bonnie & Clyde”) and
“Books are piled way too high / Swear we’ll
read them when we get time / Sink’s been dripping
for a while / Streets are loud but I don’t mind”
(from “One Room Castle”). Koral puts herself
in an easy-to-relate-to position. Her words, voice, and
music come together to make Confessions the perfect soundtrack
to a late-summer car ride.
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Bari
Koral
Confessions of an Indiegirl
(Independent)
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