Category Archives: Album Reviews

Album Review: Courtney Conway – 21 Days

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Courtney Conway

photo by Annie Warren; photo courtesy of Courtney Conway

Courtney Conway – 21 Days

The Backstory

I first discovered Courtney Conway‘s music more than two years ago. It was my introduction to the song “21 Days” via a YouTube video, the first video released well in advance of Courtney’s full-length album bearing the same name. I loved the music and the irreverent feel of the video and I tweeted about it. In the spring of 2015, I heard Courtney’s softer single, “Sweet On You,” and added it to my SoundCloud Spring 2015 Listen-at-Work Playlist which is, as its name suggests, a playlist I listen to at work. Back then, though, I hadn’t yet returned to music journalism.

Of course, now the Blog has been up and running since October, and I’m still contacting my favorite discoveries from the last few years one-by-one; recently, I finally reached out to Courtney about reviewing the album 21 Days. And I suppose it’s a bit of a spoiler ahead of the review, but I was pleasantly not-at-all-surprised by what I heard.

Album Review of Courtney Conway: 21 Days

Courtney Conway - 21 Days album cover

image courtesy of Courtney Conway

This is straight-up modern, catchy, radio-ready country with plenty of “new country” trimmings but a timeless voice that would be comfortable with country music of any era.

Album-opener “21 Days” is a twang-filled, emotional plea that’s a great introduction to Courtney’s vocal skills, with insistent vocals surging atop the music through most of the tune but also filling lightly-instrumented spots, as well. There’s sass, sweetness, and power. And, of course, that entertainingly unsettling “21 Days” video.

Song two, mid-tempo strummer “There’s the Door,” has a chorus you’ll want to learn quickly because it’s so fun to sing along with. Lyrically interesting, musically upbeat and catchy, it may just be my personal favorite from this collection, though I’d hate to have to choose.

Courtney Conway

photo by Annie Warren; photo courtesy of Courtney Conway

Next, Courtney seems to be channeling her inner Carlene Carter on “Dance,” an uptempo, swinging country dancehall number, replete with some energetic ivory-tickling and Chuck Berry-esque guitar licks. Also, when I sing along, I replace “twist it, sister” with the name of Dee Snider’s old metal band… just for fun. And “Dance” oozes fun. But back to country music, while Courtney’s voice is reminiscent of Carlene Carter on “Dance,” the song itself seems to be a first cousin to Patricia Conroy’s “You Keep Me Rockin’,” as it absolutely channels that same rockin’ country energy.

That’s followed by “Sweet On You,” which takes advantage of another of my personal weaknesses (and possibly yours, too, though you’re loath to admit it) – I love a good “na na” song. Yes, really. But no, that’s not really what you’ll notice most about it. Courtney’s vocal control is impeccable, and the song itself is sweetly memorable.

Courtney Conway

photo by Annie Warren; photo courtesy of Courtney Conway

With so many great tracks on 21 Days, I could point out the reason each might be your favorite song, but I’ll stick to a few notable highlights.

You’ll get a bit of that Jimmy Buffett-esque country-reggae rhythm on “We Are In Love.” “Hard to Forget” is perhaps the purest ballad on the disc, and it has the earmarks of a potential country chart-topper, with Courtney showcasing her vocal power, sensitivity, and range. “What If You Do” is an insistent plea bound in a catchy rhythm. And “Free Like the Summer Breeze” and “Daddy’s Little Girl” are mellow tunes – “Free” is mid-tempo, while “Daddy’s” a ballad – that tug at the heartstrings like only a great country song can.

Her vocal range and tone, versatility, variety of country style, and ability to make the listener believe and feel what she’s singing are all reasons Courtney Conway’s music belongs in any real country music fan’s collection. And she also appeals to those of us whose musical tastes center elsewhere but appreciate a talented crossover artist. In a country music scene that produces so many solid-but-unspectacular artists, I’m always happy to share with my readers one who stands out from the crowd while still remaining pure, true-blue country.

What’s Next?

For Courtney, she just announced that she’s about to hit the road across Australia in a production of Always… Patsy Cline. The tour dates are listed in the announcement on Courtney’s website. I hope it’s a successful tour, and I hope she’s back in the studio soon, too, because I can’t wait to hear what Courtney comes up with next.

