Single Review: Deaf Rat – “Say Your Lies”

Posted on by

photo by Georgios Grigoriadis; photo courtesy of BJF Media

Single Review of Deaf Rat: “Say Your Lies” (AFM Records)

Sweden’s Deaf Rat are vocalist Frankie Rich and guitarists Pat Kramer and Max Lander. “Say Your Lies” is the band’s most recent single.

image courtesy of BJF Media

Upon first glance at the main lyric, you might think this is simply an updated, more tuneful, more verbose “Shout at the Devil,” and in a roundabout way it isn’t entirely not that, but Deaf Rat’s “Say Your Lies” has a touch more harmonies, tunefulness, and soaring power. And, of course, it’s catchy. You’ll find yourself singing along to “Say your lies before the devil,” but don’t sleep on the guitar hook, which is pretty cool, too. You can hear the classic hard rock influences in the song, elements from guitar-based, anthemic hard rock’s ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s heyday, replete with a pulsing rhythm sure to induce moderate-tempo headbanging and/or air guitar swaying – seriously, there’s some awesome guitar solo shredwork that’s perfect for air guitaring. But Deaf Rat avoids going full-on retro; the band’s style and crisp but heavy production tap into the soaring power of modern melodic hard rock, kind of like AFM Records labelmates Lansdowne but with a more old-school melodic vocal style.

“Say Your Lies” is accompanied by a cool animated lyric video that’s definitely worth checking out.

photo by Georgios Grigoriadis; photo courtesy of BJF Media

A Little Farther Back

In mid-2023, Deaf Rat released its prior single, “Schizophrenic Part of Me.” Melodic hard rock, full of power and wall of sound. Harmonies. Every bit as catchy as “Say Your Lies.” It’s been a while since the last full album from these guys. It’s been since 2019, when Deaf Rat released Ban the Light, and as kickass as the group’s sound was on that disc, judging from the pair of singles the band has released in the past year, Deaf Rat has leveled up. I’m psyched for a full-length album from these kick-ass rockers… soon, I hope?

 

 

Single Review: Wyn & the White Light – “Can the World Change”

Posted on by

photo by Marion Earley; photo courtesy of Wyn Doran

Single Review of Wyn & the White Light: “Can the World Change”

Wyn & the White Light are 2023 New England Music Awards Female Performer of the Year nominee Wyn Doran and, presumably, the White Light: Lucia Jean (bass/vocals) and Heidi Tierney (drums/vocals). The day after Christmas, this trio dropped “Can the World Change,” a song about Wyn’s near-death experience in her twenties, an event that landed her in the hospital for a week and a half, starting the day after Christmas. (There you have the inspired connection to the December 26th release date.)

cover art by Wyn Doran and Lucia Jean; image courtesy of Wyn Doran

“Can the World Change” is a soaring, haunting, whirling cauldron of pop-rock energy. If done with just an acoustic guitar, it could be a haunting folk song, but the extra instrumentation turns the song into a cyclonic listening experience. The lyrics are minimalist but incisive, guided by a Ben Folds “six line” songwriting challenge, and exceptionally effective. This isn’t a song to sing along to. This isn’t a song to dance along to. It is a song to be felt and experienced. And with that as the goal, Wyn & the White Light have achieved it exceptionally well.

More Recently

As is so often the case, with my extensive review backlog right now, even though I received an advance copy of this single, I’m reviewing “Can the World Change” nearly three months after its release date, and Wyn & the White Light have released more music since then. “Statue” (featuring Josh Knowles, whose impressive talent I wrote about in my coverage of the “Behind the Songs 2” event a few years ago) dropped in late February. And on March 19, Wyn & the White Light released their first album, Luck, featuring “Can the World Change,” “Statue,” and eight more tracks.

Looking Ahead

You can catch Wyn & the White Light live on April 13th at The Overlook in Lowell, MA.

