Author Archives: Geoff Wilbur

Album Review: Shannon Curtis – 80s Kids

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photo by Nancy Schoeggl; photo courtesy of Saint Cloud Records

Album Review of Shannon Curtis: 80s Kids

I first encountered Shannon Curtis‘ music more than a decade ago. I have on my computer a 2014 Sampler EP, which I assume I received when I signed up for her mailing list way back then. A song from that sampler, “Paris Can’t Have You,” remains one of my favorites, a song you’ll see pop up on my “#PhoneOnShuffle playlist” from time to time on X or Threads. Of course, the sampler was dated 2014; the song itself was the title track of Shannon’s 2008 EP. So this was one of the artists I had started listening to in the run-up to returning to music journalism by launching this blog in 2015, specifically to share all of the great artists I had started listening to in the preceding couple of years. Well, it has taken some time, but I’m finally letting you know what kind of cool music you’re missing out on if you haven’t yet discovered Shannon Curtis.

Another thing about Shannon is that she puts together massive house concert tours. So did I get out and cover one of her house concerts? No. Did I get out to catch an 80s Kids tour concert in a non-house venue? No. Did I review any of her original albums, EPs, or singles? No, I’m reviewing an album of covers. Mostly, it’s just because this is her current album, and I was paying enough attention to get ahold of it and review it. However, this is also a very special album. Ten of the 1980s hits – songs we all know if we grew up in the ’80s – meticulously recreated by someone who clearly loves these songs and that decade as much as we do – or, and I love this turn-of-phrase – carefully recomposed by “synthpop spouses Shannon Curtis and Jamie Hill.” “Synthpop spouses”? Is it just me, or is that clever af? Yeah, that’s a phrase used in the liner notes at the 80s Kids Bandcamp page. Regardless, the biggest difference between these versions and the originals is simply that it’s clearly Shannon Curtis’ voice. And the vocals are so good because she’s singing in an octave appropriate to her voice (and/or she selected songs with that in mind). Also, the synth-driven performances are missing any small guitar parts. But the attention to musical detail means you wouldn’t even notice most of the differences unless you were playing the originals side-by-side. And the pacing, the vocal intonations and phrasing… they’re impeccable.

Shannon kicks off 80s Kids with “Wouldn’t It Be Good,” the Nik Kershaw classic. Shannon dispenses with the song’s extended intro – DJs would’ve been talking over that anyway back in the day; she starts right about where I remember the music kicking in anyway. For this song, I actually watched the original on YouTube, and if anything, Shannon’s version sounds more like the way I remember the song in the first place, so that’s an obvious win.

Next up are detailed covers of The Cars’ “Drive” and A-ha’s “Take On Me” – because “Take On Me” is an absolute necessity for an ’80s synthpop cover album, and Shannon and Jamie do a fantastic job with it! Also, I’m sure she sings some of the lyrics more clearly than the Norwegian A-ha; it’s fun to realize “oh, that’s what that lyric was!”

If there’s one thing about the ’80s, it’s that we all had a lot of crossover music knowledge thanks to both top 40 radio and MTV. For example, that’s why an old rocker like me knows so much pop, R&B, country, and other genres’ music from that time period. So it’s not surprising to find a rock singer’s song on this disc, especially since even rock singers like Don Henley deployed synth sounds in the ’80s. Yes, Don Henley’s synth-heavy dance-rock number “The Boys of Summer” is the first of two rockers’ tunes on this disc. Eagles fans should skip the next sentence. I think I might like this version as much as the original.

After a really cool version of Pet Shop Boys’ “West End Girls” with meticulous attention to musical detail, Alphaville’s “Forever Young” is the next song to get the Shannon Curtis treatment, the song with the lyric “are you gonna drop the bomb or not?” Looking at the album cover, it looks like it may have been dropped on Vegas. Which 80s Kids version is most likely to replace the original on my ’80s playlist? Probably this one, in part because Shannon vocals are simply more powerful in the booming late-song build-up than the original’s.

I didn’t realize Erasure’s “A Little Respect” came so late in the ’80s. In retrospect, it does have a richer synth sound than some of the earlier ’80s songs in that genre. Anyway, it’s here in all its bouncy danceableness.

Song number eight, next, is the most rockin’est song in the collection, as Shannon tackles Bruce Springsteen. Probably his most danceclub-ready song, “Dancing in the Dark.” The song that brought us Courteney Cox, who we ’80s kids reconnected with in our young adulthood in the ’90s when she became one of our F•R•I•E•N•D•S. As far as the song goes, Shannon’s voice isn’t as gruff as the Boss’s, but she does a helluva job carrying the song’s energy.

Next up, she forges through “A Question of Lust,” the emotionally powerful Depeche Mode song that’s the one song on here I think only heard years later. It’s a killer, heavy, strong song, but hey, it never charted here in the States. Then, finally, Shannon leaves us with Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark’s “If You Leave.” Or OMD, for those of us who knew we weren’t supposed to spell it “maneuvers” but didn’t know what the extra vowels were or where they went. It’s still one of the words I have trouble spelling in British English. The song, however, was ubiquitous in the ’80s, full of synth and sax. Because is it really the ’80s without a saxophone in a dance song? Anyway, Shannon and Jamie layer on the musical layers, closing 80s Kids in all of the 1980s plush musical fullness.

