(02 July 2002) Donna Rawlins (Donatella) is a successful singer, songwriter and voiceover artist. Her new album, Under The Moon (Oceanic Records (USA) 3003-2, 2002) is a ten-track collection of vocally sensuous hypnotic rhythms, electronics and acoustic guitars. The vocalist's range is evident from the eclectic collection represented on the album. The title track was featured in the CBS mini-series And Never Let Her Go and on two episodes of the network hit That's Life. Click on the album cover to view further information on the artist's website.

Textures vary from the sultry "Under The Moon" sung at the lower end of Donna's mezzo range to the lively "Life Is What Life Will Be" and "Daeya" that explore her upper reaches. The sensitively sung acoustic guitar accompanied "Maybe Someday" demonstrates the edgier side of the artist's vocal regime. Percussively dancy with lovely layers of vocals--reminscent of Balligomingo (feature) and Lunascape (feature)--listeners will immediately be drawn to the stunning track "Shadows Fall."

Donna's hearfelt vocal sensitivity--think Miriam Stockley--in "River Flow," lovely piano part and rhythmic intensity is broken by the (annoying fire) siren that opens and closes the track. The percussive "Tell Me" and bottom- to top-end vocal exploration of Donna's range places the number clearly in the club circuit and is sharply contrasted by the lovely singer songwriter style of the acoustic guitar-based "Why," aired on Dawson's Creek earlier this year.

Clearly one of the the album's standout tracks is the most accessible "Daeya," a track dominated by a lively acoustic guitar melody and a soaring lead vocal. The harmony vocal layers contribute significant texture as the tune develops. We especially enjoyed the rhythmically accessible "Life Is What Life Will Be." The tune explores the edges of Donna's range and features lovely instrumental and backing vocal contrasts between verse, chorus and bridge.

The slow and sensitively sung ballad "Fallin' Down" is lightly accompanied allowing Donna to explore her full vocal range sensually. The album concludes with "I Think It's Her," a track that contrasts a spoken part [about the songwriter's grandmother] with the lushest of Miriam Stockley-style vocal harmonies in the choruses will certainly appeal to a wide audience.

Percussion, electronics and lush vocals clearly set this album apart from the run-of-the-mill singer songwriter album. Read further reviews, listen to soundbites and order the album from amazon.comhere. A broad ranging album with tunes that will appeal to female vocalist enthusiasts worth further exploration, Donatella's Under The Moon is a very nice listen!