Perhaps the first thing you should know about Saint Bernadette, is that there’s nobody by that name in the band. Instead, this retro rhythm-n-blues outfit is fronted by Meredith Dimenna, whose powerful vocals all
but overpower the talented band behind her. I Want To Tell You Something, the band’s new EP, is out now. That’s the second thing you should know.
It begins with “In Between,” a “big” dramatic song, with huge swells and powerful vocals, that shows off Ms. Dimenna’s impressive vocal powers. It’s also got a pretty sweet, albeit short, guitar solo. From there, the band takes you back on “Love is a Stranger,” which recalls Aimee Mann’s ‘Til Tuesday years–a much underrated pop period for an otherwise fairly ordinary performer.
And speaking of once-big female vocalists, we next come to the next pair of tunes, “One In A Million” and “Hard to Believe:” Between the backup singers, the hooks, and the falsetto, you’ve got Heart reborn. That’s pretty cool, because I don’t hear too many chicks really belting it out like this anymore, at least not without trying to be ironic. The closing, title cut slows down and goes acoustic. It’s a nice
change of pace. It’s the only non-retro cut on the EP, and it shows the band’s ability to move past its genre.