The question you’re asking yourself now is whether or not you need a cover album of ’80s hits. You may not need an album of them, but this album of them is something special. I know some of this is the ’80s nostalgia talking, but not all of it is.

Oh, and while you’re on Shannon’s Bandcamp page, check out some of her originals, too. After all, that’s why I signed up for her e-mail list in the first place! I already told you my favorite of Shannon’s originals, so I’d suggest you start there, but absolutely explore more!

Geeky footnote: Shannon Curtis is on Mastodon. She’s the first musician I’ve spotted on there, thanks to noticing the link on her Bandcamp page. (If you’re looking for me, my Mastodon link is https://techhub.social/@geoffwilbur, but I rarely post. If you follow me over there, you can be my – checks notes – 7th follower!)

Single Review: Steve Geraci – “Voice in My Head”

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photo by Jennifer Geraci; photo courtesy of Knyvet

Single Review of Steve Geraci: “Voice in My Head”

Boston music scene veteran Steve Geraci, frontman of The Tear Downs, released his solo EP Coming From Your Blind Spot in April 2024. He followed it up with the alt-rock single “Voice in My Head” a little less than three months ago, in March. On this single, Geraci handles guitar, bass, and vocals; he is joined by Dave Westner on drums and piano.

cover photo by Jennifer Geraci; image courtesy of Knyvet

The song opens with blasts of guitar and light drums – sparse musically but still slightly abrupt and jarring, like old-school alt-rock but perhaps a little more polished than that. Geraci’s vocals are also kind of angular, spoken/not-quite-shouted-sung. Again, he’s got that edgy alt-rock thing goin’ on. There are a couple verses, though, where he sings more rough-edged tunefully atop some “ooh” backing vocals. Geraci’s voice is all his own, but the vocal delivery and song tempo are akin to something you might expect from David Byrne/early ’80s Talking Heads.

Indeed, I’m not the only one to make the Talking Heads reference. After finishing my first draft of the review, I noticed it’s in the press material, too. It almost makes me want to come up with something more original, but no, I wasn’t an early ’80s alt-rocker, so that chapter of my artist thesaurus isn’t very long – there’s not a better comp in my arsenal. Regardless, it’s a cool song. Light, fun, and a little alt-rock-ishly dissonant.

Lyrically, the song is fun and interesting, representing – as if you hadn’t guessed from the song title – those intrusive thoughts that creep into our brains. You know, that “voice in (our) head.” Be sure to mentally check off the ones that frequent your brain while you listen to the song.

Looking Ahead

There’s a “Voice in My Head” video, too. Here’s the link: https://youtu.be/pyBKLJDQnHU. It just dropped three days ago.

Album Review: Thundermother – Dirty & Divine

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Thundermother

photo courtesy of BJF Media

Album Review of Thundermother: Dirty & Divine (AFM Records)

Swedish hard rock band Thundermother delivers a 10-song melodic hard rock romp that’s a high-energy adrenaline ride from start to finish. It’s not even that the pace is super-fast as much as it’s relentless, without a break. The tempos vary a bit, too, so even though they’re all pretty hard-rocking, they avoid the trap of some fast-paced records, which can become monotonous after a few songs. In fact, every song, beginning to end, has something to like about it, though a few of them in particular snag me with their massive hooks.

The band opens with a sidewinding guitar and a steady rhythm on first track “So Close,” with vocals that are equal parts Janet Gardner (Vixen) and Doro – melodic but heavy. The recurring yin-yang of the “so close yet so far” lyrics combine with the guitar hook to carry this song into memorable territory.

Thundermother – Dirty & Divine album cover

image courtesy of BJF Media

After “Can’t Put Out the Fire,” a fun track with a party-song atmosphere, Thundermother follows with a big, memorable likely concert crowd favorite, “Speaking of the Devil.” No, it’s not at all Ozzy-esque, and it’s not a new twist on a Motley Crue classic. But the chorus, beginning with “Here we come, speaking of the devil,” has a catchy delivery, and the song features some impressive shredding, well-conceived tempo changes, and a change-of-pace “woah-oh-oh” segment. Probably a little too much packed in to be a radio hit, but they have those elsewhere on this disc. “Speaking of the Devil” is sure to be a live performance favorite!

“Feeling Alright” is a softer-touch, harmonious number that’s aligned with some mid-tempo ’80s guitar rock hits, maybe something you’d have heard from Starship. And, of course, there is one line that’ll get stuck in listeners’ heads, even though it’s not part of the chorus. Yes, about one-third of the way into the song, the band sneaks in the lyric “I want to be naked together.” You know, just in case you weren’t paying attention.

“Take the Power,” next opens with an almost “Wango Tango”-ish guitar riff, then cotninues an energetic power rock number.

Thundermother

photo courtesy of BJF Media

Next up is another of the potential big hits on Dirty & Divine, “I Left My License in the Future.” It starts off with a nifty guitar riff, holds a steady rhythm through the first verse, a Great White-ish seeming placeholder with barely noticeable, tiny flourishes that suggest patience, that something big is coming soon. Indeed it is, as the song then explodes into the super-catchy chorus, beginning “I left my license in the future, oh oh oh oh!” and ending with a guitar noodle, with the song carrying the elevated energy the rest of the way. Geez, this song’s got hops!

