Cary Cooper - Pink Umbrella. By simply picking up a ukelele, this already-great songwriter has found her muse. One song after another, done in her own somewhat quirky way, yet with depth and brimming with heart and soul. She is stepping up her game and stepping out with a voice that's all her own.
On Pink Umbrella, Cary Cooper shares mostly thoughtful songs, mostly about everyday life: humor in the face of common adversity, letting go, insecurities and inspiration, childhood memories and a mother’s prayer, the actor Jimmy Stewart and other movie stars in a short essay on love being hard to do, an apparently metaphorical song about a flower so close to blooming under the snow as spring is almost here, etc.
“Whimsical” certainly comes to mind, but “wispy” does not.
This mother of two teenagers, with her little-girl voice, fits loosely, perhaps, within the folk genre.
There’s a bit of pleasantly delivered angst – “she’s just a drop in the bucket, nobody knows” and “if I could, I would have let you inside . . . peel back the layers, what do you see, nothing in the middle but me” – and a bit of wistful humor – “I went and left you for Jesus, it seemed like the right thing to do . . . I always had more fun with you.”
Cooper’s husband, Tom Prasada-Rao, co-produced the 13 original songs – three of them co-writes – with Jagoda (no first or last name used, depending on which Jagoda is; perhaps I should know). The supporting cast is fine: Jason Rafalak, Brad Yoder, Radoslav Lorkovic, Jeffrey Barnes, Rich Feridun, and teen daughter Hannah-Kate Odom; “other” daughter Caroline apparently isn’t on this one.
– Tom Geddie
The setting is St. John's Lutheran Church on Christopher Street in the West Village. I'm a little late and Cary Cooper has already begun her set. She's wearing short sweater dress over tights and boots. Cowboy boots I'm guessing as she is a Texan. It's been a while since I saw Cary perform, the first time seeing her gig solo. The voice I've always enjoyed. Part little girl, part rebel, part philosopher. All dissolve into pure woman when her Texan twang meets heart softening lyrics. Like my favorite new song: Nothing in the Middle.
I don't wanna give up my story
I don't wanna give up my pride
I don't wanna give you the glory
If I could I would let you inside.
Peel back the layers
What do ya see?
Nothing in the middle but me
Nothing in the middle but me.
If I had to give up my story
If I had to give it to you
Would you hold on to it for me
Would you know what to do with the truth?
If you had to unravel my story
Would you be ok when you see
Do you think you would be sorry
When there's nothing in the middle but me.
Peel back the layers
What do ya see?
Nothing in the middle but me
Nothing in the middle but me.
Now imagine this backed up by a Ukele. That's right you heard me. Oddly fitting for the frolicksome songs this elfgirl wrote for her third album: Pink Umbrella. Performing live she's backed by Ritt Henn whose plucks on the double bass provide a gentle cushion for the lilting melodies. Then there's the drummer playing the underside of a tambourine with drum brushes. I've heard his named whispered before. Jagoda's playing on the album or he's producing the new song. Jagoda turns out to be a surnameless musican with an eerie affinity for rhythm, drumbeat in particular. That and a wickedly dry sense of humor.
That they are exceptional musicans is obvious. The ease with which they perform blows me away. Cary owns the solo limelight with the casual confidence of a longtime pro. The stories she scatters between songs mark her a true folk singer. Like Left You for Jesus with the hilarious line: "Till another fella broke your your spell." What poor sot has a chance against Jesus? Even if the son of God isn't that romantic and doesn't party much?
The timing of this solo tour is perfectly timed. Cary and husband Tom Prasada-Rao both appear on CW's Troubadour, TX. A reality show about Texan singers. Finally the big bad world gets to hear my favorite male vocalist! Topped off with the beauty and winesome charm of Cary, methinks there's super stardom brewing for that family.
If you don't catch Cary live you can check out her albums, listen to snips of her latest stuff and watch the latest episode of Troubadour, TX. If she does drop into your neck of the woods, give her a listen.
Cary Cooper has one of those voices—the kind you long for at the end of a hard day. She starts singing and you just sit back, close your eyes and breathe a little deeper.
The Dallas-based singer-songwriter has delivered a masterpiece in the form of her latest record, Dirty Little Secret. The gentle, mostly acoustic arrangements weave effortlessly around the intimate poetry of Cooper’s lyrics. “My dirty little secret spilled out on the kitchen floor as you pour your second cup of tea / And I can’t clean it up the way I always did before, on the sly so no one else could see,” she confesses on the title track.
