Monthly Archives: May 2025

Single Reviews: Salem Wolves – “So Desperate” and “November”

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Salem Wolves

photo by Black Cherry Creative; photo courtesy of Knyvet

Single Reviews of Salem Wolves: “So Desperate” and “November”

Providence, Rhode Island’s Salem Wolves are Gray Bouchard (vocals, guitar), Justin Tisdale (bass), Sam Valliere (guitar), and Steven Shepherd (drums). “So Desperate” and “November” were two of the singles released last year from the band’s The Psychotron Speaks album. I’ve not yet given the full album a listen, but these two singles are a great introduction.

Salem Wolves – "So Desperate" cover art

image courtesy of Knyvet

The Psychotron Speaks is a concept album that – and I’m going to quote directly from the press release because it’s pretty bizarre and coolly creative, and I don’t think it’s possible to paraphrase without losing something in translation – “unearths the story of a down-on-his luck ’80s-era pro wrestler named The Stranger, who taps into a mysterious power delivered from an unknowable and unthinkable eldritch device capable of bending the world around it and creating distortion, both aural and psychological.”

With that in mind, “So Desperate” makes sense, though without that background, I probably would have placed the setting of the opening lyrics in a boxing ring, with the lyrics “get a doctor, get a priest” causing me to miss the more wrestling-oriented “caught in a beautiful cage” lyric. (Cage match, I suppose.) But it’s easy to get lost in the album concept in a review, and that’s relatively less important in the grand scheme of things. The real question is “Does this band rock?” And, indeed, based on these two songs, it does in spades!

Salem Wolves – "November" cover art

image courtesy of Knyvet

“So Desperate” uses broad, expansive vocals, unencumbered mostly by matching instrumentation, as the guitars and drums carry the beat in support of the anguished, hope-seeking vocals, stepping in with some nifty riffs where there’s room. Mostly, though, the song has a persistent, moderately anthemic rhythm, pushing relentlessly toward the end. It’s a great rock song, likely to be accompanied with audience fists in the air along with the beat in a concert setting where the crowd is engaged.

Says Bouchard of this song, “‘So Desperate’ is about recontextualizing what should be a moment of triumph as something grimy. If you’re ambitious or a dreamer, it’s easy to just focus on the goal, the stage, that moment in the spotlight when all eyes are on you. You tune out the noise, ignore your screaming muscles and tired bones, and march toward victory.”

Unlike “So Desperate,” which amped up slowly, second single “November” comes in hot, with energetic skinswork backing edgier vocals, with the tempo seeming much faster than it actually is, an illusion driven by aggressive drumming and intense vocal delivery atop a noisy, somewhat chaotic wall of guitar and bass sound. I love when bands do this, but only when done well, like on “November.”

Salem Wolves

photo by Black Cherry Creative; photo courtesy of Knyvet

Since this is part of a concept record, it’s probably worth sharing Bouchard’s thoughts on “November,” too: “‘November’ is a heel turn. It’s about that feeling of coming in hot after you’ve been away from the game for some time. It’s a heralded return – not necessarily ‘to form,’ but as a means to remake yourself in bloody countenance. It’s about how time and circumstances, sometimes as simple as the changing of the seasons, can influence you and compel you to be harder, colder, and less trusting.”

Anyway, it’s a pair of interesting songs that definitely spark an interest in the full record. Of the two, I think “So Desperate” is more likely to find a broader audience, so if energetic, kinda noisy rock isn’t your go-to style, I’d start with “So Desperate” as your entry point to Salem Wolves’ sound. Regardless, if you like an energetic live show, after hearing these two songs, I can’t possibly picture Salem Wolves’ gigs as anything short of a raucous night of rockin’ fun.

Album Review: Travellin’ Blue – Take the Edge Off

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Travellin' Blue

photo courtesy of Big D Radio Promotions

Album Review of Travellin’ Blue: Take the Edge Off

Here at the blog, I reviewed a couple singles from the kickass Belgian blues band the Travellin’ Blue Kings, most recently a little more than a year ago. Well, after some line-up changes, the band has released a brand new album of powerful blues and blues rock, Take the Edge Off, now as Travellin’ Blue. The band’s current line-up features JB Biesmans (vocals, saxophone, harp), Luke Alexander (guitar), Patrick Cuyvers (Hammond organ, piano, backing vocals), Winne Penninckx (bass), and Steve Wouters (drums).