“Dead or Alive” is a straightforward rock number with a soft vocal bridge that leads to little echoey southwestern guitar noodling a little past the two-minute mark. “Can You Feel It” has a flirty dancing guitar line atop a steady rhythm and a straight-up anthemic-ish heavy rock approach.

Then the disc closes with a couple of additional hit-worthy numbers. The first, “Bright Eyes” has a neat bluesy hard rock guitar hook and singalongable chorus. Album closer, “American Adrenaline” is downright explosive. It’s a fast-paced, well… adrenaline ride. It’s a fun, full-throttle rollick with guitar, drums, and vocals all moving full-tilt but all with a bit of character. And it’ll leave you catching your breath after it’s over.

Beginning to end, Dirty & Divine is a fun listen. I was a little impressed with Thundermother’s previous album, Black & Gold, and it just barely missed my review list – if it hadn’t been a sparse year for my writing, it might have made the cut. Well, I know I’m writing a lot more this year, but there would have been no ignoring Dirty & Divine. Thundermother kicked it up a notch in the intervening couple of years. There’s simply no denying them now; they’re one of hard rock’s best!

My picks for oughta-be hits as standalone singles are “So Close,” “I Left My License in the Future,” “Bright Eyes,” and “American Adrenaline.” Probably also “Feeling Alright.” Yes, I know that’s half the album. And “Speaking of the Devil” is my pick for a big concert favorite. But the whole disc is great, with each song – even those I didn’t mention in this paragraph – adding something to the complete package. It’s a solid beginning-to-end listen, just like any kickass classic hard rock album.

Album Review: D.C. Anderson – Believe, Breathe and Sing

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D.C. Anderson – Believe, Breathe and Sing album cover

cover art by Alan M. Richards; image courtesy of D.C. Anderson

Album Review of D.C. Anderson: Believe, Breathe and Sing

I’ve reviewed D.C. Anderson a few times already here at the blog. In 2023, I reviewed his intimate-sounding album House Concert. About a year ago, I discussed Sharing the Night with Darkness, his collection that included a lot of heavy and/or personal life-issue oriented songs, often touching upon difficult subject matter. And just a couple months ago, I covered D.C.’s protest song, “No Kings Live Here,” one of a small series of protest singles he issued this spring. Now it’s time to take a look at D.C.’s October 2024 release, Believe, Breathe and Sing.

The songs on D.C.’s most recent full-length release, Believe, Breathe and Sing, cover a lot of ground, from melancholic and insightful to dark and heavy. Indeed, a whole lot of thoughtful and heavy. And, in a couple of instances, it’s joyful and silly. As I always note, D.C.’s presentation style on almost all of his songs is very stage-like, though not necessarily big-stage theatrical. Sometimes it’s small and intimate, as in a cozy theater where every breath can be heard. The amount of deep songs on this record make it a rewarding listen, but if you’re not at full emotional strength when you begin, it can be a bit overwhelming as D.C.’s voice is so effectively able to delve deeply into every strong emotion of every song, so many of which are weighty and introspective. Beyond that, it’s hard to sum up a 19-song record like this into an abbreviated yet thoughtful review, so I hope you don’t mind that I’ve decided share my thoughts as I go through it song by song.

The album opener – title song “Believe, Breathe and Sing,” is a perfect example of an intimate, soft-spoken (but clearly enunciated and dramatically phrased) song. In this case, the singing turns nearly spoken-word for emphasis. Quite effectively, I might add.

The Alan Schmuckler-penned “Sparrow,” next, is a melancholy number that D.C.’s voice emphasizes with well-placed cracks in the vocals, while the music is smooth. It’s one of the more memorable tracks on the record, exceptionally well-suited for D.C.’s delivery of this sort of soft, heartfelt song.

“Whiskey Blues” is a song from Jahn Sood’s folk opera The Disappearing Man, one of four tracks on this record from that musical. D.C.’s delivery of “Whiskey Blues” puts a solid, unique stamp on the original, taking a rougher-edged tack that, in this case, is very Simon Scardanelli-esque in many ways. Simon has long been a blog favorite, but I can’t recall ever before hearing another artist’s song that captures a similar tone, let alone also with a well-worn, bemused yet sincere delivery. For me, this is a standout track, though in part for that very specific reason.

“A Kiss” follows with some pleasant pianowork supporting D.C.’s subtly soft vocals. “Twenty Twenty Five,” next, is a nice – and, unfortunately, quite prescient – follow-up, as it supports similarly soft-touch vox with an acoustic guitar’s strum. Like the “Twenty Twenty Four” single I reviewed last year at the end of my the Sharing the Night with Darkness album review, “Twenty Twenty Five” is a D.C. Anderson co-write with Luke Wygodny.

Next, in the midst of such serious and/or heavy material, it’s nice when D.C. drops in a silly, playful number like “Fish Fry and Guava Pie,” with songwriter Ritt Henn’s consistent ukelele strum adding to the fun.