Album Review: Emma Wilson – Memphis Calling

Posted on by

image courtesy of Frank Roszak Promotions

Album Review of Emma Wilson: Memphis Calling

What a voice! Emma Wilson‘s Memphis Calling is a powerful rhythm and blues record. While I’d primarily classify it as blues, it is a very soulful blues with some pop-friendly melodic playfulness. In any case, I can see why Emma’s press material refers to her as rhythm and blues rather than simply blues, and I’m convinced by this record that it’s an appropriate distinction.

But about that voice? Emma shows it off throughout the album, but she wastes no time getting the listeners’ attention, showcasing its texture, power, and versatility in the catchy “A Small Word,” with the singalong lyrics “Love is just a small word. Why is it so hard to say?” Ooh, yeah! “A Small Word” is one of the four songs (out of Memphis Calling‘s nine) on which Emma has a songwriter credit.

Mid-to-up-tempo “Water” follows, starting slow but quickly building to power, showcasing Emma’s soulful vocal power with playful blues instrumentation supporting her. It’s an update of singer/songwriter Eddie Floyd’s 1968 original. I gave the sixties original a listen, and it’s impressive how modern that original sounds; Emma didn’t have to update it much to make it sound fully modern, and she duplicates Eddie’s vocal power. Indeed, it was a perfect selection for her voice. The song’s playfulness is engaging, its recurring instrumentation hooky, and it will quickly become a favorite.

“Watching You Leave” is a good choice for a third track. After two such energetic numbers, it changes the pace a little. I mean, the horns quickly establish that it’s not a true ballad, but it is slower paced and smoother than the two more dynamic numbers preceding it. And Emma restrains the urge to showcase her vocal runs, mostly, sticking to remaining dynamic within the song structure. The following song, “I Still Love You,” is an even slower number, a true ballad.

“What Kind of Love” features Don Bryant as guest vocalist, and the pair’s vocals meld well in this funky, playful, moderately-paced blues strutter.

“I’ll See You in the Morning” is the first song to operate at the high end of Emma’s range, a raw, ragged, thin, emotional vocal that serves this song well. Even the early/mid-song guitar solo adds to the feeling of a weary day, a little emotionally strained to match Emma’s vocals. Oh, and I’ve gotta mention the cool organ coming in at the end adding that final touch.

“Drug” is a thicker-textured song, with some heavy horns and a funky beat, while “Hoochie Coochie Mama” is a full-on return to the blues, a gender-swapped update of the Willie Dixon-penned Muddy Waters standard, “Hoochie Coochie Man.”

Emma then ends Memphis Calling with her understated rendition of the slow, slow crooner “Since I Fell For You,” with the organ giving the song a bit of a Gospel blues feel.

Emma Wilson’s voice and versatility make Memphis Calling an exceptional blues recording, beginning to end. My favorites are the two energetic album-openers, “A Small Word” and “Water” – and, aside from the ballads of course, those are probably the two songs with the biggest crossover appeal beyond core blues fans – but if your stylistic tastes differ from mine, you may find your favorites elsewhere on this strong, solid record.

Looking Ahead

Emma has several concerts, all in the UK, currently listed on the “Shows” page of her website. Tonight, March 23rd, she’ll be performing at the
Beastie Fest Blues and Rock Festival at Boom in Leeds, with her next show scheduled for May 23rd in Sunderland. Check Emma’s website for more information about those shows and the others on her calendar.