I’ve gotta say, line-up changes and name-change notwithstanding, Travellin’ Blue remains one of Europe’s most diversely talented, engaging, enjoyable blues-meets-blues-rock bands. If you’re not yet familiar with the band, Travellin’ Blue’s sound is classic, guitar-driven blues and blues rock, with some cool organ placement adding to the mix.

“Better Left Unsaid” kicks the album off with a sweet guitar riff that builds into an energetic, full, slightly gritty soundbed, perfect for Biesmans’ gravelly, true-blues vocals. The song is driven by a recurrent, persistent rhythm and features music slow-builds and releases that add to the feeling of a good-time, broad-appeal blues-rock song.

Travellin' Blue – Take the Edge Off album cover

image courtesy of Big D Radio Promotions

The band gets deeper into the blues rock weeds with the chunky rhythm of “No Gooder,” a song with a grinding beat that is a little reminiscent of George Thorogood in places while diverting to an almost-dissonant, edgy, coolly uncomfortable musical direction elsewhere, resulting in a cohesive yet extremely original number, all the while leaning into the verbally awkward “you’re no gooder, no,” making it sound cool and oh, so very blue.

“The Closer is King” is deep, slow, and heavy, and features a guitar solo that gives off Clapton/”While My Guitar Gently Weeps”-esque energy.

“Death Smiles At Us All” is another cool number, grabbing your attention quickly with a staccato opening that employs ample harpwork. The back half of the song is similar, with a long instrumental section mid-song meandering through plenty of groovy rockin’ blues real estate before returning. And just to keep you on your toes, the song closes with a smooth outro. Thankfully, I’ve gotta say, as it was a necessary palate cleanse heading into the next number.

That next number is perhaps the best-bet for a hit single on this disc – it’s one of my three best-bets, anyway, for broad appeal. In fact, it was one of the two single releases in advance of the album. I’m talking about “Come Hell or High Water.” It’s a steady, straightforward blues-rock song featuring the singalong lyric “Come hell or high water, lock up your daughter.” OK, so maybe be a little careful where you are when you sing along.

Blues-based classic rock comes calling again with the opening guitar riffs – does that riff sound “Lunatic Fringe”-ish to you, or is it just me? – and organ on the title track, “Take the Edge Off,” pulling the listener into this blues/rock guitar riff-driven number.

“After All” follows, a change of pace, as it’s a laid-back blues number, guided by prominent, well-placed sax and piano, with a cool, smooth delivery that reminds me a lot of Lew Jetton (notably some favorites from his Rain album, which I reviewed several years ago). The sax is again prominent in peppy instrumental “Hellhole Shuffle.” Indeed, this two-song pairing late in the disc offers a nice taste of the band’s versatility in the groovin’, laid-back blues lane.

Finally, the album closes with a guitar-driven, modestly-paced yet energetic number, “Lay Down Knuckle Under,” which plays with pace changes, playful instrumentation, and a gritty recurring blues guitar riff. This song is an ideal closer, as a blues album can only truly be blues if it ends on a complaint song, and this one will have you singing along with the complaint, “just lay down knuckle under, lay down knuckle under.” Biesmans’ vocals, more than anywhere else on this record, are a true blues wail in the latter half of this song. You’re gonna dig it. And it ends in one of my favorite album-ending methods, the fade out. (The hard stop is another fave, but on this record, the band chose a fade out.)

This collection, as Stefon would say, “has everything.” Rockin’ blues, blues rock, laid-back blues, classic rock-infused axework. Big organ sounds. Gritty blues vocals. Nifty sax work. And it’s all on one disc. Travellin’ Blue is one of the top blues bands in Europe at the moment; you really should check out Take the Edge Off.

Circling back, before I wrap, I mentioned that I had three best-bets for broad appeal. Indeed, I do. If you want to start your Travellin’ Blue journey by checking out just three tracks, start with “Better Left Unsaid,” “Come Hell or High Water,” and “Lay Down Knuckle Under.” After that, of course, once you’re convinced you love this band, you can progress to some of my other favorites, like “Death Smiles At Us All,” “No Gooder,” “After All”… Enjoy!

