Vienna Teng

Dreaming Through The Noise

(Rounder)

Record Review by Amber Henson

Vienna Teng has come up with quite an impressive album, entitled Dreaming Through the Noise.  She gives us wonderful lyrics, good background music, and an enchanting voice.  Her sound is uplifting and haunting all at once.

So much of Dreaming is appropriate for a jazzy nightclub filled with cigarette smoke and hipsters, I actually feel underdressed listening to it.  Teng’s use of violins, cellos, and even accordions perfectly accompany her voice.  The music itself is, for the most part, nothing remarkable, but it’s not supposed to be.  From time to time there are sweeping piano pieces, but the instruments are just there to round out Teng’s amazing voice, which is like a combination of Sarah McLachlan and Tori Amos.  She has McLachlan’s range, but sounds more like Amos—without the vocal exercises.  Like both artists, you can hear when Teng’s tongue touches her teeth while singing or when her lips close, bringing the listener much closer to the songs.

Those songs are inspiring stories about relationships and feelings.  The lyrics are insightful, and sometimes sad: “I don’t feel so well, I thought you should know before you fall.”  The most interesting story to me is “City Hall,” which is, I’m pretty sure, the antithesis to Tenacious D’s track of the same name.  This one starts out “Me and my baby on a February holiday ‘cause we got the news,” and it took me a while to figure out that news; once it dawned on me, I realized what a beautifully crafted song it was.  “Now Three” also stands out from the rest, with familiar and evocative piano musings behind Teng’s words.

Teng is clearly a master at her craft.  She’s not interested in being catchy, or following the mainstream.  Her fans from the past will not be disappointed with Dreaming.