Cooper gets help on Secret from producer Tom Prasada-Rao and fellow musicians Tim Burlingame (Sweet Talk Radio), Jonathan Byrd and Mary Gauthier. But even with such indie star power, it’s Cooper who shines brightest. One thing’s for sure—if she keeps making music like this she won’t remain a secret for long. —MW
True to its title, Cary Cooper’s Dirty Little Secret plays like a night of bedside confessions — some fun and flirty, others hinting at perhaps even deeper secrets best left hidden. But even when revealing her guilty pleasure of sharing questionably platonic phone calls on the sly with a man who’s not her significant other, Cooper’s delivery is softened with a reassuring sweetness that makes you want to hear more. Although both Cooper and her producer husband, Tom Prasada-Rao, are Kerrville New Folk winners, there’s nothing remotely folky about Dirty Little Secret; it’s light, airy adult-contemporary pop reminiscent of Lisa Loeb or Abra Moore. But apart from the giddy “Every Thing is Coming True,” the record is often subtle to a fault, full of quiet little melodies that discreetly tap you on the shoulder rather than overtly hook you. But as the hushed beauty of “Edge of the World” makes clear from the start, Cooper and her little secrets are worth your attention.
"Cary Cooper's new CD has captured me. It is so very well written, well sung and well recorded that I've found myself listening over and over again for the sheer pleasure of it, and the songs now sit in my heart like old friends. Her song stories are tales of a woman's hard earned wisdom as she embarks on that lonely spiritual journey that leads her to her self. Cary's voice is disarming and seductive, beautiful and inviting, but beware, these tales are not all easy to swallow. The road is rocky and the lessons come hard. But what an honest ride she takes us on! This is a wonderful record, and I hope that people will discover it and fall in love with it like I have."
While outside the clouds are gathering and it appears that the city can prepare for more rain, inside the sun is shining. The cause of this delight is ‘Dirty Little Secret’, the third solo album of Texas singer-songwriter Cary Cooper, who along with husband / musician / producer Tom Prasada-Rao also recorded two albums as The Dreamsicles. Honesty compels me to say that until recently Cary Cooper was a noble stranger to me and that I learned about her music during one of my musical excursions on the Internet. But the reception was more than pleasant.
‘Dirty Litlle Secret’ contains some of the most intimate songs I’ve heard this year. The liner notes on the CD are significant to this regard: ‘I’ve always been afraid of he truth. This collection of songs is my coming out party. ‘ And what a wonderful party this CD is!
The opening ballad ‘Edge Of The World’ offers a more than a decent impression of what the following eleven songs will bring. A beautiful melody, a soft, somewhat sultry voice, sometimes reminiscent of Sheryl Crow and Shawn Colvin, lyrics that have nothing to hide, and a bunch of musicians who pour their hearts out into each song (just listen to the simple but very expressive cello of Dirje Smith).
Songs like ‘Have Faith In Me’, ‘For The God Whose Name I Used To Know ‘(great lyrics!) and ‘Consider Me ‘(a short piano ballad about doubt and the difficult road to building and maintaining self-confidence) show Cary Cooper from her most sensitive and truthful side. What makes these songs, and essentially the whole album, this strong is that the intimacy never gets over the top or becomes pathetic. That’s a trap many other artists are not always able to avoid. Partly thanks to the excellent production of Tom Prasada-Rao, who chose a nice open and bright sound, Cary Cooper succeeds in avoiding this trap. And that is no small merit.
Some listeners / readers might say ‘Dirty Little Secret’ is slightly too soft or too soft-hearted. As there are people who don’t like Impressionist painters or the poetry of the Roman poet Ovid. So be it. It won’t keep me from frequently gazing at these paintings, reading those poems and enjoying this great album.
Cary Cooper’s Dirty Little Secret is filled with thoughtful emotional dances about the secrets we keep from others and ourselves, and the freedom in letting them out. Her almost-little-girl whisper of a voice wraps itself around simple-but-not-too-simple lyrics and music that sometimes reaches toward layers of lushness.
The dozen songs are basically smooth alt-pop, whatever that means; they’re mostly originals that Cooper wrote or co-wrote.
To break Dirty Little Secrets into the two traditional genders and to flirt with the stereotypes, Cooper expresses a strong female viewpoint in the songs, which may mean that women will empathize the most while men need to hear it the most. Maybe these are messages for her two daughters; maybe these are just songs about what was on her mind, maybe . . .