Album Review: Pure Prairie League – Back on Track

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Pure Prairie League

photo courtesy of Michael J. Media Group

Album Review: Pure Prairie League – Back on Track

Old-school country pop-rock from a legendary band. Sure, I wasn’t initially as excited as I would have been by a new Garth Brooks disc. Or, going back to a more comparable ’70s star, a new Crystal Gayle record. But then I listened to Back on Track and remembered why we all know Pure Prairie League‘s name. Damn, these guys know how to write – and perform – a pleasant soft country pop-rock song. And when I say “country pop-rock,” I mean like from the ’70s, when that branch of country music leaned more toward the Eagles than toward more explosive rock bands like Poison. And yet, this new record is modern-sounding, not stuck in the past. I don’t know why I’m surprised – sorry, Pure Prairie League, I guess I underestimated you a little. Then again, this is the band’s first studio album in 20 years, and with the longest-tenured band member having joined in 2011, none were band members the last time Pure Prairie League released an album.

Pure Prairie League – Back on Track album cover

image courtesy of Michael J. Media Group

Of modern successful country acts, I’d compare this Pure Prairie League album perhaps to Lonestar, a band whose most recent release, 2016’s Never Enders, is actually one of my favorites of theirs, even if it didn’t chart as highly as any of their preceding studio albums. But I digress. This review is supposed to be about Pure Prairie’s League’s wicked-cool, brand-spanking-new, December 2024 release.

From note number one, “The Beginning” kicks things off nicely with a distinct soft country-rock twang. Second track, “Picture Perfect Life,” is more of a swinging, classic country number. And “I Believe” follows with a deep-voiced, rich, heartfelt ballad. Man, this stuff would have been all over country radio in the late ’70s/early ’80s.

“Skipping Stones” has a big, rich, somewhat modern country sound mixed in with old-school harmonies, leaning toward the rock edge of country-rock, suitable for back-to-back playlist status with Poco. You’ll dig the opening lyric, “I don’t like trouble. Trouble likes me.” Oh, yeah!

“Crazy World” is a peppy, softly tuneful number. This is the one that reminds me the most of the Eagles on this record, though it’s clearly more country with the requisite twang. And it’s a bit more of a striding, bouncing, walking-along song than the Eagles’ smoother California style. But oh, those Eagles-esque harmonies!

Pure Prairie League

photo by Laura Schneier; photo courtesy of Michael J. Media Group

“Modern Problem” sounds almost like a ’70s soft progressive track that would have gained airplay at the time. (Alan Parsons, anyone?) If you’d like a back-to-back playlist pairing, I’d suggest Michael Martin Murphey’s “Wildfire.”

Next up, “A Love Like Yours” offers up an almost-bluesy-pop arrangement of a light pop-country song. With horns. This is a smooth song. And I love the jamming, all-instrumental long-outro.

“I’m the Lucky One” follows, the sort of sweet, mildly energetic crooner no country album would be complete without. Sonically, the country artist I’d think would be best-suited to cover this song would be Blog favorite Houston Bernard. Indeed, this sounds like exactly the sort of song you’d find on one of his records, complete with Houston’s confident vocal delivery.

“Love Song” comes across as one of those harmonizing ’70s folk-influenced soft psychedelic rock numbers. Then “Price of Love” follows, adding a Jimmy Buffett-reminiscent style to this smoothly harmonized, old-school tune.

“Six Feet of Snow” is an old-fashioned, at least partly fiddle-driven country dancehall number. And “Back on Track” kicks off with a funky beat, closing the album as a fast-paced number that sounds like a runaway train during the chorus but dabbles in a variety of other influences in-between.

As a whole, this is an impressive album. And I didn’t realize how varied the influences were until I starting writing about each song individually. During dozens of pre-review listens, I could have sworn was a collection of songs that would be described similarly. Indeed, though, almost every song has a very distinct, different influence, yet the album is an impressive, cohesive whole.

To be honest, I wasn’t sure I’d be interested a Pure Prairie League album until I listened to it and realized this is a great record. If you loved the sound that earned Pure Prairie League its hits in the late ’70s/early ’80s, you’ll really like this album. And if you don’t know what that sounds like, give this record a listen and find out.