Album Review: Video Age – Away from the Castle

Posted on by

photo by Horatio Baltz; photo courtesy of Video Age and Throwin’ Bo’s

Album Review of Video Age: Away from the Castle

I found Video Age‘s album while diving down a Bandcamp rabbit hole. After far too many near-misses (and complete misses), I stumbled upon Video Age’s Away from the Castle, and it was not merely good but interesting and new enough that I reached out to the band to get a review copy. I am impressed Away from the Castle‘s funky, disco-influenced, laid-back, light, old-style pop smoothness, steeped in ’70s pop cheerfulness with perhaps a few ’60s harmonies and the occasional ’80s new wave synth thrown in for good measure. It’s groovy music that makes you feel good.

image courtesy of Video Age and Throwin’ Bo’s

“Ready to Stay,” the first song on the album, is a great introduction. Its instrumental opening reminds me a little bit of Human League, but then the vocals are more of a smooth, tuneful groove atop a lush music bed. And even though the song feels good from the first listen, enticing the listener to offer repeated listens, it’s not until after several listens that the chorus hook really starts to dig in, often the sign of a song with staying power.

“Better Than Ever” has a similar groove but more tempo and energy; a theme that recurs throughout the album is a cohesive sound but enough variance to keep things interesting.

Title track “Away from the Castle” is also catchy and fun with a few new wrinkles. Then “Adrian” shows a new side of Video Age, with a funky Prince-esque influence figuring prominently in the song’s catchy style.

The smooth, breezy, dreamy “In the Breaks” follows, with a rolling, swaying feeling, driven in part by Video Age’s lyrical phrasing choices.

photo by Horatio Baltz; photo courtesy of Video Age and Throwin’ Bo’s

Pretenses of other influences are dropped on “Just Think,” a pure, cool disco number that gets more fun with every single listen. The Bee Gees would be proud. Try not to bounce in your chair – or even get up and dance – to this number. I dare you.

“Anything For You” slows things down again, with strong vocals and a rich sound bed.

“A Knight Shining With No Armor,” at just over a minute, is an electronic reminder of Video Age’s versatility, setting up its most ’80s new wave-meets-BritPop song on the album, “Is It Really Over?”

Finally, Video Age closes this exceptional, enjoyable, very original album with “Golden Sun,” kind of a synthy Alan Parsons Project-worthy number. The rhythm will have you swaying in your seat, enjoying the last few minutes of the album, feeling full of “golden” sunshine, perhaps ready to re-start the album from the beginning again.

Looking Ahead

You can catch Video Age on tour right now. According to the “Tour” page of the band’s website, tonight, March 22nd, they’re playing at the Treefort Music Fest in Boise, ID. West Coast and Mountain Time Zone shows follow, then a swing through Texas, leading to an April 13th show back home in New Orleans. Be sure to catch them on this tour if you can. This tour ran through Boston a couple weeks ago; I wasn’t paying attention, so I was completely unaware. Maybe I’ll catch the next Video Age tour.

Album Review: Lara Herscovitch – Highway Philosophers

Posted on by

photo by Austin Fenn; photo courtesy of Lara Herscovitch

Album Review of Lara Herscovitch: Highway Philosophers

Lara Herscovitch is a folk singer-songwriter with a relatively straightforward top-shelf singer-songwriter delivery and damn fine songwriting skills. As a singer, you can feel the emotion in her vocals. As a songwriter, well, her songs are detailed and variety, comfortable and chance-taking. Her creativity flows throughout Highway Philosophers.

cover photo by Joy Bush Photography; image courtesy of Lara Herscovitch

I first listened to Lara’s music in the run-up to 2023 New England Music Awards, where she was nominated in both the Roots Act of the Year and Americana Act of the Year categories. (I make it a point to sample some music from every nominee before casting my NEMA ballot.) She has received numerous accolades over the course of her career. To me, I think the coolest was her 2-year stint as the Connecticut State Troubadour. That would be for the whole state of Connecticut… except for Stars Hollow because it already had a town troubadour. And, of course, because it’s a fictional town. Honestly, though, just scroll down to the bottom of Lara’s electronic press kit to see her impressive list of honors.

Lara kicks the album off with one of her best songs, a song with broad appeal, the song that answers the questions “When? Where? What?” Of course, I’m talking about “Now Here This.” Musically, every time the song settles down, it kicks back up again. Now, that’s a matter of perspective, as the tempo never gets particularly kicked-up, but the tempo changes, modest as they are, do amp things up slightly but impactfully.

