Posted on 04/24/2008
Considering the prevalence of signed "artists" who often don't have much to bring to the table besides a nice voice, it is not only refreshing but damn impressive when we come across true musicians doing their thing. Artists in the true sense of the word, that don't learn music, but create it, like composer, producer and vocalist, Cava Menzies.

The debut LP by the Bay Area artist entitled Give In Let Go is a fusion of hip hop, soul, rock, jazz and some tracks have a Latin flavor. The album of eleven tracks is scheduled for release April 15, and features Baba Zumbi from the hip-hop duo Zion I, and South African emcee, D.U.S.T. Cava wrote every song on the self-produced album and it is released on her independent record label, Cava Music Group. She exhibits her production skills with the album's eclectic instrumentation. Her lyrics contain imagery, even in their simplicity, and despite basic melodies, Cava expresses real experiences and genuine emotion.  In rock inspired track 4, "Strides," her vocals are reminiscent of Evanescence's Amy Lee, unfortunately without the same vocal control, range and complexity.

Hailing from a musical family and being a classically trained pianist, Cava's musical strength is obvious, although her vocal ability is limited and is emphasized by her background singers' stronger vocal chops. The songs themselves seem unfinished in contrast with the instrumentation. In my opinion, the strongest song on the album is track 8, "Believe Me," where the composition matches the level of production. Cava could subconsciously be aware of her vocal shortcomings, considering having two tracks where she only provides the chorus. Considering that the first time we hear Cava sing is doing a hook in the second track, makes me assume that the focus of this album was not on Cava as a vocalist, but as a producer. The album's interludes and instrumental tracks highlight her talent as a producer and having great musicians also helped the overall continuity of the album.

The strength of the album is the versatility of the instrumentation that flows between various genres of music and fits well with each song. All is all, Cava's musical ability and business savvy are apparent, and she should continue to focus future projects on her strengths.


- Sabrina Clery