D.C. returns to weighty music with the softly-voiced, emotionally-wrought “Ethan and Emily,” then a song, “Love Song to a Friend,” that’s just as heavy but full of humanity and warmth, if still sadly so. And “The Worst Thing We Ever Did” follows with depth that revolves around religious contemplation, kind of tugging upon a thread that was buried in the previous number.

“Oh, My Diana” is a full-voiced, warmly-delivered rendition of the song penned by Matt Vinson and Matte O’Brien for a musical adaptation of Anne of Green Gables. There’s some important, supportive string work on this song. Digging through the credits, I assume this is the contribution of cellist Audrey Q. Snyder.

“Other Mother” is perhaps one of my favorites of the deeper songs on this record. It has a warm, pleasant humanity… and a more clear happy progression and ending than many of the other weighty songs on this album.

“Don’t Put My Baby Down” is slow and soft. It allows D.C.’s voice to soar briefly – but not too loudly – from time to time, as even its pleasantness feels a little ominous.

D.C. returns to The Disappearing Man the next track, this one “Old No. 22,” finally raising his voice to rich power for the first time in several songs. Then he pivots an energetic performance of Bryce Kulak‘s absurd – and absurdly fun – “Pelican,” with vocals, pianowork, and lyrics that are thoroughly entertaining, before returning to two more songs from The Disappearing Man. The first of those, “Sara,” is a rich, broadly-voiced number supported by a pleasant finger-picked guitar, which saddens toward the end. Then “Arms” is much more delicate, ending with “I will follow you as far as life is long,” a lyric D.C. sets down gently at the song ends.

“Funeral Blues” is, lyrically, the poem by W.H. Auden, with music written by Bryce Kulak. That’s some serious stylistic range for Bryce, too, when compared with “Pelican”! Kulak’s musical arrangement takes a much richer, darker tone on “Funeral Blues,” as does D.C.’s voice. David Robison‘s pianowork is a powerful backdrop, with the vocals employing the necessary power to equal the keys on the performance of this number.

“When the Angels Come to Call” features guitar, I believe, that’s picked almost as one would a harp, befitting this number that’s lighter, though no less serious, than much of the rest of the collection.

D.C. ends the record with an even lighter, quite pleasantly instrumented song, “For My Luck, I Suppose.” A song about the good people in D.C.’s life. As the lyricist, I suppose it’s his life, anyway: “Have I told you I love you? If I haven’t, it’s so. The best part of my luck is the people I know. My friends and my neighbors, the truest of hearts. Gentle, thoughtful and kind, equal parts.” And it’s the reason the memory of this album doesn’t seem so dark, when looking back, after completing each listen. In fact, I was a little surprised by its seriousness when I actually sat down to write the review in part because the closing number leaves the listener with a pleasant final thought, a warmth and reminiscence of all the good people in one’s life.

Of course, I love the light songs “Fish Fry and Guava Pie” and “Pelican.” These almost felt like Shakespearean comic relief, silliness to lighten the mood during a drama that’s otherwise full of tragedy. In this case, a lightness to serve as a pause from the album’s seriousness. My other personal favorites on this record include “Sparrow,” “Whiskey Blues,” “Other Mother,” and “Funeral Blues,” all very serious songs – that describes most of this record, after all.

A D.C. Anderson album is always a worthwhile listen. It’s often a journey, both within each song and throughout the record. And you always leave with a few new favorite songs. If you’re even remotely interested in folk music, theater music, or simply exceptionally well-performed songs with thoughtful lyrics, you’ll be glad you gave this album a listen.

More Recently

While I was writing and proofreading this review, D.C.’s new album, Song Stay Sung, was released – just a couple days ago, in fact, on June 6, 2025. I look forward to hearing D.C.’s new release.

Live Review: Danielle Miraglia and Cheryl Arena at Sanctuary

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photo by Geoff Wilbur

Danielle Miraglia and Cheryl Arena

Sanctuary (Barside), Maynard, MA

June 5, 2025

As I noted when I reviewed Dennis Brennan’s Sanctuary gig a couple weeks ago, this is the show I expected to be the first to get my out to this Maynard nightspot. The first Thursday of every month at 5:30pm is a Danielle Miraglia “Drinks with Friends” performance, and I’ve had every first Thursday this year circled but only just finally got to one last night. Danielle is one of Boston’s best blues artists, regularly a finalist or winner at local and regional music awards, and she is joined each month by another top area musician. On this particular month, she was joined by Cheryl Arena, one of the best blues harmonica players you’ll ever hear. (I’ll let her bio do the bragging.)

Of course, you’ve read both of these artists here before. We’ve reviewed three of Danielle’s album and five – now six – live performances, though this is our first live review since my 2019 review. I’ve only covered Cheryl once before, when I caught her 2016 concert at The Backyard.

photo by Geoff Wilbur

Given the caliber of the evening’s performers, it’s no surprise the bar at Sanctuary was pretty full.

The first set covered a range of blues styles. I walked in during what I think was a Bob Dylan cover. It was followed a folky “advice” song, “Shave That Stubble Off.”

