Melanie Dekker
Album: "Lekker, eh" Live in Europe
Label: Self Released
Tracks: 13
Website: http://www.melaniedekker.com

Melanie Dekker is a Canadian singer-songwriter, with Dutch roots, who has been playing professionally in North America since the mid-90s, and who appears to have been successful in Europe, given that her Wikipedia entry is published in German.

This live album, recorded in the Netherlands and Germany showcases her song writing, with backing from a band which, curiously, features two keyboard players, bass, guitar and no percussion. Opener "Blush" really sets the tone for the set, Dekker's acoustic and David Sinclair's electric guitar, paving the way for Dekker's low-pitched rich voice. This is a good choice of song, probably one of the strongest in the set. Much of the rest of the album is in similar vein. Dekker's songs are pleasant enough, and the arrangements are standard country-based AOR, which no doubt does go down very well on the continental circuit. It's difficult to tell though, as the recording has more or less removed any audience applause at the end of each song. This partly defeats the purpose of a live recording, and (unfairly) makes the performances seem less valid.

The rest of the set comprises twelve more songs, primarily focusing on Dekker's voice and Sinclair's guitar, although "What A Fool I Am" is piano-based and provides a welcome change in tone. The jaunty "Boomerang" in particular would have benefited from percussion to move it along, and the same is true of much of the rest of the set. I know they can be wearisome companions on the road, but drummers are not THAT hard to come by!

Very competently performed, and professionally arranged and rehearsed, the album will no doubt be welcomed by Dekker's fan-base, but I'm not sure it will convert many of those who come new to her oeuvre.

Harry Thomson