Single Reviews: Lansdowne – “Here to Stay” and “Oxygen”

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Lansdowne

photo courtesy of Lansdowne via BJF Media

Single Reviews of Lansdowne: “Here to Stay” and “Oxygen” (AFM Records)

Lansdowne is a heavy-rocking Boston band you’ve read about at this blog before. Well, this fivesome – Jon Ricci (vocals), Shaun Lichtenstein (lead guitar, vocals), Glenn Mungo (drums), Josh Waterman (guitar, vocals), and Mike LaRoche (bass) – has released two more kickass singles since my last review, “Here to Stay” and “Oxygen.”

“Here to Stay” kicks off with a fiesty guitar rock intro that softens as Ricci’s vocals kick in. The band has a very big, arena-sized, modern heavy rock sound, replete with explosive bursts of sound and vocals (or sound and fury, if you prefer). This song, in particular, might appeal to fans of Daughtry’s bigger, more expansive, powerfully explosive numbers. However, Lansdowne adds some gritty, noisy axework when a little raucous chaos is called upon to drive the song forward.

Lansdowne – "Here to Stay" cover art

image courtesy of BJF Media

“Here to Stay” is a song whose lyrical message – and the energy with which it is delivered – is likely to appeal to a certain cross-section of the band’s fans, too. In the material accompanying the release, Jon Ricci commented: “‘Here To Stay’ is a powerful song about overcoming adversity and coming together to say, ‘No matter what happens, no matter what you throw at us, we’re going to be victorious.’ We’ve spoken with so many fans that have told us stories about the challenges they’ve faced and the struggles that they’ve endured, and how our music has been a part of their process as they heal and motivation as they push through tough times. So this is our way of saying we understand, we’re with you, and no matter what happens we’re going to get through this together.” So yeah, that’s a pretty sweet message, too.

“Oxygen,” meanwhile, begins explosively, as you’ve come to expect from Lansdowne (if you took my advice and started listening to them a couple years ago). Soft verses lead to powerful choruses at the end of which the title lyric is nearly screamed. It’s also pretty cool lyrically, potentially connecting with those in suffocating relationships with the lyrics “I can’t believe I was caught in your fire. Now I see through the smoke and the lies. Finally, I can breathe as I’m rising above the ashes, alive again, oxygen!” A late song, typically new-metal screeching breakdown adds character, leading the song to a powerful closing section, where you’ll join the band in screaming “Oxygen!”

Lansdowne and its powerful sound are so obviously ready-made for an all-encompassing live concert experience it’s not even funny. Check out the “Shows” section of the band’s website for upcoming dates. Right now, a May 24th date at Wally’s Pub in Hampton, NH is listed, but check back for more.

Single Review: Sister Hazel – “All Goes By So Fast”

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Sister Hazel's "All Goes By So Fast" cover art shows the song title displayed as if written on the timers of the time-traveling Delorean in Back to the Future.

image courtesy of Skye Media

Single Review of Sister Hazel – “All Goes By So Fast” (Rock Ridge Music)

“All Goes By So Fast” was an August 2024 single released by Sister Hazel in advance of the band’s 13th studio album, Sand, Sea & Crash Debris, which dropped in November. Now, I haven’t yet heard the album, but I’ve heard this very cool song, “All Goes By So Fast,” quite a lot; of course, I’ve also heard “Coconut Trees,” which was released as a single shortly before I reviewed it back in 2023. Let’s just say that “All Goes By So Fast” is not particularly similar to “Coconut Trees” other than both being catchy songs performed by Sister Hazel.

“All Goes By So Fast” is an old-school pop-rock song the likes of which you might have heard on Semisonic’s Feeling Strangely Fine back in the late ’90s. At the same time, there’s a nostalgic thread that runs through this song that’s most often found in country music. (No, I’m not comparing this to country music, except for the theme.)