Danielle’s vocals can range from soft and introspective to booming and powerful, and she broke out her full-on powerful blues voice on her version of “C.C. Rider,” which appeared on Danielle’s Bright Shining Stars album. One thing, too, was apparent on this song, as it was throughout the night. Everything sounds better with Cheryl Arena on harmonica.

The two shifted lead vocal responsibilities back and forth this set and throughout the night. Cheryl’s vocals are a little more on the rougher-edged end of the blues. She led the way on “Temptation” and employed a very rough and ragged blues vocal on “Big Road.”

Danielle took the lead were a new original she tentatively calls “Mess in Your Room,” a song about the mess the next generation will inherit with the prominent vocal “Children don’t bother…”

photo by Geoff Wilbur

Danielle closed the first set with a Little Walter tune, “Can’t Hold Out Much Longer.”

After a break, Danielle and Cheryl continued to wow the crowd with a broad variety of mostly-blues. Cheryl took the lead with a cool rendition of “Can’t Let Go.” Danielle followed by belting out her original “Monster”, from her All My Heroes Are Ghosts album. For fans who don’t remember song titles, it’s the “make your own news” song, and it uses a majority of Danielle’s stylistic range while sporting a funky rhythm.

Cheryl took over the lead vocals again on the next song, an energetic “Con Man” that brought a bit more energy to the audience that I’d seen at any other point in the night. From a crowd-energy standpoint, it was probably the evening’s highlight.

Next up, Danielle turned to a Bruce Springsteen song. She gave a nice, tuneful delivery on an engaging acoustic rendition of “Hungry Heart,” with Cheryl adding an inspired guitar solo. When harmonies were called for, they were noticeably good, as well, and not just because Kevin So, who was in the audience and who will be Danielle’s “Drinks with Friends” guest at Sanctuary later this year, accepted Danielle’s invitation to step up to a microphone and join the duo.

The night’s two closing numbers were standouts, too. Danielle always makes her cover of Tom Waits’ “2:19” here own, and last night was no exception; as always, she delivered with that identifiable mostly-sincere-but-slightly-smirky vocal inflection that’s hers and hers alone.

And Cheryl took the lead on the evening final number, “Nobody Knows When You’re Down and Out,” a soulful, slow blues lament with a nifty harmonica part.

As is always the case when Sanctuary brings Boston’s best musicians out to this small bar space, the performance had an intimate feel you usually can’t find this far out in the burbs.

Single Review: Sunday Junkie – “Holy, Holy”

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cover art design by Tom Martin; image courtesy of Knyvet

Single Review of Sunday Junkie: “Holy, Holy”

Worcester’s Sunday Junkie is duo Tom Martin (vocals, guitars, bass, synth, lyrics) and Shawn Pelkey (drums, additional percussion). “Holy, Holy” was released in February in advance of the May release of Sunday Junkie’s self-titled debut album. It was the duo’s third single, following “Vultures” and “Haunted Head,” but it was my first introduction to Sunday Junkie.

“Holy, Holy” opens with echoey drum beats, instantly reminiscent of a specific brand of ’90s-era, synth-driven, not-particularly-mainstream alt-pop, the kind you might hear at subterranean nightclubs, though the more engaging songs of that style could break into broader danceclub playlists from time to time and, if the elements hit just right, into the broader music consciousness.

photo courtesy of Sunday Junkie via Knyvet

Following the echoey opening of “Holy Holy,” more ethereal sounds follow, providing an almost unearthly backdrop perfectly suited – perhaps blasphemously so – to a song entitled “Holy, Holy.” You can hear the anguish in the Martin’s vocals. As the song progresses, the music mix broadens, and particularly following a mid-song section that repeats the initial verses, the song amps up its energy. Much of the middle and end of the song are firmly in more mainstream alt-rock territory, potentially helping the track reach a broad audience. Yeah, the mix may be a little noisier than typical mainstream listeners are accustomed to during the song’s final minute, but not so much that an invested mainstream listener would be dislodged.

All in all, Sunday Junkie plays a style of music that’s hard to pin down and a little outside the mainstream, as the duo incorporates a variety of stylistic influences in an unique way, but from the cool opening drum beats and the mid-song rhythmic breakdown to the anguished vocals and the late-song build-up in intensity, “Holy, Holy” engages and maintains my attention. After a few listens, I looked forward to it coming up while listening through my review queue the last several weeks.

I had this single review already half-written before I even heard the whole album, so I decided to just review the single but mention the album. So what about the album? Well, if Sunday Junkie’s style is in your wheelhouse, you should go directly to the whole album via this link and listen to it beginning to end. If your tastes are more mainstream, I’d suggest starting with “Holy, Holy.” It’s the most likely song in Sunday Junkie’s repertoire to appeal to fans crossing over from other genres. Your next best bets might be my favorites on the full-length disc besides “Holy, Holy,” which are “Death Defier” and “Sister,” probably because they both sport a wall-of-noise melodic alt-rock vibe, and despite my love of variety and willingness to experiment musically, my taste in music still tends to center on the mainstream. Whether you dig the whole album or just a few songs, though, you ought to be able to find something you like from Sunday Junkie.

