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USU student Libbie Linton makes
recording debut with seamless vocals, sweet guitar
By Aaron Falk
May 5, 2006 | There's nothing rock star about Libbie
Linton.
The 19-year-old USU sophomore writes most of her songs
in between chapters of her biological engineering text
books. "I'll need a break from studying, so I'll write
and it flows a lot better," she says.
And then there's the stage fright. Linton compiled
plenty of half-finished songs over the course of four
years before a good friend pushed her onstage about
eight months ago, forcing her to get past her stage
fright. Since then, Linton has become a local favorite
in some circles, filling cafes and house parties with
perfect guitar melodies and seamless vocals.
In between shows and classes at Utah State University,
Linton has found time to release her debut album.
The seven songs on The Shackleton EP, were
recorded inside the foam-lined walls of Linton's storage
room with a couple of microphones and a personal computer.
"I had this old storage room full of crap," she said.
"Last fall, I cleaned it out, painted it and put up
some cheap foam. It's just me, a guitar and a couple
of mics. I pressed record myself."
But don't let that deter you from this disc. The simple
and lo-fi approach works to Linton's advantage, adding
emphasis to her intricate picking patterns and distinct
voice.
Linton wears some of her influences on her sleeve,
drawing comparisons to Sub Pop artist Iron and Wine,
but Linton's vocals give the EP its own sound.
At only 19 years of age, Linton's lyrics are surprisingly
smart (she's a biological engineering major), but sometimes
muddled - the album's only real downfall. The songs
are as slow and smooth as the life in her hometown,
Logan.
The album's bookends are its best songs, starting
powerfully with What's Left and fading out
beautifully with TR. In between, the five solid
tracks are icing on the cake.
While it may be unfair to compare Linton's debut EP
to indie-label releases, it just wouldn't be right to
compare it to the local releases it stands head and
shoulders above.
Linton said she plans on playing a number of shows
in the Logan area over the summer and may even schedule
some performances outside of Cache Valley.
"I'll probably go on some trips with friends and schedule
a few shows," she said. "I'll nudge it, but I won't
push [a music career] . . . Although it would be nice
to do something other than biological engineering."
Check out Libbie Linton's music for free at www.libbielinton.com
or at www.myspace.com/libbielinton.
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