Funky synthwork and a crunchy, punchy guitar line combine with slappy, rhythmic drumming to provide a hypnotically catchy, engaging – almost overwhelmingly so – music bed. Combine that with a dramatic power-pop chorus, confessional straight-shooter style, and nostalgic nearly-spoken bridges, and you have a veritable Pavlovian sugar trap of a song. And it works, somehow remaining fresh and enjoyable even after several consecutive listens, like I’m doing right now while writing this review, even after dozens of previous listens as part of a playlist.

In any case, this song is a fun mainstream rock romp (with major pop tendencies), well-deserving of a little playlist love.

Album Review: Mark Barron – Redefinition

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Mark Barron – Redefinition album cover

image courtesy of Mark Barron

Album Review of Mark Barron: Redefinition

Rocker Mark Barron covers a lot of territory with axework that ranges from blistering to floating on Redefinition, and all that real estate is in the progressive rock township. Can I place it Barron’s music into a subcategory of progressive rock? Well, if progressive, soaring, guitar-wizardry-driven space rock is a progressive rock subgenre, then this would be the dictionary definition of it.

Barron is a jack of all trades, a multi-instrumentalist, not just a guitar wizard. The liner notes of Redefinition read: “Mark Barron: Vocals, guitar, keyboards, bass, drums, production and mixing. Music and lyrics by Mark Barron. Mastered by Doug Northcott at Amplitude Audio.” So we know he doesn’t master his own record. He can’t do everything, I guess, but Barron comes close.

First song “Praeludium” kicks off with heavy, soaring hard rock guitar, suggesting perhaps a heavier record than Redefinition turns out to be, the sort of anthemic, soaring heavy metal that might have instrumentally backed one of Dio’s more melodic productions. At the very least, it suggests images of knights and dragons and castles – very medieval and adventury sounding, like the backdrop of a D&D quest.

Then the title track, “Redefinition,” begins with a sort of synthy-sounding, ’80s electronic-style intro, which leads into some higher, more technical, prog rock instrumental shredding. Yet, a garbled, wizardly background vocal resumes the fantasy before the lead vocals themselves bring about an almost Styx-influenced mainstream-meets-progressive sound. By this point, it’s clear any and all expectations should be thrown out the window, and you should just sit back and enjoy the album’s journey.

Throughout the journey, you get energetic progressive rock with a soaring musical backdrop and plenty of axe-wizardly shredding.

“Closer to Me” soars softly, with a calm, outdoorsy vibe, with the music suggesting water imagery just before the lyric “as the wings crash down on me,” as if so-designed. The energetic kick into the song’s chorus is almost Survivor-like, though the rest of the song is pure floating, soaring, kinda mellow progressive rock. Of all the songs on this record, “Closer to Me” is the one that most often pops into my head, so do give it a listen.

A fun, lighthearted instrumental romp, “Burnout,” follows, and it’s my favorite instrumental number on the record, perhaps my favorite song overall. It’s followed by “Afterglow,” which features guitar noodling through the song’s first half before the first vocals, which soar angelically, turning the song into almost a hymn.

The rest of the album continues along similar themes while still unleashing new facets of Barron’s skill-set. “Leap of Faith” feels very Styx-ish. “Into the Wild” is a fun, 5-plus minute journey powered frequently by relatively fast-paced guitar and a persistent, driving drumbeat. And “Rift” features a bit more keywork than many of Redefinition‘s other numbers – in addition to plentiful guitar, natch – as the song leans toward the more mainstream end of progressive rock. The guitar in the instrumental “Divinity” is the crunchiest, thickest on the record, seeming to lean a little bluesy at times, too.

The album’s penultimate track, “Ivory,” is motored by pianowork, slow and very balladic, with Barron adding softer-edged though still insistent vocals; it also might be well-suited to musical theater, specifically something along the lines of Phantom of the Opera. Indeed, Barron seems to channel Andrew Lloyd Webber throughout much of this song.

The 11-song journey through Redefinition ends with “Weightless,” a 7-minute closing number that showcases many sides of Mark’s music, from the song’s soft opening to its varied guitar styles to an almost march-style rhythm and beat, particularly through its middle, before beginning its big, soaring-into-wide-open-spaces final minute-plus dramatic climax then fading out. It’s a fitting ending to an impressive progressive rock song collection!