Album Review: Juliet’s Not Dead – This World is Ours

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photo courtesy of BJF Media

Album Review: Juliet’s Not Dead – This World is Ours (TMR Records/Earache Digital Distribution)

My most recent full-on album recommendation for melodic hard rock fans is Juliet’s Not Dead‘s This World is Ours. Powerfully soaring vocals, aggressive guitar shredding, and heavy beats support a collection of well-written, hook-laden hard rock songs. The songs are classic hard rock-inspired but with a modern sound, mixing plenty of the soaringness found in new melodic power metal and the buzzy wall of sound typical of newer alt-metal, but steeped in a more timeless delivery style that is likely to appeal to both new metal and old metal/hard rock fans alike.

One of the modern touches in the band’s music is the aggressive drumming and bass thumping. In fact, the band uses this technique significantly on its first two tracks, “Sinner or Saint” and “Thrillseekers.” Drummer Jack Corbett and bass player Niall Whittaker deliver the supportive power that steeps the heavier songs, as well as the lighter ones, in metal street cred. Vocalist Stevie Stoker has voice that can cut through the loud music bed, all while it carries a variety of emotion in the verses and delivers the power in the choruses. Mix in the axework of Dan King, understated in places but capable of impressive shredding when solos are called for, and you have the complete hard rock/melodic metal package.

image courtesy of BJF Media

My first personal favorite on the album is the third song, “Open Fire,” in which both the guitar and drum dance around during the verses, then the power amps up leading to the chorus, and the main line, “take your aim and open fire,” actually pulls back a little from the rest of the chorus’ power. It has a really cool, impactful effect. The main hook here, though, I think is the relative brief musical pause right before the build up to the chorus, though it’s on as effective as it is because of the attention-grabbing softer-vocal effect in the chorus and the instrumental “dancing.” Regardless, it’s a lethal combo. You’ll remember this song!

Next up, “Battle Scarred” is a heavy rocker that starts off mellow, with the softer opening revealing a lyrical and musical vulnerability during the verses before the song builds up to greater power in the chorus. This is the record’s only song that seems to have an almost alt-rock soul and vibe, though it’s mainstreamed a bit by the “woa-oa-oah” harmonies. The lyric has depth that’ll connect with a lot of people: “I get lost sometimes. I’m still broke from that look in your eyes. Always stay true to my heart ’cause you left me battle scarred.” The song is accompanied by a cool music video, featuring actor Darren Morfitt (on a therapist’s couch, natch, given the lyrics), that mixes story scenes with live performance.

“Notorious” attracts me from the very beginning in part because the early-song twisting and turning, interest-maintaining guitar line strikes me as something one of my favorite pop-punk bands, Next Stop Atlanta (a band I reviewed in my blog-opening “Road Back to Music Journalism” series nearly ten years ago) might deploy in some of my favorite tracks of theirs. But, of course, that’s where the comparison ends, as the drums and vocals are much more metal-aggressive, driven as much by the heavy bass and drums as by the twisting and turning guitar line.

photo courtesy of BJF Media

Juliet’s Not Dead takes a bit of a departure on its sixth song, “Passing Ships.” On it, the guitar line is softer and the vocal style changes, reminding me a lot of the perennially underestimated David Cook (a mainstream rock favorite of mine). In fact, after hearing it on “Passing Ships,” I also notice that Cook-like tone to Stoker’s voice a bit elsewhere, at least when I listen for it. Interestingly, I never notice it if I’ve not played this album for a while until after playing this song. Some of the band’s harsher edges are absent in this song, so, while it’s still a power-rock song, it’s also probably the most likely to appeal to more mainstream pop-rock fans. In other words, if you’re trying to get a non-metal friend or family member into Juliet’s Not Dead, this is the “gateway drug.”

“Double Life,” next, is another power rock song. It has a little more edge than “Passing Ships” but is also mainstream-accessible. In a weird coincidence, this song reminds me a lot of a different singer from David Cook’s American Idol season. Particularly the way the title phrase is delivered, it always makes me think of the way Daughtry sings “it’s not over” in his hit song “It’s Not Over.” No, it doesn’t sound like “It’s Not Over,” but the song carries much of that energy, combined with healthy doses of modern heavy power-rock, of course.

“Last One Standing” is another Juliet’s Not Dead song that’ll grab you right from the beginning. It begins with a bit of energy, but as the music bed builds, the tempo begins to pick up. Still, if you pay close attention, the tempo actually seems a lot faster than it really is, an effect that might occur because the drumming isn’t as fast and frenetic as the rest of the instrumentation and vocals. In addition, the density and energy level of the music picks up during the chorus. It’s a cool total package.

“King and Queen,” the penultimate track, really is a faster-paced song, with a new-rock vocal edge and heavily-thumping, edgy instrumentation in the chorus before the instruments all join together to power through the chorus as a single unit. And guitar fans will dig the late song solo. Topically, the lyrics “we could be king and queen of the murder scene, what’s the fuss?” suggest a darker side to this song. The video suggests a Bonnie and Clyde-like couple behind the song’s story. I wonder if that’s what inspired this song, or if it’s something else; it seems like the sort of song that’d be inspired by “true crime,” new or old.