You want tempo? You’ll find a bit more on “Angels.” This is simply a well-written song with spots where the lyrics become more emphatic, where the music sweeps upward in intensity. I can imagine it with a variety of different arrangements. On this disc, of course, the arrangement is folky singer-songwriter, in fitting with the delivery style Lara performs so well.

photo by Katie Settel; photo courtesy of Lara Herscovitch

“Highway Philosophers” has kind of a travelin’ song tempo. “Careful Porcelain Doll” is an empowering song about not fitting stereotypes. And “You USA” is nostalgic and hopeful, in a way.

“Sailing to Newfoundland” is an encouraging number that uses harmony vocals quite well, and there’s a tiny bit of well-placed meandering electric guitar in the mix that gives it a really cool sound that stands out, at least to the extent a few seconds in a mellow song are able to stand out. (Just listen for it, eh? I like it.) “Fault Lines,” next, carries a hint of discomfort through its sweet sound, hinting at but not straight-out mentioning the song’s real topic.

Next up is “Shine Sister Shine,” a catchy song with a singalong chorus and uplifting message. It comes with a storybook that’s purchasable here, though you can read in greater detail about the project here on the original kickstarter page. Also, the animated video is a must-see. I think we can all be relieved that the sun got her groove back.

“Castle Walls” is a smooth, reminiscent tale that tells a story. But the next song, “The Tiger & I,” tells a tale, an enthralling, fun, clever one about a true friendship with a tiger who, one can only hope, is a better driver than Toonces. Yeah, it’s kinda silly, but the song is entertainingly detailed, the music is cheerful, and there’s gotta be a deeper message in there, right? Well, actually, there is, and it would a great theme song for an animated buddy movie (working title: Lara and the Tiger), but I’m focusing on the silliness.

Lara Herscovitch & the Highway Philosophers; photo by Alex Carpenter; photo courtesy of Lara Herscovitch

“Rise” has a foreboding tone to it, despite the song’s liveliness. It’s an emperor-has-no-clothes type of song, noting, though, that “the sun will rise again.”

“In Your Corner” is an uplifting song that includes the lyric “remember, you’re not in that ring alone.” It’s a really comforting, encouraging song, moreso after each successive listen. “Wingspan (Acoustic),” following, is another hopeful number.

Finally, “From a Dream” is the song I was referring to when I said Lara took chances. I really get the storytelling method of spoken-word over a music bed with background vocals. For me, it’s a miss, but it’s a technique that will find a 0% success rate with me, so that’s not fair. The technique seems effective, but when I listen to the CD in the car, I usually just skip this one and restart the disc after the end of “Wingspan.”

The songs on Highway Philosophers are mostly very deeply personal – or, at least, touch on subjects that are typically deeply personal. I’m sure that’s part of what will direct you to your personal favorites on this disc. And I’m sure you’ll have favorites.

Lara Herscovitch is a talented singer and storyteller, with the sort of emotive voice that defines the best folk-based singer-songwriters… or, I suppose you could call them, troubadours.

More Recently

Highway Philosophers was a 2020 release. Since then, Lara has released 2021 single “I’d Do Anything” and, just this past fall, “Italian Balconies.”

image courtesy of Lara Herscovitch

“Italian Balconies” is a song with a cool harmonic vibe, soaring vocals and an echo that somewhat recalls a church choir. Or perhaps the echoes of Italian streets, as this song was inspired by the story of Italians stepping out onto their balconies and singing together during the early days of their COVID-19 quarantine. (If you’ve forgotten this story, here’s a video to remind you.) Lara’s song, inspired by that occurrence in Italy, recalls that time and some of the positive lessons learned.

