Read Time:2 Minute, 4 Second
Lissy Trullie has lived the kind of life that’s found only in chick lit and teen comedies. A child of divorced parents, she split her time between the two, entertaining herself by poring over their record collections. After moving to New York with her mom, she worked both as a DJ and a professional model before finally following her dream as a recording artist. She’s toured the world and worked with Suede guitarist/producer Bernard Butler. Her life, really, is a thing of dreams. Her debut release, however…not so much.
Initially released as an indie EP in early 2009, Trullie’s debut, Self-Taught Learner, has since been remastered and expanded in anticipation of her official upcoming full-length debut—which is scheduled to hit stores soon. And I can only hope that months of touring and the help of an experienced producer will result in a more solid recording.
Self-Taught Learner is a collection of poorly-mixed tracks, with music that often overpowers the vocals to the point that they’re nearly unintelligible. In a way, that’s understandable, considering most of the tracks’ indie-label past. But many of them should have simply been re-recorded instead of remastered. When they do come through, Trullie’s vocals are an odd mix of sweet and snarling—an intriguing mix, to be sure. But, once again, the recording’s lack of polish (and Trullie’s inexperience) comes through. There’s often something just a little bit off about the vocals—and that makes it difficult to keep listening.
With their simplistic melodies, unremarkable lyrics, and unsteady vocals, the majority of the songs found on Self-Taught Learner are completely forgettable. They’re not the kind of songs that you wake up singing in the morning—the kind that you can’t get out of your head. Instead, in that brief space of dead air from one track to the next, you’re likely to forget the song you just heard. The most memorable song on the album, in fact, is a cover. Trullie’s version of Hot Chip’s “Ready For the Floor” showed up on the Jennifer’s Body soundtrack this fall—and while I still prefer the original, Trullie gives the song an enjoyable edge.
Newcomer Trullie shows promise—and with the help of a good producer, her upcoming album could be a worthwhile release. But this self-taught debut could have used more experience…and expertise.
Kristin Dreyer Kramer has been writing in some form or another (usually when she was supposed to be doing something else) since the ripe old age of ten—when she, her cousin, and their two Cabbage Patch Dolls formed the Poo Authors’ Club. After a short career in advertising, Kristin got sick of always saying nice things about stuff that didn’t deserve it—so now she spends her days criticizing things, and she’s much happier for it.
Since creating NightsAndWeekends.com in February of 2002, Kristin has spent her life surrounded by piles and piles of books and movies—so many that her office has become a kind of entertainment obstacle course.
As if her writing and editing responsibilities for N&W.com weren’t enough to keep her out of trouble, Kristin also hosts a number of weekly radio shows: Reel Discovery, Shelf Discovery, and On the Marquee. She’s also a proud member of the Broadcast Film Critics Association (CriticsChoice.com), the Central Ohio Film Critics Association (COFCA.org), the Online Film Critics Society (OFCS.org), and the Women Film Critics Circle (WFCC.Wordpress.com).
Kristin lives in Columbus, Ohio, with her husband, Paul, and their daughter, Anna. She welcomes questions, comments, and fan mail at kdk@nightsandweekends.com.
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Kristin Dreyer Kramer has been writing in some form or another (usually when she was supposed to be doing something else) since the ripe old age of ten—when she, her cousin, and their two Cabbage Patch Dolls formed the Poo Authors’ Club. After a short career in advertising, Kristin got sick of always saying nice things about stuff that didn’t deserve it—so now she spends her days criticizing things, and she’s much happier for it.
Since creating NightsAndWeekends.com in February of 2002, Kristin has spent her life surrounded by piles and piles of books and movies—so many that her office has become a kind of entertainment obstacle course.
As if her writing and editing responsibilities for N&W.com weren’t enough to keep her out of trouble, Kristin also hosts a number of weekly radio shows: Reel Discovery, Shelf Discovery, and On the Marquee. She’s also a proud member of the Broadcast Film Critics Association (CriticsChoice.com), the Central Ohio Film Critics Association (COFCA.org), the Online Film Critics Society (OFCS.org), and the Women Film Critics Circle (WFCC.Wordpress.com).
Kristin lives in Columbus, Ohio, with her husband, Paul, and their daughter, Anna. She welcomes questions, comments, and fan mail at kdk@nightsandweekends.com.
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