The album’s last song is an excellently-delivered power ballad, “Capsize.” This would’ve been a slow-dance favorite back when these sorts of slow songs ruled, back when we used to ignore power ballads’ uptempo guitar solo-driven bridges – which, on this particular song, is almost the song’s entire second half – and just dance right through it. And as much as the song is mostly dark, the final lyrics end gently: “You watched my capsize. I won’t watch you capsize.”

If I were to choose my three personal favorites on this disc, they’d be “Open Fire,” “Passing Ships,” and “Last One Standing.” But, like any favorite album, I dig the entire album experience, and on some days, one of the “other” songs is my favorite, depending on my mood. Anyway, if you’re an old-school rock or a modern hard rock/metal fan, if you’ve not yet heard Juliet’s Not Dead, give ’em a listen; they’ll likely become one of your new favorite bands.

Album Review: Mark Muleman Massey – Been a Long, Long Time

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image courtesy of Frank Roszak Promotions

Album Review of Mark Muleman Massey: Been a Long, Long Time

Mark “Muleman” Massey has a soulful blues voice that’s broad enough to hit all the notes and is relatively smooth for the most part, but Massey adds a grainy, gravelly texture to the vox whenever the songs get emotionally charged. In other words, the ideal voice for a bluesman. Pair that with song selection that suits his strengths, and the result is a top-shelf blues record like Been a Long, Long Time. To top it off, the album was recorded and produced by Billy Lawson at the historic Wishbone Recording Studio in Muscle Shoals, Alabama.

Eight of the record’s eleven tracks are Massey-written originals, while the other three are well-chosen covers.

One of those originals is the title track, “Been a Long, Long Time,” the first song on the album. On my first listen, the opening harmonica part was encouraging; then when Massey’s gruff, perfectly-suited blues vocals came in, I knew I was going to like this record so much I’d review it. Now, I’ve been fooled on occasion, but this was definitely not one of those occasions. Mark Muleman Massey is an elite bluesman. I mean, this opening track is a wordsmithy ode to gettin’ some. After a long layoff, sure – I suppose that’s the “blues” part – but there’s nothing more blues than burying this topic in at least a tiny bit of nuance.

photo courtesy of Frank Roszak Promotions

Track two is a heartbroken ballad, “Baby’s Gone,” in which Massey’s voice displays the pain and gravitas to carry the raw emotion. Another ballad, “Give Me Your Love,” shows Massey’s skills tackling a more of a tender balladeering style.

The other Massey co-penned tracks cover a lot of ground. For example, there’s the the kind of seedy-sounding (matching the lyrics), blues-noirish “She’s Married to the Streets.” Also, “My Used to Be,” a mid-tempo number that’s neither smooth nor particularly energetic, rather sporting a more strolling and strutting rhythm. “Can’t Tell Me Nothing About the Blues” has a smooth rhythm, comparatively harsh vocal delivery, and nifty keys and guitar noodling, telling a true blues backstory.

The last couple tracks are also Massey’s own co-writes. “Going Back to Memphis” is a lively number extolling the virtue of being a bluesman on Beale Street, including the recurring lyric “I’m going back to Memphis, where the women know how to rock and roll.” That’s convincing enough for me. And the disc closes with “Your Good Stuff,” a song that’s not shy about kicking a complaining women to the curb with “Go on and leave, take your good stuff with you,” noting there’s a lot more where that came from, with lots of clever, fun NSFW turns of phrase.

In among all these originals are the three well-selected covers. The first is an energetically funky-blues update of Hank Williams’ “Hey Good Looking.” Next is an almost blues-gospel styled, powerful rendition of Tom T. Hall’s “That’s How I Got to Memphis,” with a big, open sound, well-deployed horns, and Massey’s emotive, insistent vocals pulling it all together. The third cover, of Bobby Womack/Wilson Pickett’s “I’m Sorry About That,” is one of the smoothest tracks on this record, a song that’ll have you swaying side to side, possibly with your eyes closed, as you feel every word.

Beginning to end, Been a Long, Long Time is a well-crafted collection that showcases the world-class bluesmanship of Mark “Muleman” Massey.

Live Review: Martin and Kelly at Kimball Farm

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photo by Geoff Wilbur

Martin and Kelly

Kimball Farm, Westford, MA

May 30, 2025

The Backstory

It’s hard to believe it’s been 8 years since I last saw and reviewed Martin and Kelly, one of the area’s most talented country bands. Well, many areas, actually. In addition to New England, Martin and Kelly spend a lot of time touring (here’s their 2025 concert schedule), frequently trekking out to the Mountain Time Zone (Colorado, Wyoming), occasionally hitting the Plains (there were Iowa gigs this year), and otherwise touring up and down the east coast from New England to Florida. But when they’re in New England, I’ve been keeping an eye on their gigs hoping to catch one. Two weeks ago, if the Watertown Porchfest had been a rainout, a Martin and Kelly show was my backup plan for that day. Well, last night the rain held off, so I headed up to Kimball Farm and was thoroughly entertained, as expected.

photo by Geoff Wilbur

The Review

Jilly Martin is an impressive singer with a broad range. She can hit the ideal pitch and tone for old-school country songs and, though she does it less often, can keep pace with new country, as well. Ryan Kelly has a voice that’s well-attuned to classic country, particularly when there’s a rougher edge called for. Together, their voice blend exceptionally well into impressive harmonies. And Ryan can throw down some mean guitarwork from time to time, too. As a duo, Martin and Kelly are a big draw across several geographies in the U.S. And they’re able to draw a pretty good crowd to an atypical venue like Kimball Farm, as they kicked off the Kimball Farm summer concert series last night.

photo by Geoff Wilbur

The duo kept the crowd engaged for the entire two-hour show, encompassing two entertaining sets.

