Lovari Our Own Makes Good! - "THe Statement"
LOVARI: His Bold New "Statement" New York City native Anthony Lovari goes only by his last name... and it's a name that's been getting a lot of attention since the kickoff of 2009. Since he started performing, the proudly out and proud singer/songwriter/actor/director/activist has had his music reach beyond his neighborhood in a big way: He had a #1 song ("All I Want Is You") in June 2006 on Hot 97 FM in Portland, Oregon. More locally, he has headlined through the years at such hotspots as Kurfew, Heaven, Tunnel, and Escuelita; and performed at many Gay Pride events as well as Puerto Rican Pride. Appearances in magazines and radio play followed. Lovari's visibility, which promises only to grow this year, didn't happen by accident: certainly not by paying for publicity or sneaking into the biz through the backdoor. Fiercely independent, here's an artist who has earned his place on the scene by tirelessly networking, conspiring with other artists, and building a fan base-- night and day. More importantly, he has been performing, performing, and performing: at venues both intimate and grand-scale, in all five boroughs of New York City as well as New Jersey over the past year. The new year has Lovari with a new album ("The Statement"), a video ("Take My Pain Away"), and his debut as film director: "A Shore Thing", a thriller with comedic touches filmed in New York City, which boasts cameo appearances by many of his New York City celebrity friends (Jade Esteban Estrada, Lady Clover Honey, and Ryan Wolowski to name a few). Beyond his artistic achievements, he stands out with his non-stop energy (Catch him dancing at Chris Ryan's Monday night '80's music party at The Ritz if you need proof!) and his ingratiating personality. His persona is youthful, but you know he can hold his own; he's street-smart but not "ghetto"... and he's as devoted to the LGBT community as he is to his own music. Lovari largely credits his strong sense of spirituality with his endurance in the entertainment biz, and he refuses to stoop to the low level of the so-called "haters": fellow artists (usually motivated by jealousy) who throw shade his way. Instead, Lovari transformed the experience into one of the best songs on his CD. Lovari has a lot to say on "The Statement", his new album-- which he tells me has been in the works for well over a year. (A year that included severe highs and crippling lows, plus every emotion in between... and of course, lots of good old drama the way only we gay guys can do it!) The music has clear influences, but the emotions are highly personal, and Lovari lets us know it: "The Statement" opens with a quote from Socrates (!) and a spoken word piece ("This is my life. It's my highs, my lows, everything in between... I'm not gonna offer any apologies, no justifications, and absolutely no regrets-- just my experiences. This is my life. These are my statements.") But don't expect any heavy "message music" or self-indulgent pretense masquerading as creativity. Like the pop, house, and freestyle of the late '80's and early '90's which topped the charts and kept people happy at the clubs, this music is made for your listening pleasure. Lovari's sound continues with the pleasure principle, but invigorates the music with an energy to go way beyond 2009. The complexity on "The Statement" comes with the vast range of emotion Lovari puts on display: On his new album, Lovari expresses about 20 different shades of desire. He has really pumped up the volume on his second CD. Compared to his self-titled 2006 debut album, "The Statement" sounds like it's on musical steroids. As Lovari sings tracks like, "All I Want is You", "Move Your Body", and "Work It Out", we envision go-go boys in Speedos gyrating on big black boxes, disco balls rotating, and sweaty bodies grinding together on the dancefloor. But unlike much of the club and house music out there, Lovari propels his vocals to the forefront, whether he's singing with Rick Astley-like bravura or the youthful idealism of perfect love. The new version of "All I Want is You" is a high energy dancefloor anthem featuring some pulse-pounding, hot beats. His voice is vulnerable yet empowering. Throughout the album, starting with the next track "Move Your Body", Lovari activates the falsetto (reminiscent of Prince and DeBarge lead singer El DeBarge). The song evokes the coy sexiness of the Mary Jane Girls ("In My House", 1985-- remember them?) rather than the in-your-face "Oomph!" of, say, The Pussycat Dolls' "Don't Cha". "Work It Out" ("You better work it out, you better do it! Ain't nobody stoppin' you now; You better work it out, you gotta prove it. Show your fierce on the floor now!") boasts a pounding, aggressive house beat. That killer beat aside, the song is also a display of the singer's deceptively complex vocal range. Lovari even inserts some light rapping into this one. In addition to music, the album is bolstered by often-hilarious interludes by some of New York City's most outrageous nightlife stars. One of them is NYC's "Queen of All Media" Lady Clover Honey, who sarcastically comments about a certain clothing company which shall remain nameless (but let's just say it rhymes with "Jabber Zombie and Bitch")... After that "intro", we think that Lovari is going to break into a scathing (and much deserved) musical commentary on the tyranny of fashion-- but no! Oh well. Maybe the next album... Next up is the quietly stimulating "Turn Around", and it seems to have been designed for two in the bedroom rather than 200 on the dancefloor. For this one, Lovari layers sultry spoken word alongside that falsetto of his. This song clearly is an homage to old school funk 'n' soul. Keeping in that vein, "Take My Pain Away" is a stunningly beautiful track, with smooth, swirling grooves and electronic raindrops combined with a pounding beat and Lovari's emotional delivery. It's almost unbearably romantic as Lovari croons, "Take... take my pain away..." "Love Come Down" is next. At first it strikes the listener as solely dance music, but it doesn't take long to detect the spiritual undertones beneath the surface: "Love come down and take my hand, won't you help me understand; that the truth will set me free, love come down to rescue me." It's drama set to music, and a real gem. One of the highlights of the CD comes with some priceless, laugh-out-loud advice from the amazing Robynne Kaamil, before Lovari breaks into "Haters". The song, featuring singer Janifer, boasts a serpentine rhythm, the musical equivalent of a mirror-scaled cobra slithering through a labyrinthine nightclub. There's a seductive urgency in Lovari's voice. High-spirited and infused with adrenaline, the song is a musical guided missile pointed at the haters of the song's title. Another of the album's high points is "I Feel You". It's quietly seductive with a deceptively addicting beat. "The Statement" also features some musical surprises near the end, but I'm not going to give everything away! Let's just say that we can expect lots more excitement from Lovari in 2009. People, get ready! Jed Ryan DishMiss.com
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Keep on dancin!
I saw Lovari perform at OutMusic and he was sooo nice! Great album! I love Work It Out and Take My Pain Away!
Well Done Lovari!!
I must say that this album was well worth the wait! This is a very versatile album and there is not a dull track on this album! The album is great! Keep up the good work!
Congrats!
Wonderful CD, wonderfully presented! Congratulations!
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