Looking Ahead

The “Tour” page of Lara’s website lists her next performance as Saturday afternoon, April 6th at the Cheshire Public Library in Cheshire, CT. After that, she has shows scheduled from April through December, ranging up and down the east coast from Maine to Georgia, including a December 7th stop in Bluffton, SC, where I always insist on having lunch at The Cottage Cafe whenever I’m in the area… which has been at least eight or nine years now, unfortunately. But I digress. In any case, be sure to check Lara’s website periodically to see if/when she’ll be playing near you and for new shows, as they’re added.

Single Review: Cascando – “Jimmy Boy”

Posted on by

photo courtesy of Cobra Promotions

Single Review of Cascando: “Jimmy Boy”

Cascando is a Limerick, Ireland-based roots rock band. “Jimmy Boy” was the first single from Cascando’s EP In Absence of Trees. It was recorded in September 2023, just a couple months before its release.

The song opens with a catchy, twangy guitar hook, driving forward with a foreboding tone and rough harmonies. There’s a flute solo about a minute in that just adds to the song’s unique vibe. The rhythm is steady throughout, carrying an energy from beginning to end that is certain to keep nightclub audiences engaged. A hard ending with an organ chord, too, works well while adding another unique flavor to this musical recipe. “Jimmy Boy” has kind of an alt-rock vibe but with some unique instrumentation that shifts its categorization toward the roots rock category. Alt-roots, perhaps? I suppose you’d need to sample more of Cascando’s offerings to get a sense.

photo courtesy of Cobra Promotions

I would expect “Jimmy Boy” to be a crowd favorite at live gigs, and even just to hear a live performance of this original (since I’ve yet not delved deeper into Cascando’s catalog) would be enough to convince me to turn out for one of the band’s live performances.

Now, I don’t see mention of any upcoming gigs at the band’s linktree, but you might want to watch Cascando’s Instagram page for future show announcements.

Album Review: Thorslund – Thorslund

Posted on by

photo by Will Cook; photo courtesy of Nothing’s Shocking Media

Album Review of Thorslund: Thorslund

Thorslund are brothers Jeff Thorslund (vocals, guitar, bass) and Tom Thorslund (drums, backing vocals), with Charles Horin handling live bass duties.

The band performs classic, timeless, guitar-driven hard rock music. You hear elements of ’70s rock, but with updated tone, riffs, and production values. In its bio, Thorslund notes the influence of the melodic elements of grunge on the band’s music. I’m not convinced that influence, necessarily, comes through in an obvious sense, but if it’s an influence, then the music is well-served by it. The band’s self-titled debut release was self-produced by Jeff and Tom and mixed by Nick DiDia (Stone Temple Pilots, Pearl Jam, Dirty Honey).

image courtesy of Nothing’s Shocking Media

The gritty, heavy, bluesy hard rock riffs that begin album-opener “Firecracker Man” establish Thorslund as a modern, classic-styled hard rock band that’s clearly first-tier. When assembling an album, especially as a new band, put your best song – especially your best song in your trademark style – right up front. Thorslund has done that here, and it works well. Within the first few seconds of “Firecracker Man,” I knew I’d like this album, and I knew I’d review it. Yes, this twisty, hooky, singalongable (“I’m the long-awaited… firecracker man!”) song is still my favorite, but, as expected, Thorslund is a strong album beginning to end.

“Hours to Go” also kicks off with a catchy guitar hook that leads to a fun, riff-laden, classic guitar rock song. It features enough hooks to be enjoyed by a rock ‘n roll fan, with enough impressive axework to be a musician’s favorite track, too.

“Wildfire” features a sidewinding hook, not completely unlike “Firecracker Man” but with a lighter classic rock feel. Something about one of the guitar flourishes reminds me of “Rocky Mountain Way,” and while the entire song doesn’t sound anything like it, I can see the two songs being seamlessly played side-by-side by a cover band somewhere because “Wildfire” really does have a bit of that ’70s vibe to it.

photo by Will Cook; photo courtesy of Nothing’s Shocking Media

“New Light” is a heavy rock thumper with a catchy, repetitive overriding rhythm and bluesy classic rock guitarwork plus the sort of psychedelic rock fade-out one might expect from Enuff Z’nuff or “Green Tinted Sixties Mind”-era Mr. Big.

