Cheryl Wheeler
Silvia Hotel
Philo

It would be difficult to describe Cheryl Wheeler's music to folks who have never heard of her. That sucks, since that's exactly what I'm trying to do. She's part poet, part comedianne, and part miracle worker. I say the last because she's broken a rather unusual barrier at work. We salesclerks tend to listen to a wide variety of music. I'm the lucky one who likes a little bit of just about everything. Having a CD that everyone likes to listen to is really unusual, especially one labeled "folk."

One chick likes "Potato", a song sung to the tune of the Mexican Hat Dance. I dig this tune as well, and practiced singing it all the way to work one morning. It is not easy to sing the word potato over and over and still make sense.

One guy really likes the song "Unworthy", a humerous, tongue-in-cheek song reguarding societies expectations. With the lyrics

"I should get life in prison for how I treated
my parents from third grade until last week"

and later,

"I should quit smoking, drinking, eating, thinking
sleeping, watching TV, writing stupid songs"

The ultimate guilt trip! Please, Cheryl, don't stop with the "stupid songs." They're fabulous.

She also shows a melancholy streak with the songs "But The Days And Nights Are Long", and the title track, "Sylvia Hotel." These songs showcase a woman I can identify with, because she tells it like it is. There's no trace of self-pity, just a dose of realism. Her voice is beautiful, but never sacharine.

Not to leave her listeners with a sense of gloom, Cheryl sticks on a hidden track called "We're The Bank." Anyone who's ever stood in line too long, dealt with one too many tellers or been told they've got to fill out 2 million forms for practically no reason at all will appreciate this song.

Buy the CD. Even if you've never heard of her before, there's a little something for everyone. Just don't blame me if you find yourself singing her ditties on the way to work -- or coming from the bank.

-Kate Rice

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