image courtesy of Howlin’ Wuelf Media

Album Review of Richard X. Heyman: Copious Notes

Richard X. Heyman is an American pop-rock songwriter. And, of course, a great performer of his own songs. I’ve reviewed Richard’s music a couple of times already here at the blog. I reviewed Incognito, a couple albums removed from his new release, and I reviewed the first single from Copious Notes, “Choices We Make.”

He starts the disc with the echoing angelic church-like harmonies that kick off “Nearly There,” a typically RXH uptempo, cheerful number steeped in timeless pop harmonies and hooks. Drawing from the fifties and sixties for his rock ‘n roll song base, Richard’s songs are melody-driven and fun to listen to.

The second song on Copious Notes is “Choices We Make,” which I previously reviewed, with its big hook in the chorus. It’s a hopeful song, released just ahead of the 2020 U.S. election, with its election theme apparent from the accompanying images in its YouTube video, though the underlying message could easily be applied across broad subject matter.

photo by Nancy Heyman; photo courtesy of Howlin’ Wuelf Media

You can tell a great pop song by the way it grabs you from the very first note, and the next track, “Tell Me When,” does just that. Very sixties-styled almost folk-influenced – or maybe in parts Irish folk song-like – in its stylings, the song is a cheerful, extra-uptempo number that’s fun to bounce along to.

Richard slows things down and mellows at times, too. The next song, “Cedarbrook Park,” for example, flows, floats, and soars, but it all feels a bit intentionally off-kilter, like a melancholically haunted memory.

“Sink or Swim” follows. It’s at least partially horn-powered and energetic, like you’d expect on an old-time dance party TV show, with the dancers doing a swim move during the chorus, at least.

Next up, “Oval” brings back the mellow, before “The Truth,” while still with a softer edge, is a rare Copious Notes song that pushes the tempo and level consistently throughout without catching its breath.

“But Our Love” is a soaring song as if a folk-styled, mellow number pulled straight from the early ’70s airwaves… or a love-in concert in the park from the same era.

“One and All” adds a psychedelic vibe that’s there throughout but most prominent in the bridge, while fun and catchy “Return to You” brings back the old-fashioned rock and roll bounce and harmonies, replete with background “oooohs” and “ahhhhhs.” I also dig the cool organ noodling at the end, leading to the fade-out.

Penultimate track “Ransom” sports that early ’70s rich, plush vibe and songwriting style, while ’50s/’60s-style, swingin’ rock horns open the timeless rock ‘n roll number “Greater Good” with its early ’70s message, melding three decades of rock ‘n roll influences to close the disc.

It’s sometimes hard to review a Richard X. Heyman album because there are only so many ways you can write “this is a catchy, timeless, song-driven pop-rock song,” but that description would fit virtually every song on Copious Notes, though different tempos, influences, and songwriting styles give each song an individual identity among this cohesive whole.

Richard X. Heyman is a consistently good songwriter who delivers dependably enjoyable, timeless pop-rock albums. So give Copious Notes a listen and then dig into some of his prior releases, which you’ll likely dig, as well.