Malyssa Bellarosa just recently released her first solo CD, Open Up. The CD is certainly an opening up for this Rhode Island singer-songwriter. Here, she steps away from her acoustic solo mode that she is known for in Providence and shows more of her aggressive side. Bellarosa is hard rocking this time around, with producer George Dussault playing most of the instruments to help flesh out her creative vision. Bellarosa and Dussault recorded Open up in his Galilee Studios in Cumberland, Rhode Island.
Bellarosa’s voice and songwriting make you picture her as some kind of exotic sorceress, a magical woman who can conjure many musical nuances. Like a magician, she suddenly brings the unexpected into full view from out of nowhere, with her musical sleight of hand.
Open Up begins with “Lover Undercover,” Bellarosa’s silky smooth voice easing its way forward over the pop melodies that inform this song. This vocalist takes her natural sliding voice and asserts it over her clever, textured musical terrain. It is a treat for the ears when this young lady takes her timbre out for a joy ride.
“Moving On” finds Bellarosa in more hard rocking territory, aggressively belting out her vocal lines like a big cat roar. She just belts those words without ever losing her sensual exotic timbre.
With its hypnotic keyboards from producer Dussault, “Wounds” showcases Bellarosa’s softer vocal approach. On this quiet, tender number, she emotes all sorts of haunting, lovely coos and mesmerizing charm. Bellarosa has a larger than life presence in her music, projecting many emotions with power and technique.
“Music Is My Soul” is the theme song for Bellarosa’s life. She is, has been, and always will be a woman whose music defines her life and projects her persona onto a larger canvas. This song is also a beautiful artistic expression of one person’s love of her art. It is in Bellarosa’s clever use of dynamics to announce the energy abounding inside her.
“All My Love” leaps into a Heart-Pat Benatar mode with an acoustic-electric guitar mesh. Bellarosa gets 1970s style belty in her chorus. She kicks scratches, and claws her way through this tough mama vocal approach. Listeners will like the way she sings this song while at the same time becoming afraid to run into her in a dark alley. This one could be a bad ass hit single.
A contemplation of economic injustice, “One Headlight Out” describes how the distribution of money divides us and binds us into different lifestyles. Bellarosa puts heart and soul into this one with her mighty, emotive vocal, leaving no doubt where her sympathies lie.
“Me Without You” plays out its succession of gusty choruses with a mighty guitar in the background blowing heavy winds into its sail. Bellarosa creates a tempest of emotion and soul, like she’s directing it all with a magic wand, layers and textures all under her command. Again, she comes across like a sorceress, walking to the edge of a cliff, raising her staff, and causing the sea below her to erupt into huge waves of sound.
Bellarosa always draws a careful balance between technique and feeling “Never Be” gets its melancholy, mournful feel from the dual cellos of Allison Reid and Samantha Wendland and a lightly picked acoustic guitar. With her wide timbre and rangy voice, Bellarosa perfectly captures the sadness of expression, much like the string duo supporting her.
Bellarosa closes out with “Shine,” a song that encourages you to ignore the critical voices around you in life and go for the thing you’re most focused on. Her energetic voice powers this one into anthem-like choruses. She lets you know that she means business and she will live life on her own terms.
Bellarosa and Dussault have much to be proud of here. Her voice, songwriting, and his instrumentation and production combined to craft a very likable, catchy disc. Bellarosa is one of the most impressive vocalists on the Rhode Island music scene. She should be talking to booking agents about a northeast tour of original rock venues.
Superb writing Mr.Copeland! Every song was a wonderful descriptive journey, I want you to know how much you are aprreciated for taking the time to listen and absorb the energy of every artist that you have written for, thank you for that energy on Tevellus as well! You are a unique positive vibration in this sometimes too critical world. Again thank you, Belladonna, Percussionist for Tevellus