(04 December 2005) Diana Berry has released her sophomoric effort with Very Berry which is a mix of pop and electronica. Her husky voice explores a variety of styles ranging from funky rock to punk to some mellow ballads. She's been compared to Debbie Harry and Patti Smith, but she puts her own stamp on her music. This thirteen track CD showcases her earthy and raw emotional style.

Diana has been singing, playing guitar and writing music since she was four years old. She has been featured in the CMJ music festival, the BMI songwriters series, and her song "Tendertown" is currently on exhibit at a memorial environmental sound installation museum in Yoho National Park, British Columbia. She is a dedicated artist and poet and has played extensively throughout the USA both solo or with a full band. In addition to her musical talents, Diana has been an actor since childhood. She has worked extensively in theatre, film, television and playwriting. She has said she would like to teach acting someday as well as write a smashing musical, screenplay, get involved in soundtrack work, perform great roles, and of course make and produce many more records.

This artist has written all but two of the songs on this album. Her music has a fun and funky style, revealing her imaginative approach. According to Diana, "I write from my heart always romantically (romantic in it's literal sense, imaginative ... emotionally appealing) communicating ardent imagery amidst a landscape of cutting edge juxtaposed retrospective styles. The objective is to achieve appealing sounds by unconventional recording techniques, musical arrangements and mixes. My lyrics usually have double meanings and are based on an idea, feeling, memory, incident, opinion, or story set to music."

One of the standout tracks on this CD includes the touching and soulful "What's a Girl to Do." This song of unrequited love mixed with some spoken word is creative and shows her expressive range. In "Farm Song" Diana displays her tender tones, while in contrast, "Next To You" takes you back to the 60's rock scene. "Super Sensual" is a fun melody with some mellow saxophone adding to the mix. Diana's earthy style comes through in the cover of The Rolling Stones' "Wild Horses." She certainly makes the song her own. The guitar ballad, "Slowboat," has a sensitive and emotive style. She closes the album with "Athena" where she again uses the spoken word to make an impact on her listener.

Very Berry is a fun album that showcases the raw, earthy style of Diana Berry. She has a unique, yet versatile approach to her music, utilizing her talents as an artist, poet, actor and musician. She creates varied moods with her imaginative approach. This album is certainly worth a listen.--Audrey Elliot in New York