Sister act: Meet Beck's little sis

Did you know Beck had a half-sister? Neither did we. 

And no, her name is not Debra. 

Well guess what? She is also a musician. Alyssa Suede, who shares a father with Beck, dropped her debut EP,  "Black & White in Color," this week (although technically it came out last month, according to her MySpace blog, where she previously posted that the disc was on sale at "this dope men's clothing store called Traffic" inside the Beverly Center). 

Make no mistake: Suede did not get Beck's innovative songwriting gene. Tracks like "Ferris Wheel" are far too conventional and certainly won't win over serious fans of her brother's work.  Still, Suede got a nice assist from her (and Beck's) dad, noted composer-arranger David Campbell, who produced and co-wrote songs on "Back & White in Color," making the EP worth a listen. 

"Fallout" in particular shows potential; with impossibly understated minor-key string arrangements and Suede's measured vocals. But the rest of the offering reveals that Suede, who was once a competitive figure skater, may have spent more of her formative years listening to the Cranberries and Sarah McLachlan instead of her brother's work (not that there is anything wrong with Sarah McLachlan or the Cranberries, mind you). Regardless, Suede has chops that show promise in the future -- if paired with the right song, that is. 

--Charlie Amter

Photo: Maelstrom Music