Tracy Shedd is releasing her third album, Cigarettes & Smoke Machines, this Tuesday, and I will confess that I’m smitten with her sweet voice. Her voice is as pretty as her looks, which surprised me when I read that in her early albums that she deliberately hid her lovely voice behind musical shrouds. With Cigarettes & Smoke Machines, it’s her voice that is in the forefront.

So, I get the impression that earlier in her career, she loves (or would enjoy) the three colors Kieslowski movies (Blue, White, and Red).

Let’s take a look at the cover art, first of all. The cover does not feature Shedd, it’s actually one of her friends from 1996 named Emily Wilder, photographed by Amanda Sciullo. The cover is of a girl in blindfolds, and appearently Shedd had wanted to use this image for a cover - and finally used it with Cigarettes & Smoke Machines.

“Never Too Late” starts off the album with this tone that anything can happen, that it’s never too late. The album then become a little more frantic with the guitar on “Whatever It Takes”. It’s a little faster and direct, and I can see why they chose this song for their promotional music video. After watching the video, it seems to translate literally what the song is about - an angry/jealous woman and her boyfriend/husband.

Tour Dates 09/26/08 Hotel Congress // Record Release Party // Party On The Patio Tucson, Arizona 10/04/08 Eclipse // Record Release Party // Happy Hour with Tracy Shedd Jacksonville, Florida 10/15/08 The Apple Store Tucson, Arizona Discography [2001] Blue [2003] Red [2004] Louder Than You Can Hear [2008] Cigarettes & Smoke Machines

The pianos, bass, percussion, and cello, are all there in the background, while the strength lies in the guitar and her voice. It would seem that whoever arranged this album did a pretty good job, keeping you interested. For example, I felt that some of the songs are laid out in a slow/quiet and then followed by a faster/uptempo song. I know that sounds incredibly formulatic, but it works for me.

So let’s break down the tracks:

1. Never Too Late	[Y]
2. Whatever It Takes	[G]
3. Hardest Part Of Good-Bye	[R]
4. Won Past Ten	[G]
5. Plastic World	[R]
6. Not Giving Up	[G]
7. Remember The Time We Set The Highway On Fire?	[Y]
8. Go On	[G]
9. Paris	[R]
10. Valentine	[R]
11. So Sick	[G]
12. Home	[R]

I will have to say that I am a fan of the more faster song, as I felt like I should be dancing to these little stories that Shedd is singing about…. However, “Paris” has a nice spacing and pacing.

Cigarettes & Smoke Machines will be available this Tuesday, September 23^rd, on Teenbeat Records. Be sure to check some of their other bands, including The Rondelles and The Feminine Complexe.

As always, additional information over at our news.w♥m website.