(12 November 2000) Fisher's major label debut is entitledTrue North (Farmclub/Interscope (USA) 06949-03672, 2000). MusicalDiscoveries readers will recall the artist's independent release entitled One earlier this year (review). True North is comprised of thirteen all new recordings but includeseight tracks from One. Fisher's manager Scott Meldrum told us, "True North only contains five new tracks. "Breakable" was actuallypreviously released on the Great Expectations original motion picture soundtrack. The band went with the best representation of their sound and style. They wrote about ten new songs for the album when compared to the material from One, they went with a blend of both." He added, "All of the songs fromOne have been re-recorded."

Fisher's current success is largely due to promotion via the internet and millions of downloads made from mp3.com. "People tuning in traditonal radio do the same thing as people pointing and clicking at their computers—they're making a choiceabout the music they want to hear," says vocalist Kathy Fisher. "There'snothing accidental about people listening to your songs 2,000,000 times."Yet until Fisher was signed by Farmclub.com/Interscope she says, "Wewould go to labels and they'd say we sounded great but they didn't knowhow to market our music, which we call 'artistic pop.'" MusicalDiscoveries readers might call it adult alternative. Kathy continued,"They'd tell us to come back when we had a fan base. I knew it was outthere somewhere but we just had to find it—and it was on the internet."

True North's 'new' tracks include: "Miseryland," "Breakable," "Human," "Simi CA" and "Mary." An obvious development from the band's former sound, "Miseryland," blends light rock and ballad styles with evocative vocals in the verses and a soft hook in the choruses. "Breakable" and "Mary" are softly sung ballads, wrenched with emotion. Kathy Fisher's emotive vocals are mixed way above the light guitar-based arrangements in "Human." Soaring vocal passages in the chorus are delightful. The blend of various guitar sounds, keyboards and sensual vocals in "Simi CA" is most illustrative of the band's development. Vocals are again mixed way up, just the way Musical Discoveries' readers like them.

Certain to achieve further critical acclaim and broader commercialsuccess, Fisher's album True North is certain to please a broadvariety of listeners. You can find further reviews, soundbites and orderthe album amazon.comhere. Certainly worth a cross-country journey, it is a must listen!