So, if you’re a progressive rock fan, you should definition check out this record. It’s a good one. And if you’re not already familiar with Mark Barron, then you have a new name to remember. And if you’re not a prog rocker, well, maybe start by checking out “Closer to Me,” “Ivory,” and “Burnout” – there’s probably something in this collection you’ll like, too.

EP Review: Diablogato – Snake Oil Salvation

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Diablogato

photo by Pat Piasecki; photo courtesy of Knyvet

EP Review of Diablogato: Snake Oil Salvation (Rum Bar Records)

Crazy-ass, eclectic, electric, straight-ahead, aggressive, guitar-driven, distortion-laden western rock and roll. That’s Diablogato. And this record is exactly what you’d expect from a leather-clad, axeslinging devil cat! Or perhaps a stray cat possessed by the devil. Indeed, Johnny Custom plays upright bass for Diablogato, partially inspiring my Stray Cats reference, as this music swings pretty well for heavy rock music; maybe the bass plays a role. Custom is joined by Charlie MacSteven on guitar and backing vocals, Jesse Von Kenmore on drums and the inimitable, rough-hewn powerful voice of Drew Indinagaro on vocals and guitar.

“Heavens Gate” kicks things off with an echoing, heavy, angry rhythm thumping straight through grittily howling blues-rock vocals. You may not be able to imagine things will amp up after this opener, but Diablogato is just getting started.

Diablogato – Snake Oil Salvation EP cover art

image courtesy of Knyvet

My two favorite songs on this EP (personal taste, ymmv), in reverse order, are numbers two and three. The first of those two, “Wandering Hearts” opens more airily haunting, like a devil-possessed Johnny Cash song. The “whoa-o-oah” will draw the listener in. What if Chris Isaak’s “Wicked Game” was darker, heavier, and a bit more foreboding but still just as haunting? Then you could pair it with “Wandering Hearts,” though the surf-meets-blues-rock guitar solo during the late-song bridge in “Wandering Hearts” really doesn’t compare to much of anything else.

Third song “Fire and Powder,” my favorite on the EP, amps up the “whoa-o-oah” to the next level, with a frantic, full-speed-ahead energy that’s interrupted only at the halfway-point for an instrumental section that begins slow but intense and slowly ramps up the speed until it returns again to maximum energy level, erupting into a nifty, high-speed guitar solo that runs until the song’s few closing lyrics. The tempo, though? Whew!

Of course, just because those are my favorite tracks, that doesn’t mean I’m dissing the rest of the disc. Au contraire, six songs isn’t nearly enough Diablogato for one sitting!

“Jet Black Night” is a slower-paced but still heavy, bluesy-groovin’ heavy rocker. “July 1969” has a steady beat, some country twang with an almost folk-influenced heavy rock vocal, meaning it harkens back a bit to that psychedelic rock era, and a raucous punk-but-it’s-too-smooth-to-be-punk attitude. And “Lost Highway,” which closes the EP, opens with a mellower, more bluesy rock vibe before picking up the pace with energetic rock, except for the instrumental guitar bridges, which are slower, a bit bluesy and haunting, and very heavy and plodding, much like late ’70s/early ’80s heavy metal – pre-big hair, real heavy metal. It’s a cool blend of styles, much like this entire Diablogato album, making it a fitting conclusion to a fantastic six-song listen.

In the end, if, based on Snake Oil Salvation, I had to compare Diablogato to other bands I’ve reviewed at the blog over the years, I’d say they belong in the desert southwest, nestled between Angie & the Deserters and Love and a .38. In other words, as the middle band in a kickass rock ‘n roll triple-bill with two other artists that give off a similar vibe, arranged from lightest to heaviest, with Diablogato perhaps residing closer to the heavier band. Regardless, Diablogato is a very original, thoroughly engaging must-hear, especially – but not exclusively – for guitar-based rock fans.

Single Review: Ilianna – “A Year From Now”

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Ilianna

photo courtesy of Highway Music

Single Review of Ilianna: “A Year From Now” (Highway Music)

You may remember Ilianna (Viramontes) from her appearance on The Voice a few years ago. Although that’s the one singing competition show I sometimes watch, I don’t watch every season, and that was one of the seasons I missed, so “A Year From Now” is my first encounter with this exceptionally talented pop singer-songwriter.

