Dawn Desiree first lifted up her head and cried out to the world through the progressive gothic metal band Rain Fell Within. Her aching voice was the centerpiece of the band’s 1998 debut EP "Believe," providing an emotional and soprano calm to the storms of synthesized pianos and rapid guitar riffing.

I suppose in between studio sessions with Rain Fell Within (the band is slated to release their first full length in early 2002), Dawn found the time to record her own musical project, just simply bearing her own name. Stripping down to nothing more than piano and synth accompaniment, this is a more personal and tender side of the melancholic siren. The five songs that make up this short EP are intimate, ethereal ballads, exploring themes of isolation, unrequited love, and the trials of romantic relationships gone awry. However worn out these ideas and themes may be to some, they never are to those that endure them. There is definitely sincerity in Dawn’s performances on this disc, and though her lyrics are rather plain and straightforward, they are thankfully free of vague or forced metaphors. Dawn’s lyrics succeed because of their common and basic clarity. As lyrics in the opening track say "I know just what you’re going through/I live it everyday/Everyday of my life I think of my dreams that never came true."

Her vocals are emotionally rich and ripe with a chilling, vulnerable sadness. Though some have criticized the lack of variation in Dawn’s vocal performance with Rain Fell Within, I find her voice to be captivating and extremely moving to listen to. She is a soprano vocalist. That is her range. And though every 21st century metal band has their own token soprano female vocalist, the one thing that sets Dawn apart from other vocalists in the dark music genre is that her voice is constantly riddled with an intense amount of feeling, to the point that though her voice is quite strong and soars atop the music with a remarkable fluidity, her voice still shakes and quivers with the emotion she passionately expresses.

For me, the highpoints on this disc are the final two tracks where the piano is silenced to make room for a greater variety of instrumental accompaniment. The neo-baroque synth harpsichords add a more refined touch to "My Eyes Are Closed" while a harp brings an archaic and mediareview flavour to the final track "Thy Painted Garden." The vocals sound more ghostly and reverberated on both of these final tracks, therefore giving them an eerie, almost chapel-like ambience.

This is an enjoyable release. Nothing at all new, nothing all that mind boggling or progressive, but this EP is a short journey into the heartache of one solitary yet talented musician. As long as human beings continue to wound one another, there will always be an audience for this music, and there will always be someone hurt enough to be compelled to compose it. The trick is getting the music to the right audience, and this EP will delight fans of Black Tape For A Blue Girl and fans of other neo-classical female fronted ethereal outfits.

This uniquely packaged EP is a limited edition release through a new independent label called The Fossil Dungeon. Check out the websites below for more details on how to obtain a copy of your own while they last.

Track List:
1.) Dreams
2.) Where Are You Now?
3.) While I Lay Here
4.) My Eyes Are Closed
5.) Thy Painted Garden

All music and vocals performed and written by Dawn Desiree

The Fossil Dungeon:
http://www.erols.com/tsbb/fdungeon

Distributed by Middle Pillar:
http://www.middlepillar.com

Rain Fell Within:
http://www.rainfellwithin.com