She sings of falling off the “Edge of the World” again, hoping for somebody to catch her or join her in the atmosphere. She sings of self-worth and insecurity, and of wanting to face the future rather than her fears. She sings of no longer being shackled to her shame, and of wondering whether happiness will last.
Cooper doesn’t make it sound depressing, though; the CD borders on seductive without crossing any lines.
Tom Prasado-Rao plays a bunch of guitars and keyboards and strings, accompanied by several folks on various other songs.
I first came to hear of Texas native Cary Cooper, through Facebook, no less and was immediately impressed. She has received rave reviews from numerous sources, one no less than Mary Gauthier. Her third CD, Dirty Little Secrets, comprises twelve songs, all written by Cary or her Tom Prasada Ro, who also produced the CD and added musical accompaniment, with some assistance from Tim Burlingame (Sweet Talk Radio), Jonathan Byrd and the aforementioned Mary Gauthier.
Perhaps the scene is already set for the CD by Cary’s liner notes; “ I’ve always been afraid of the truth. This collection of songs is my coming out party. Here’s to all our dirty little secrets...and having the courage to hold them up to the light“This suggests exactly what we get, a CD of honest, from the heart songs, which cannot fail to move us, reaching our very own human experiences and emotions. Each song seems to represent part of her long and at times, difficult, journey of self discovery and self awareness. Let’s face it, which of us hasn’t or won’t find ourselves on at least part of that path during our lifetime?
This suggests exactly what we get, a CD of honest, from the heart songs, which cannot fail to move us, reaching our very own human experiences and emotions. Each song seems to represent part of her long and at times, difficult, journey of self discovery and self awareness. Let’s face it, which of us hasn’t or won’t find ourselves on at least part of that path during our lifetime?
The opening track, is a beautiful ballad, in which she articulates her wish that some one would catch her, or at least, join her where she finds herself. Simple and just beautiful. The title track Dirty Little Secrets, talks of playful, flirty secrets, whilst hinting at deeper, more damaging secrets, the kind left buried. In other songs she tells us of the freedom of no longer being ‘shackled’ to her shame and of her fears and hopes and dreams for the future. Everything is Coming True is full of joy as it tells of everything falling into place. At times her voice is sultry and emotional; at times more upbeat and almost playful, full of joy.
In my mind, this is a very rare CD, where every song in the collection shines, for differing reasons. Standout tracks are perhaps, For The God I Used To Know, Seventh Grade, Forgive What I Find and Consider Me. I truly cannot pick a favourite song, which is rare for me, and with repeated listening it just becomes more clear what a stunning release this is.
Thinking about it, I can only hope that Cary Cooper’s name becomes more widely known in the USA and Europe. Her music is certainly no Dirty Little Secret, and recognition is the very least that she and her stunning music deserve.
Helen Mitchell
With her muted delivery and acoustic accompaniment, Cary Cooper projects the fragile, self-effacing image of a forlorn folkie dwelling among dark shadows. But there's a ruminative beauty that radiates through Dirty Little Secret songs like "Edge of the World", :wondering" and the title track. Cooper occasionally injects spunk and spark into her quiet laments as evidenced by the unexpected appearance of hip-hop cadences in the otherwise characteristically gentle "Thinking About It" and the exuberance found in "Seventh Grade". The high-profile musical support she attracts here from the likes of Mary Guathier, Dave Crossland and Emory Joseph (who all contribute backing vocals) suggest taht Cooper likely won't stay a secret - dirty, little or otherwise - for much longer.
Live, Cary Cooper exudes a total
sense of comfort with herself and
you'll want what she's feeling. There's
nothing cryptic about her writing
either. Her songs are as warm and
approachable as her personality.
Yellow is a celebration of free souls,
and feeling worthy. Messages
especially promote connections
between mothers, daughters and
the uncaged spirit. Tom Prasasa-Rao
lends his professional excellence in
engineering, mixing and as producer.
On "Hannah Hold Your Heart" and
"Little Girl" she passes on to her
daughters the power of honoring
inner beauty. "Cinderella" examines a
mom's life choices. It's about finding
your own role models beyond the world
of fairy tales and Disney. We're all
free to define the form that our "happy
ever after" should take. Listening to
"Back When I Was Grown Up," if
autobiographical, we hear clues to
the changes Cary has made. Breaking
from PTA, choir, and lesbian-phobia
molds she's redefined herself and become
the cool mom on the block, sporting
a nose ring, an Internet "myspace" site
and a CD. The title cut is a kick back
to the influence of her '60s parents.