Ilianna – "A Year From Now" cover art

image courtesy of Highway Music

Ilianna’s voice is sweet with a soft vocal edge despite a slightly hoarse texture in spots, but only when she stretches for notes. It’s the sort of voice that can make a song seem warm and inviting and, indeed, that’s exactly what it does on “A Year From Now.” The vocals and the melody change pace, feeling introspective in the verses but a bit more self-confident and playful in the chorus.

As for subject matter, it carries a light mood through thoughts of the future in the early days of a relationship that’s going well. Totally relatable for those seeking love, in love, or who remember falling in love. Some insecurity sneaks in, but not much, keeping the song pleasant and enjoyable. The lyrics and Ilianna’s delivery will make the song content feel current – or reminiscent, depending on your current lot in life and love – with well-crafted lyrics like “what if I told you I was picturing us a year from now?” combining with Ilianna’s engaging delivery to help secure “A Year From Now” a welcome place across a broad range of listener personas’ playlists.

Ilianna

photo courtesy of Highway Music

Looking For More?

Well, “A Year From Now” was Ilianna’s second single release. She released “Close to You” a month before “A Year From Now.” You can hear “Close to You” here on Spotify. Spotify also includes Ilianna’s cover of Yael Naim’s “New Soul” from her appearance on The Voice eight years ago. Of the three, I think “A Year From Now” is my favorite. Based on her outstanding but still-too-small body of work, I hope to hear much more new music from Ilianna in the very near future. She has the talent to become a long-term favorite artist on my playlist… and on yours, too, I bet.

Single Review: Liam Foody – “Waiting For You”

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Liam Foody

photo courtesy of Cobra Promotions

Single Review of Liam Foody: “Waiting For You”

Irish singer-songwriter Liam Foody serves up an energetic mid-tempo pop-rock single with “Waiting For You.” The song is easy to listen to, with jangly guitar – and even a little grainy guitar crunch in spots – supporting Liam’s steady voice atop a frequently-airy soundbed. Liam’s voice has just a hint of a warble that helps the song come across as heartfelt, despite its rather poppy, keep-it-moving vibe that pushes the song forward without lingering too long on an emotion.

In the end, “Waiting For You” is a pleasant song that’s sneaky-good and will grow on you progressively with each subsequent listen. It’s a light, feel-good pop-rocker that serves as a terrific introduction to this talented artist. So check out “Waiting For You” and get ready for more – I’d expect to hear plenty from Liam Foody in the coming years.

By the way, this is actually Liam’s second single. If you like what you hear, be sure to also take his first single, “Take Your Hand,” for a spin.

Single Review: Annie & the Caldwells – “Wrong”

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Annie & the Caldwells

photo by Eric Welles-Nystrom; photo courtesy of 23 PR

Single Review of Annie & the Caldwells: “Wrong” (Luaka Bop)

The funky opening of “Wrong” will grab you right off the bat, as “Wrong,” a single from the Annie & the Caldwells album Can’t Lose My (Soul), evolves into the kind of powerfully-vocalled (with backup singers) kind-of-Motowny soul song that’ll keep you moving in your seat with its engaging beat. And you’ll be singing along with the lyric “I was wrong” by the end of the very first listen.

The group’s bio notes that Annie & the Caldwells are a family group from West Point, Mississippi and labels their sound as “disco soul.” Yes, though I couldn’t quite place it in the review above, penned before digging into the band’s bio, there’s definitely a disco flavor to the song, too.

The song includes a nice video, filmed right there in West Point, that begins in Caldwell’s Fashions, the business owned and operated by family matriarch and bandleader Annie Caldwell. The family band is comprised of vocalist Annie, her husband Willie Caldwell Sr. (guitar), her sons Willie Caldwell Jr. (bass) and Abel Aquirius Caldwell (drums), daughters Deborah Caldwell Moore (featured vocals), and Anjessica Caldwell (backing vocals), and goddaughter Toni Rivers (backing vocals).

In any case, this is a fun single. I haven’t given the full-length album a listen yet – it’s been out a few weeks now – I fully expect to be wowed.

You can also find Annie, Willie Sr., and their sons in the Staples Jr. Singers, who’ve been around since 1975, according to the Staples Jr. Singers’ Instagram page.