An early highlight was a patriotic Martin and Kelly original, “Stood Their Ground.” Early on, the duo also delivered a “picking and grinning” rendition of “Eastbound and Down” and a  version of “Tulsa Time” that sounds so sweet when Jilly sings it.

“Chattahoochie” featured a patented Martin and Kelly vocal blend with great harmonies and some lively pickin’ from Ryan on guitar. (OK, they both play guitar, so “guitar on the right.”)

Remember how I said modern country was within Jilly’s wheelhouse, too? I suppose it’s a mix of modern and classic, but she delivered the goods on a cover of the Carrie Underwood version of Randy Travis’ “I Told You So.”

After a rousing performance of “9 to 5,” they performed the Randy Travis-penned “If She Means That Much to You,” with great sweet soft country vocals from Jilly, a song well-fitting her voice and in which she sports just a hint of where the country twang might go if a singer had one. Plus, she delivers a great burst of power vocals at the song’s end.

photo by Geoff Wilbur

Other first-set highlights were a nice a capella “King of the Road” led by Jilly, with Ryan joining for harmony on the song’s back half, and an energetic version of John Anderson’s/LeAnn Rimes’ “Swingin’,” which featured a notably festive guitar-picking run from Ryan.

Early second set crowdpleasers included a rousing rendition of Shania Twain’s “Whose Be Have Your Boots Been Under.” And then a cool Jilly Martin vocal-led cover of “Ring of Fire.”

A second set highlight was the new “I Can’t Stop This Wanting You Feeling.” With nice harmonies, a catchy hook, and a nifty little guitar bit in the middle of song, this seems like a sure-fire future crowd favorite. I also think the little “woo-hoo-oo-oo” bits add to the song’s memorableness. (A recording of this one coming soon, maybe?)

The duo dropped a little treat for any non-country fans in the audience. A version of “Waterfalls” with as-usual spot-on vox from Jilly, a clever strumming pattern and little picking runs from Ryan, and an excellent what-the-hell-is-that?, wow-that’s-really-good! stretch of rapping from Jilly in the middle.

photo by Geoff Wilbur

Jilly then showcased her yodeling skills before the duo followed with a nice “Country Roads” duet. It features a nice powerful, Rondstadtty vocal from Jilly and serves as a great send-off number, a fun way to close the show.

A Martin and Kelly show is always a dependably outstanding performance. According to the Kimball Farm Music Series schedule, you can catch the duo back in Westford on August 16th. According to Martin and Kelly’s concert calendar, between now and then, they’ll be performing in 12 different states across the country, as far west as Wyoming and Colorado and as far south as North Carolina, including several shows in four New England states.

EP Review: Adam Sherman – Nowhere But Here

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photo by Carissa Johnson; photo courtesy of Knyvet

EP Review of Adam Sherman: Nowhere But Here

Adam Sherman‘s EP Nowhere But Here sounds like a modern collection from a pop singer-songwriter icon. Indeed, that kind of is Sherman, a veteran of the Boston music scene who led A&M recording artists Private Lightning and The Souls.

First song “Gratitude” has kind of an ’80s pop sound, a catchy guitar hook, and a Beatles-reminiscent style, in that it draws structurally and somewhat sonically from the Fab Four while updating it with a lusher, newer pop sound. The harmonies are cool, too, as Sherman is joined by Robin Lane for vocal harmonies not just on this song but throughout Nowhere But Here.

Adam Sherman – Nowhere But Here EP cover

photo by Adam Signore; cover design by Adam Sherman; image courtesy of Knyvet

That Beatles-esque vibe continues into the melancholy “How Hard I Tried.” Vocally, though, Sherman’s voice reaches a little higher, comparable (to me) to Five for Fighting or Savage Garden, drawing a bit on the sound you’d expect from a slow, sad, pleading song from the ’90s or ’00s.

Next, “Torn and Tattered” is a good old-fashioned country/Americana dancehall crooner, backed with the very-country twangs and cries of a lap steel guitar. Unique among this collection, I’m picturing someone in a cowboy hat and boots singing at the front of a classic country music stage. Is there anything sadder – or more old-school country – than “You think that I am strong; I don’t know what you heard; because once a heart is broken, love is just another word”?

“Pure As Yours” mixes Americana and that high ’90s/’00s pop vocal sound, delivering a memorable song that’s soft and sweet throughout, with a sound that feels rich while still being sparse, leaving the focus on the vocals, bringing this strong EP to a pleasant conclusion.

Looking Ahead

If you act quickly, there’s an opportunity to catch a cool upcoming show, as listed on the “Shows” page of Adam’s website. Tomorrow, May 31st, at The Burren in Somerville, MA, you can catch Robin Lane in concert with Adam Sherman opening.