BILL BUDD "AND SO HERE..."

    Bill Budd's picture doesn't even appear on the cryptic cover of his debut CD, "And So Here...", nor does his face appear on the artwork on the CD's insert.  Why? Maybe the singer-songwriter wanted to be judged only by the merits of his music, bringing his voice and lyrics rather than his youthful looks to the forefront.  Not many artists would have the nerve to do this unless they had the talent and confidence to back it up.  But immediately with "And So Here...", the CD's title track, the listener is seduced by Bill Budd's distinctive brand of pop music, a thoughtful, mutli-dimensional synergy of 80's-style new wave, folk, and electronica.  It's low on pretense, high on emotion.  And although Bill Budd's voice is bathed with sophisticated and high-tech-- yet light-as-air-- electronic effects throughout the CD, the real calling card here is Budd's gifted vocals and lyrics. Very rarely do we get to hear a voice as unblemished and as full of wide-eyed awe and innocence as Mr. Budd's.  Then, there's the lyrics on "And So Here...".  Even though Budd himself has declared that fictitious themes play an important role in his debut CD, his words lead the listener to believe that the people, places, and situations that he sings about are based-- at least in part-- on real experiences.  The juxtaposition of Budd's youthful voice, with the sophistication and maturity of his lyrics and subject matters of which he sings, results in a truly unique-- and often exhilirating-- effect.  Indeed, "Trying Here", "Un-Me", and "Again" deserve to become classics in the new face of indie pop. "Tim", the second track, makes a truly sincere love song.  On the third track, "Empty Day", the first few beats lead the listener to think that we're about to hear a remake of  Cyndi Lauper's "True Colors"-- but Budd proceeds to deliver an even more emotionally powerful ballad. ("So maybe I bruised your ego; That's not what I intended to do; You think that I could change our future; Even though you feel alone when I'm with you.")  The CD reaches its first zenith with "Trying Here", a delightful, upbeat love song written by Drae Campbell which may become Bill Budd's most emblematic track.  So rarely has playful love been expressed so vividly as when Budd proclaims,"I like it when you brush up behind me; When your arms go around my waist, I like it even more; I like it best when you let your eyes rest upon me."  Making his voice the star of the next track, Budd adopts an appropriately moody, more haunting tone for "Your Shadow".  With lyrics like "Not even earthquakes could swallow your pride...", the fictional story is about one man's attempt to rebuild a city after a natural disaster.  Accompanied by the sound effects of thunder and a prominent piano in the background, he continues to showcase his voice-- and his widest range yet-- with the following track, "More".  With a yearning, soulful delivery, the result is the most delicately beautiful song on the CD.