"Yellow" is the color of the V.W. bug
she bought cheaply from her hippy uncle.
The car gets her where she wants to go,
just a little slow. Speed is not the issue
here, rather, enjoying the freedom of the
ride, perhaps a metaphor for her life.
Cary Cooper has a penchant for quotes,
and is especially fond of one by Marianne
Williamson that urges being "brilliant,
gorgeous, talented, and fabulous" and
states that "Your playing small doesn't
serve the world." Cooper also loves
George Eliot's "It's never too late to be
what you might have been." If this
matches your life vision, then Cary Cooper
should supply your daily soundtrack. --AP
Cary's album "Yellow" is in high
rotation right now. It's like a trip to the
beach in a convertible, like when it
gets really hot and you forget about
how much sun you've had, so you're sort
of in a dream state but you don't realize it
and suddenly you're crying for no reason,
maybe it's just the song, maybe it's leaving
hat tragic air-conditioned cubicle behind
and the petty world of ticking clocks,
that ridiculous ticking, and now the ticking
slows down and spreads out into the
washing waves and you laugh at the sign
on the touristy gas station and hot dog stand,
"Stop Here- Get Gas," and now the whole
world makes sense, it's just a song, just a
long funny song where we fall in love,
drop our pants, and nurse our wounded
hearts in the saltwater womb of the Earth.
That night, there's sand in the bed sheets,
tickling your sunburn, and the ceiling fan
turns the salty air in the night. You get up
and fix yourself a drink, go out on the
screened-in porch and smell the ocean.
You are no years old and dreams come true.
You're horny and the ocean smells like sex.
You fall asleep in the sandy, grinding
rocking chair with your hand in your pants,
drooling on your own left shoulder.
BUDDY MAGAZINE REVIEWS
"LUV SONGS" & "YELLOW"
While Cary Cooper was doing
everything, it seems, except
fulfill a childhood dream to be
a songwriter, Tom Prasado-Rao
was becoming a more-than-respected n
ame in the folk genre. Well, this is a
love story, so they hooked up now
they make beautiful music together,
mostly love songs and other sweetness
in the folk vein. There's a little bit of
humor in Luv Songs for Grownups
and Yellow, some fine harmonies,
and plenty of upbeat energy that stays j
ust on this side "the good side"
of too cute. Long story short: the
Dallas-based duo wrote their first song
together in the summerof 2002 and
recorded their first Dreamsicles
album in the fall of that same year.
Cooper taught dance and worked with
Paula Abdul, Teri Hatcher, and Tina Landon
(choreographer for Janet Jackson, Ricky
Martin, and Britney Spears) before working
as a fitness instructor and teaching
children English as a second language.
Prasado-Rao made albums and had
his songs covered by such diverse
artists as country singer Randy Travis,
David Wilcox, Ronny Cox, Christian
artist Bob Bennett, and tabla master
(Indian hand drums) Broto Roy.
Prasado-Rao won the Kerrville Folk
Festival's New Folk Competition
in 1993; Cooper won it in 2004. There's a
lot of variety in the performances, from
the Eastern-Western blended music
and folk vocals of the contemplative
"What We Know" to the easy rap of "He's
All That" (which gets by with claiming
he's as sweet as pumpkin pie) to the
bluegrass funk of "I Want What I Want
(when I want it)." Cooper's solo CD ,
produced byPrasado-Rao, is vaguely,
but not much, darker, a place where
angels drink tequila and lovers sing the
blues, but also a place where Cooper
urges her young daughter to, among other
things, find a song in each teardrop. The
title song ("Yellow") and "Back When I Was
Grown Up" both belong to the Peter Pan
school of maturity rather than to the ordinary
world of boring adult expectations.
The music, almost call it folk funk,
shines on both CDs.
-Tom Geddie
"Hi Cary- It's like this - I've got a stack of cd's to review for the station and how the hell am I suppose to do that when I can't take your BODACIOUS new CD out of my Cd player??? It's impossible - you have made it impossible to do my job. Thank you for Yellow - for the music, the lyrics, the messages beyond the lyrics, what I extrapolate from the songs and the groove. Thank you for making my job a bitch!!"