Change-of-pace, lighter number “I Got Time” is an intense strummer that is lighter, fresher, and acoustic, eschewing drums until the very end.

“So It Goes” is more mid-range classic rock, still guitar-driven but more along the lines of what you might hear from Rick Springfield (but with a ’70s rather than an ’80s vibe) and ending with a seriously fun extended guitar solo.

And “Armageddon Tonight” is another AOR-era guitar rocker, this one with a cool recurring rhythm.

photo by Will Cook; photo courtesy of Nothing’s Shocking Media

Finally, to close, the rhythm of album-ender “Rocker” reminds me a little of Helix’s “Heavy Metal Love,” and it certainly has that modestly wild-yet-contained Helix vibe, though the vocal harmonies in some spots are reminiscent of the richer harmonies of other ’80s rock bands. Notably – and enjoyably – the axework that sits atop the beat is of the flamboyant shredding variety found on a variety of ’80s album rock tracks.

Guitar-based classic rock fans are sure to enjoy Thorslund’s self-titled debut LP. My favorites remain “Firecracker Man,” “Hours to Go,” and “Wildfire,” but yours may be different.

Looking Ahead

The “Live” page of Thorslund’s website doesn’t list any upcoming shows, but check back for dates as they’re added.

Album Review: Matt Smith’s World – Into the Light

Posted on by

image courtesy of Rock Rose Music

Album Review of Matt Smith’s World: Into the Light

Austin, Texas-based Matt Smith has released acclaimed CDs with his band Matt Smith’s World going back more than a decade. The band’s latest release, Into the Light, is a collection of funky rock ‘n roll music that’s good-natured, jammin’, and groovy, the sort of thing you might enjoy while lounging in a bean bag chair staring at the lava lamp. In other words, it’s straight outta the 1970s. And it covers a lot of musical territory while still remaining a cohesive record.

photo courtesy of Rock Rose Music

The album kicks off with its title track, “Into the Light,” which has a Jimmy Buffett-esque party band vibe, moreso than the rest of the album. Not that the other songs aren’t party-friendly; rather they display more rock influence than the title track.

“Why Can’t We Have a Good Time” is more of a straight-up alt-funk rock song, a little more typical of the songs on this disc, though none of the songs are what I’d necessarily call typical.

“Still Not Dead” is a horn-heavy, vocal-driven song with a seventies pop-rock groove.

“Water of Life” strikes a more foreboding tone, with the song progressing rhythmically as if with a beating pulse, with a jazzier horn line than in preceding tracks.

photo courtesy of Rock Rose Music

“Measure of a Man” recalls the ’70s, when rich instrumentation lifted what might otherwise be folk songs up to the pop-rock consciousness with a fuller sound. Heck, parts of “Measure of a Man” sound like a jazz band, a guitar jam, and a big musical theater number. I think Sgt. Pepper would be proud of this song. It’s also worth noting the primary lyric of the song, the universally true phrase, “The measure of a man is in the tracks you leave behind.”

“Make the Most of Your Life” is a funky, bluesy pop-rock number. (Why do I feel like Fat Albert might have been willing to sing this song on Saturday morning TV?)

“Possibility” is a lighter, happier, more encouraging jazz-meets-blues crossover delight. It’s followed by “My Baby Likes to Ya Ya,” a light, playful blues-pop/rock number, the fun tone portrayed well by its lyric, “But that’s just her way, she’s like sunshine on a cloudy day.”

photo courtesy of Rock Rose Music

“A Change in Me” is an energetic blues-rocker. Not too heavy, not too light. Just right. And it includes a nice wailing jam toward the end for good measure.

The album concludes with “Life Ain’t Easy (And Then You Die),” a funky, jammin’, contradictorily upbeat song about how all things must end. In this case, the record ends, too.