EP Review: Cosmo Sheldrake – Pelicans We EP

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Cosmo Sheldrake

photo courtesy of Big Hassle Media

by Joe Szilvagyi, Contributing Blogger

EP Review of Cosmo Sheldrake: Pelicans We

Cosmo Sheldrake - Pelican We album cover

image courtesy of Big Hassle Media

Cosmo Sheldrake takes his inspiration from the world around him, pulling rhythm from a sheet of slate sliding down a hill or waves lapping at the side of a boat. Building on whichever pattern has inspired him, he combines sampled sounds with a wide assortment of instruments including (and certainly not limited to) banjo, piano, penny whistle, and accordion to craft a richly textured world of sound easy to get lost in. Once the world has been established, he sings the nonsensical stories of that place sparking the listener’s imagination.

The record crashes into life with the “Tardigrade Song,” dreaming of living the life of one of the most durable organisms on the planet. There are hints of old sea shanties with a mellow dance groove wrapped around it. The song ends being content with life and all the comforts of home.

Cosmo Sheldrake

photo courtesy of Big Hassle Media

Then a cat’s purr introduces a stumbling, whimsical song titled “The Fly.” This is a musical recital of William Blake’s classic poem with the same title. Rather than focusing on the annoying drone of a fly, this song feels like it follows a fly’s irregular path through the air, halting and pausing at moments but finally resolving, “Then am I/A happy fly/If I live/Or if I die.”

Flipping the record brings a chorus of oboe, flute, and little percussive flourishes recounting Edward Lear’s silly limerick “Pelicans We.” Somehow the music is simultaneously halting yet maintains a smooth flow. As with the previous song, lyrics from the nineteenth century are perfectly matched with music that could only be created with modern technology.

Cosmo Sheldrake

photo courtesy of Big Hassle Media

Wrapping up the album is the most pop friendly tune of the four, “Rich,” written and sung by Anndreyah Vargas (spelled three different ways between the record, video and MP3 files). It keeps the common theme of the EP, dreaming of what life could be. Anndreyah’s childlike voice is ideal for fantasies of having a perfect body while the multi-layered humming and looping chimes and guitars maintain the world initially introduced in the first track.

Cosmo’s first release was a two-song 45 with “The Moss” on one side and another Blake tune, “Solar,” on the flip side. These four songs have doubled the amount of enjoyment I get playing records by having twice as much music. There are rumours that a full-length album is coming later this year to continue this exponential growth of my Cosmo Sheldrake library.

Upcoming Gigs

The “tour” page of Cosmo’s website lists upcoming gigs this summer, many of them festival dates, in the UK, Germany, France, and Bulgaria.

Album Review: Katrina Stone – Never Wanna Grow Up

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Katrina Stone – Never Wanna Grow Up

Album Review of Katrina Stone: Never Wanna Grow Up

blank CD

Blank CD; photo by Geoff Wilbur

Energetic, cheerful, catchy pop music. Katrina Stone has a fun voice, broad range, and songwriting skill that results in a cheerful disc of enjoyable pop melodies, fast and slow, that perhaps reminds me best of Lisa Miskovsky… but with a faster median tempo.

On her fifth full-length album, Never Wanna Grow Up, Katrina kicks things off with “Hands & Hearts,” an infectiously hooky number that is the musical equivalent of skipping down the street. She stretches out the occasional note to show her vocal chops, but this is all about getting a smile upon her listener’s face at the pace of a brisk walk.

A similarly fun uptempo number, title track “Never Wanna Grow Up” builds as it adds instruments while never letting go of its happy energy, while “Your Favorite Song” is another memorably uptempo, cheery tune whose sometimes lush music bed and incessantly optimistic nature are terminally smile-inducing.

On the softer side, the album’s second track “Forever Be (My Always)” is a sweet, romantic number whose singalong chorus embeds itself easily into the listener’s memory. And Katrina’s duet with Benj Heard, “Together Forever,” is a smooth and light sway-along crooner, like a romantic sunset at the beach.

Also notable, though I can’t place the element that makes it so memorable, mid-tempo “Little White House” is a perfect blend of tempo, upward-rising musical runs, and jazzy delivery that work well together.

Such a deep bench on this album, there are several more tracks that grab my attention. I love the sweet, soaring, emotional vocals in “Bombs Away,” the edgy-yet-playful overtones in “Siren,” and the return-to-trademark, uptempo, energetic, poppiness of “Beautiful Things.”

The whole disc shows off Katrina’s sweet, strong, powerful vocals and pop sensibility. There are potential hits galore, and it’s a great glimpse into a talented singer who’s just waiting for the right song to catch the right radio programmer/soundtrack-compiler/music industry executive at the right time. In the interim, she’s producing catchy, fun, tightly-performed songs we can all enjoy.

