The Lost Archives Surfacing the reviews of our forgotten youth
    HM Magazine #72
    HM Magazine #72/Deborah Fatow
    Deborah Fatow — Submerged cover

    Deborah Fatow

    Submerged

    Reviewed by Brian Vincent McGovern & Doug Van Pelt

    Listen on Apple Music
    Label Rugged RecordsHM Magazine #72July 1998
    singer-songwriter

    Boy, was I surprised! Like many of you, the only indication I had of Deborah Fatow's music was the track "You Are All I Need" from the HM CD Sampler from the Jan/Feb issue. This song has the vocal histrionics of an Ann Wilson meets Alanis Morrissette a la Wendy Bailey. Once I tracked Submerged all the way through, I heard a variety that spans several stylings. Tunes like "Tell Me Friend" and "My Wall" conjure up the fun but stylish sounds of a Miss Angie. "My Wall" has some cool Collective Soul-like guitars. "1722" have some most excellent guitar tones as well. "I Don't Belong" marries some cool echo vocalizing with a tension-building drum beat. "I Hear You Crying" is one of the only musical weak points, as it's a touching ballad that never quite punches the "Go!" button, though. Lyrically, "My Wall" is a song about forgiveness, and here Deborah lets loose a bit of an Alanis yodel, but lest you think this is just another Christian industry copycat, listen to the rest. Her stellar voice, at times, has the delicate real world strength of Plumb's Tiffany Arbuckle, and in "You Are All I Need" that strength is multiplied. It's also a blessing to have Nailed's Scotty Hoaglan handling guitars (and half the songwriting), as the man is quality inside and out, and the way he piles on the beef is most impressive no matter what band he's playing with.

    Also in HM Magazine #72

    Ramsie Shick — Sinner's SerenadeSquad Five-O — Fight The SystemVarious Artists — Electronica 98Various Artists — Sparkler, Volume OneMayfair Laundry — ScrubChris Taylor — Down Goes the DayEmotion — Taste of GrapesDamask Rose — Childish ThingsApologetiX — TickedMine's Clarence — What's Your Name?