It's not every day that we hear about a budding blues talent so close to home, so when we read about the return of this voice to the 'burgh in a recent edition of Pop City Pittsburgh, we figured we'd better check her out. Having now had a chance to give her music a few good listens, we're pretty sure Pop City won't be the last we'll be seeing or hearing of blues-rocker Melinda Colaizzi.

While first impressions from the cover of Colaizzi's EP might lead some to view her as another sweet, pretty pop singer who likes to go by just her first name, a look at the title of the collection reveals that sweet is evidently not a virtue Melinda finds all that appealing. Give Don't Be Sweet a listen and it becomes clearer that this is some seriously impressive stuff, both lyrically and musically, with a diverse, blues-rocking sound comparable to some of the best females in the business, from such other rising stars as Joanne Shaw Taylor to veterans like Susan Tedeschi, Bonnie Raitt, Janiva Magness, and Melissa Etheridge. Four of the five songs on the EP are originals, with Melinda also contributing guitar on the first three tracks in addition to her fine smoky vocals.

After starting on a driving "The Hard Way" with traces of the Swedish Roxette, Melinda proceeds to blow the listener away with her quiet but powerfully soulful rendition of John Fogerty's "Long as I Can See the Light." Things get a bit heavier with a Melissa Etheridge-sounding "Leave Your Key" that nicely shows Melinda's more rocking side, while the title track is a slow, bluesy ballad that features some exceptional support from the band, particularly on its crescendo. We're guessing that the romping "Some Things Never Change" that closes the EP must be a fun one to hear live, something we hope to have the chance to do soon. It looks as though Melinda has at least two appearances planned locally in the coming months, a May show at the Club Cafe and participation in the April competition that will determine the region's representatives to next year's International Blues Challenge in Memphis.

For those either outside southwestern PA or who don't want to wait another few months to check her out, you can preview Melinda's full EP as well as a few other tracks on her website.

Welcome home, Melinda, and thanks for bringing your blues back with you.

Disclosure