Sarah Lentz
Country of origin:
U.S.
Type of music generally:
Beautiful and fierce alternative pop
Status:
Most recent release, Begin Again (2009)
See also:
CD Baby's Sarah Lentz site
Comparisons:
With her "lower" voice, she reminds me of Happy Rhodes in her mid-low range. (Matt.Bittner)
Covers/own material:
Own
General comments:
Excellent! A rare find, one worth seeking out if one hasn't done so already. I list Sarah Lentz as a personal Ectophile Goddess. (Matt.Bittner)
Comments about live performance:
We stuck around just long enough to determine that Sarah Lentz, a NYC singer/songwriter who is apparently quite the darling with the Fez crowd, is to be avoided at all costs. She's got reasonably interesting tunes (piano/upright bass/drum/guitar, but she's definitely been listening to too many Fiona Apple records) and an interesting voice (think Fiona Apple in pissed-off mode), but her lyrics are absolutely, utterly inane. I had a friend who wrote better poetry when we were in 6th grade. It was all too excruciating, and we had to leave. (6/00, meth@smoe.org)
Recommended first album:
No Going Home
Recordings:
- No Going Home (1999)
- Everything's All Right (2002)
- My Christmas Carols (2004)
- Begin Again (2009)
No Going Home
Release info:
1999—self-released
Availability:
Available direct from Sarah in the U.S. ($12): Sarah Lentz, PMB#172, 41 Schermerhorn St., Brooklyn, NY, 11201, USA, or through cdbaby.com.
Ecto priority:
Highly recommended. (Matt.Bittner)
Group members:
Sarah Lentz—piano, vocals, backing vocals
Guest artists:
Ron "Unc" Cahute—accordion on track 06
Ethan Eubanks—drums
Kevin Zubek—tabla tracks 07 & 10
Mark Zubek—guitars, upright bass, fretless bass, keyboards, percussion, backing vocals track 03
Produced by:
Mark Zubek
Comments:
An excellent work. Highly recommended, especially for those who enjoy "warm, fuzzy" voices. At times I get chills listening to her voice. (Matt.Bittner)
Everything's All Right
Release info:
2002—Marshmallow Records—6 28740 64942 8
Availability:
Mail order or CDBaby.com
Ecto priority:
Highly recommended
Group members:
Sarah Lentz—vocals, background vocals, piano, keyboards
Guest artists:
Mark Zubek—bass, guitar
Ethan Eubanks—drums
Produced by:
Mark Zubek
Comments:
Similar to her debut album, No Going Home, with added confidence. The music here makes me think of autumn colors—deep reds and golds, with some bright yellows in the middle on the title track "All Right" and "At the Heart." I especially like the background vocals on "Mirror." She doesn't use backing vocals often, so when she does, they feel really special. (JoAnn Whetsell)I have the new Sarah Lentz in hand, and it's *awesome*. There are a couple of songs that sound like her first, but the rest are completely stunning. Highly recommended. ;-) (Matt.Bittner)
My Christmas Carols
Release info:
2004—Sarah Joy Lentz Music—8 25346 71112 6
Availability:
www.cdbaby.com
Ecto priority:
Highly recommended
Group members:
Sarah Lentz—piano, vocals, arrangements
Guest artists:
Micah Killion—flugelhorn
Annie Quick—vocals on "I Wonder"
Produced by:
Lee Kizer III
Comments:
"Dark joy" someone wrote about this album, and it's so apt I have to repeat it here. This is the serious side of Christmas, simply rendered and beautifully offered. (JoAnn Whetsell)
Further info:
Write: Sarah Lentz, PMB#172, 41 Schermerhorn St., Brooklyn, NY, 11201, USA
Thanks to Matt Bittner and JoAnn Whetsell for work on this entry.