Matt Smith’s World’s Into the Light is an enjoyable listen, cohesively recalling classic music styles, touching upon a variety of genres. So kick back and listen. It’s one of those albums where no song in particular jumps out (to me, at least), but the album is a fun, pleasant way to spend almost three-quarters of an hour. And it suggests strongly that a Matt Smith’s World concert would be a whole lot of fun. So, you know, check out the album, and if you can catch this band live, definitely do it!

To keep up with the band’s latest happenings, be sure to follow Matt Smith’s World on Facebook.

 

Publisher’s Corner: March 16, 2024

Posted on by

Yesterday, March 15, 2024, Natalie Joly released her latest single, “My Home”; image courtesy of Natalie Joly

Publisher’s Corner

March 16, 2024

It has been a few weeks since we’ve shared the latest news about some of the artists we’ve covered at the blog through the years. So let’s dive right in and update you on what’s up with some of your favorite artists (we hope).

News and Releases

We hope you enjoy our “News and Releases” section, which helps you stay up-to-date with artists we’ve reviewed at the blog.

Natalie Joly has been busy on the release front lately. Her single “My Home” was released on March 15th. Natalie talks a bit about this song here, in this Facebook post. You can see my reviews of a couple of Natalie’s prior releases here and here.

image courtesy of Major Moment

Major Moment recently released its latest single, “Victim,” the seventh single from the band’s album The Pain That Makes Us Grow, which I recently reviewed. Official release date for “Victim” was February 23rd, with a premiere on Sirius XM Octane Test Drive on February 22nd. The band has also been teasing the accompanying video, which is yet to be released.

Falling Doves recently released a cool new single, “City of Dreams.” The song became available on Bandcamp on February 28th; official release date was March 1st. You may recall reading my review of the band’s Electric Dove album here a few years ago. Well, with the new single, it’s the same band, same sound, similar vibe, totally laid-back tempo. Very cool.

Rusty G’s: I first caught power duo Rusty G’s as the opener for iconic guitarist Bernie Tormé during my “Five Nights in London” live review series. I then reviewed their album Low nearly eight years ago. The duo’s new album, Set You Free, just dropped on March 2nd. I actually haven’t had a chance to give it a listen yet, but I’m looking forward to it. While their two-person line-up might be minimalist, Rusty G’s powerful sound is huge!

image courtesy of Joe Kidd & Sheila Burke

Joe Kidd & Sheila Burke released new single “Last Time I Looked (Live 2023)” on February 14th. Several years ago, blog contributor Eric Harabadian reviewed Joe & Shiela’s “Everybody Has a Purpose.”

Chris Moreno: On March 3rd, Chris released this lyric video for “Shot At Your Heart.” Then, just yesterday, March 15th, Chris released “Chasing Sunsets.” As is so often the case with Chris Moreno’s songs, “Chasing Sunsets” is soaring pop-country that’s smooth, heartfelt, and powerful, featuring a voice that’s perfectly suited to that sub-genre. We’ve been Chris Moreno supporters for a while now – we reviewed Chris’s Into the Sun album several years ago.

Circuline: On February 23rd, cinematic progressive rock outfit Circuline released its new single “Third Rail,” the second single from the band’s upcoming album C.O.R.E. Perhaps it’s because the song is so vocal-driven (and less than five minutes long), but this is a really cool song with great flow, interesting even for those of us who aren’t full-on prog-heads. I’ve never reviewed Circuline myself (well, not until I wrote the preceding sentence), but Blog contributor Eric Harabadian reviewed the band’s Counterpoint album back in 2017.

Axminster: On February 17th, Axminster released this lyric video for “Thick N’ Thin” from the band’s Bada Boom! EP. You can see my review of Bada Boom! here, and my review of Axminster’s previous EP, Tightrope, here.

