Amber Gomez – “I’m Not Black And Blue”

Amber Gomez – “I’m Not Black And Blue” – Single Review

So…I mean…we’re what – entering into our thirteenth year of reviewing music at sleepingbagstudios now?  Something like that?  Every year that ticks by ends up raising the stakes even further and the competition gets fiercer, because it’s technically a cumulative type of thing.  It’s no different than just listening to music for the everyday listener either…we all weed out what we do and don’t want to listen to every time we give something another spin and it’s like an endless cycle of the process of elimination.  Artists like Amber Gomez are out there doin’ their own thing, likely with no idea how long someone has or hasn’t been listening to music by the time that her music reaches them; it would be almost impossible to know how many artists or bands any of us have really heard in one lifetime, right?

I say all this, because Gomez is good…and sometimes good is good enough, and sometimes it’s a good place to start – that’s not for me to say, that’s for Amber to work out what’s important to her and what the goals are.  I can hear some encouraging things in her single “I’m Not Black And Blue,” and lots for her to continue to build on if she was to keep going from here.  I’m not hearing indisputable greatness in this song, but I am hearing that she’s got enough potential that it would be worthwhile pursuing the greatness she’s capable of.  If we’re talking about “I’m Not Black And Blue” specifically, I think she’s got a bit of an imbalance goin’ on in this single that seems to stop it from being more good than it currently is – you all still following me?  Greatness is a freakin’ tough thing to achieve, especially when you consider how much competition is out there throughout music’s entire history, combined with all that we’re bombarded with to listen to in the present day.  We know what it sounds like, and we also know what it doesn’t…but being able to hear potential is always a nice thing to have when you might not end up with the most bulletproof recording…because then at least we know that greatness is possible, you know what I mean?  Amber has a really good voice that, when at her best in the most demanding parts of the song that require confidence, projection, tone, and strength, truly give us a glimpse of what she could bring to the music scene we share.  When she drifts from that focus for a second or two, or is working with a different type of energy that’s more suited for subtle melody, she seems to struggle a bit more than would be ideal.  So you see what I mean?  Obviously Gomez can sing – she consistently hits the hardest parts of what’s required to sing a song like “I’m Not Black And Blue” with the right mix of power in her voice!  It’d be a concern if she couldn’t nail the toughest parts…but those are where she excels.  If you’re a singer, you know how tough it really is to sing with a lower-key type of energy where you don’t have the ability to really push those words outta your face with the same strength as when you’re meeting the most intense demands of songwriting…so don’t get me wrong, I get it, and I know what is tripping Amber up as she sings “I’m Not Black And Blue” – and I know she can fix that stuff too.

It really comes down to taking that deep breath in the studio booth, centering yourself, and knowing that you’ve got the talent required to genuinely invest your voice into every note and tone you sing.  Then when the red light comes on, you make sure that no matter what the part is, whether it’s a low-key energy or hitting the high notes, that each piece you’ve involved in gets your maximum attention.  I know, I know, I know…sounds like all this should be a foregone conclusion, but believe me when I tell you, the right energy slips through the cracks all the time in a performance if you’re not really mindful of it.  And so again, I tell you that what you’ll hear from Amber on “I’m Not Black And Blue” is a good performance – but deep down I know, and I think she knows too, that she could unleash a great one.

As far as the song itself goes…it ain’t bad, but I don’t know if I feel like I could say for sure that it’s the one that’s going to get her noticed or the people as excited about her album For Those Who Couldn’t Keep Me as they should be.  Is it well-written on a lyrical level?  I don’t see any glaring issues there…it’s good melancholy Pop.  I think it’s more about how the song might not possess the kind of hooks we need to make it memorable.  Keep in mind, I’ve only ever got singles for a short time before I’m writing about them in review, so I’ve only heard “I’m Not Black And Blue” a modest handful of times by now…so I might change my opinion on how memorable this song is with more experience listening to it.  I do really like the potential in the chorus with the “I can’t hand you the world or everything in it” – that hook really does work well, and even though I think that Amber’s still leaving about 15-20% on the table when she’s singing that part in the way it’s currently recording, I do think that could be a very memorable part in the long run.  The percentage she’s leaving behind in the verses is a much higher number, but the writing isn’t as impactful in those parts as far as the accessibility is concerned, or how memorable the verses could be even if she nailed them from start to finish.  As for the backing vocals supplied by Loretta Fradkin of the band California…I gotta call’em like I hear’em – it seems like a bit of a forced fit if I’m being honest with ya.  Loretta’s like…right on the fence of what I think our ears will accept in harmonizing with Amber, and I think it’s fair to challenge that combination – if something we’re doing in music isn’t adding something in a crystal clear way, there’s a very good chance that it’s taking something away instead.  Music-wise…which is all done by the other half of California’s current lineup, Les Fradkin…it’s alright.  It works.  It’s not tremendously memorable in that regard, but it’s a good enough vehicle that it allows for Amber to make the most impact with her voice.

Now it’s all up to her to do that from here…to develop that mantra of making every moment count the moment she sees the red light come on in the studio.  Attack that mic Amber!  I can hear that she’s got more in the tank than we get to experience here…and I wanna hear that strong, confident side of her come out in the highest of highs to the mellowest moments the next time her music comes our way.

Find out more about Amber Gomez from her official page at Facebook here:  https://www.facebook.com/AmberGomezSongs

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