Orianthi - Fire

Guitar goddess Orianthi Panagaris has brought out her new material. Her recently released EP Fire shows a more mature side of her: killer solos, more diverse lyrical content and an overall atmosphere of self-confidence that was not totally present in her previous efforts. This does not mean that this record will appeal only to adult audiences. After all, after a song like According To You, reminiscent of Avril Lavigne's Sk8er Boy, it would be unfair for younger listeners to find out that their guitar heroine has neglected them completely. She has grown up, but her roots can still be heard here.
Fire consists of five brand-new songs, some are bluesy and some are poppish but what really stands out is Orianthi's polished guitar work. Perhaps for this record she had more freedom than in her previous album Believe. Or maybe it was the fact that she worked with producer Dave Stewart (Eurythmics, Superheavy, Joss Stone, Stevie Nicks). Whatever the reason, the songs feature a strong guitar presence, both electric and classical guitars were used, and Orianthi makes use of her ample playing techniques to show why she has been endorsed by guitar legends such as Santana and Steve Vai.
For those who are not acquainted with Orianthi's background it should be pointed out that Santana invited her to join him onstage upon seeing her playing skills. At that time she was around fifteen years old. Then Steve Vai co-wrote the song Highly Strung with her and they can both be seen on its video. Michael Jackson himself hired her for his upcoming tour after watching some videos online and asking her to play the solo to Billy Jean. Unfortunately the tour never happened as Michael Jackson died, but she can be seen on the documentary This Is It. More recently, she has shared the stage with country star Carry Underwood and currently she is playing for Alice Cooper.
All in all, Fire is a solid effort. It will surely leave fans craving for more and it is a good indicator of the direction she intends to give to her music. Perhaps her weakest song is If You Were Here With Me. Orianthi excels at rock songs featuring long and complicated solos. Therefore, a ballad with an emphasis on vocals more than on guitar does not seem to be the best choice.On How Does It Feel, Orianthi claims she has got a million fans. Whether or not this is true, let's hope her music reaches millions of listeners because she has done something that not many guitar players have been able to achieve: to bring guitar solos back to the spotlight of pop/rock. Maybe she will inspire a whole new generation of guitar players, and most important of all, not only men. As it can be seen, women can rock quite as much.

Rating: 8/10

First single: Fire

Unmissable song: Highly Strung (feat. Steve Vai)