Reality Suite needed to bump back the release date of its upcoming single, “Legendary,” from its previous March 1 expected release date. No worries, though, it was just delayed by three weeks. You’ll now be able to hear the single when it’s released by DI Records on March 22nd. (It has now been two years since I reviewed Reality Suite’s hook-laden single “Triggers.”)

Haroula Rose: Yesterday, Friday, March 15th, Haroula Rose released the video for her song “Spades,” which, she notes in this Instagram post, appeared in an episode of The Brothers Sun. Of course, several years ago, I reviewed Haroula Rose’s ethereally cool Here the Blue River album.

Ashley Jordan‘s “I Haven’t Given Up Just Yet (Live)” dropped on March 2nd. She shared this video a few days earlier. Then, on YouTube on Wednesday, March 13th, Ashley released the video for her new, original song “Who You Need,” co-written with Deborah Allen. The voice, the songwriting… there’s a reason she was chosen to headline the 1st Annual Local CountryFest. Of course, you’ve also seen our review of Ashley’s album He’s Crazy here at the Blog, in addition to a couple more live reviews.

Looking Ahead at the Blog

Well, I’ve been on a bit of a writing spree lately. As you all know, that doesn’t necessarily last, but I hope you’ve discovered some of the awesome new music I’ve shared with you the last few weeks. I’m still reviewing music I received months ago, so there’s plenty more amazing music in the review queue that I can’t wait to share with you.

Single Review: Harlem Lake – “Carry On”

Posted on by

cover artwork: Illustration by Douwe Dijkstra, design by Janne Timmer; image courtesy of Big D Radio Promotons

Single Review of Harlem Lake: “Carry On”

Harlem Lake is a powerful Dutch blues/blues-rock outfit, winners of the 10th European Blues Challenge in 2022. The band features the powerhouse vocals of Janne Timmer and the musicianship of Dave Warmerdam (organ, Rhodes [keyboard], backing vocals), Sonny Ray Van den Berg (guitar), Benjamin Torbijn (drums), and Kjelt Ostendorf (bass, backing vocals).

“Carry On” is my first exposure to Harlem Lake’s music, and this song really packs a punch. It has a psychedelic ’70s guitar style, soulful blues vocals that are sensual and/or booming as required in the moment, a bit of a Beatles’ “Come Together”-ish vibe (I keep expecting to hear the lyric “juju eyeball”) except much louder and harder rockin’, and a huge, pounding, rhythmic beat that circles back onto itself, sequentially building in power, exploding into the lyrics, more powerful each time, “Carry on, baby. Carry on, and be a bad, bad boy.” Following the big musical outburst just past the song’s mid-point, “Carry On” devolves (or, perhaps, progresses) into an orgasmic organ and guitar-fueled jam. The song softens one more time, making room for just one more verse, before ending with one final explosive instrumental jam.

The Beatles reference notwithstanding, Harlem Lake’s “Carry On” is akin to the kind of powerful, pulsing blues-rock you’d expect from the likes of George Thorogood, perhaps with a bit of Janis Joplin thrown in for psychedelic good measure. Beginning to end, “Carry On” is a powerhouse song, one that concludes far sooner than you might expect at just 3:09, especially since it seems like such fertile ground for big instrumental solos and jamming – something I’d hope happens live in concert, at least sometimes – but that’s plenty of time to leave you, the listener, exhausted yet ready for just one more ride, if you don’t mind.

Harlem Lake bills itself as Americana blues rock, but “Carry On” is just a whole lotta rock, a fair amount of blues, and not so much Americana. I look forward to digging deeper into the band’s catalog to get a better sense of its full musical range.

Looking Ahead

Harlem Lake has a packed schedule of concert dates this spring and summer, according to the “Shows” page of the band’s website. On Saturday, March 16th, the band will be performing in Purmerend, Netherlands. After that the band’s website shows several more concerts in France, Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands, and Norway, running from now through summer, with a few fall shows booked, as well. You can find additional details at the band’s website. Of course, be sure to check back periodically as more shows are added.