As I finish this review, I see the album is not currently available as a name-your-price download at NoiseTrade, and I can’t find another location where you can purchase it at the moment, but I’ll add it here with a link when I do. So keep your eyes open for it (perhaps its availability will reappear), and check out some of Katrina’s other music. But definitely keep an eye out for Never Wanna Grow Up; if you can get your hands on a copy and you enjoy pop music, it’s sure to become a staple on your playlist.

Album Review: Sultans of String with Anwar Khurshid – Subcontinental Drift

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Sultans of String

photo by Kevin Kelly; photo courtesy of LW Communications

by James Morris, Contributing Blogger

Album Review of Sultans of String with Anwar Khurshid: Subcontinental Drift

Subcontinental Drift is the 5th album from Sultans of String who were formed 8 years ago through the unique musical relationship between violinist Chris McKhool and guitarist Kevin Laliberte. The band’s signature sound was cemented by the joining of three additional members: bass player Drew Birston, a veteran of Chantal Kreviazuk’s band, Cuban percussionist Rosendo Chendy Leon, who’d previously played with Parachute Club, and guitarist Eddie Paton, who’d worked with flamenco star Robert Michaels.

Sultans of String - Subcontinental Drift

image courtesy of LW Communications

In their illustrious career, the band have enjoyed success in the Canadian national radio charts, received the Sirius XM Independent Music Award as well as other multiple awards and accolades including two JUNO nominations and two Canadian Folk Music Awards. They have mixed with renowned artists, including Paddy Moloney and the Chieftains and for this new album are joined by special guest, sitar master, Anwar Khurshid.

Anwar’s music has previously appeared in the Oscar winning films Life of Pi, Kama Sutra, and Love Guru, and his contribution to this album certainly adds colours and rhythms that are both exotic and cinematic in scope.

There is a genuinely uplifting feeling about the whole thing, and at times it put me in mind of the spirit captured by Mark Knopfler in his soundtrack to Local Hero. Sure the styles are worlds apart, but they both share an inexplicable ability to transport you and release your imagination through mesmeric musical imagery.

Sultans of String

photo by Kevin Kelly; photo courtesy of LW Communications

Chris McKhool is unsurprisingly excited about the collaboration with Anwar Khurshid: “There is something magical about joining the world music rhythms we play, with pop sensibilities and blending that with the music of the East.”

He is not wrong, and I have to say how much I enjoyed the album. It seemed to pull on so many of the musical influences of my past but in a fresh, out of left field, kind of way.

Memories were stirred of early Rod Stewart, “Mandolin Wind” and “Maggie May” on the opening track “Enter The Gate,” with the folksy intertwining guitar and violin. This also led me to remember the fiddle playing on “Don’t Pass Me By” on The Beatles’ White Album. Of course when you start thinking Beatles, there is the Harrison factor when listening to the combination of sitar mixing and swirling with the rest of the band. The whole talented, textured performance drips passion and pleasure.

Sultans of String

photo by Kevin Kelly; photo courtesy of LW Communications

This is, no doubt, why the whole thing sparks a real joie de vivre for the soul. The mix of traditional folk instruments and sitar work sublimely. Inspired really.

It’s this happiness to mix things up that makes the second track “Rakes of Mallow/ Rouge River Valley” so upbeat and uplifting. A foot tapping jig with a wonderful twist.

More links to my musical favourites were highlighted by the bold cover of Dylan’s “Blowin’ In The Wind.” It’s one of those songs that maybe you don’t do, too familiar, too cliche? But I was blown away by this distinct and imaginative adaptation. I’m pretty sure Dylan, who is no stranger to taking his tunes and changing arrangements, would be really happy to hear how this reggae/bhangra/folk fusion turned out.

The only slight disappointment on the album for me was “A Place To Call Home”; with its country-style vocal, it seemed a bit out of place. It is a lovely song but somehow less exotic than the rest of the album.

It was a brief dip on what is otherwise an exceptional album, and I was soon on my magical journey again. After being swept along by the hypnotic “Snake Charmer,” I was delighted by the beautiful voice of another guest performer, Shweta Subram on “Parchan Shaal Panhwar.”

Sultans of String

photo by Kevin Kelly; photo courtesy of LW Communications

So many great songs on this album make it hard not to try and detail each one’s benefits. “Journey To Freedom” was the next track, and it slipped like silk across a musical landscape so simple that it’s gentle footsteps made all the more impact. The song, jointly written by the band and Anwar Khurshid, traces Anwar’s journey from Pakistan to his new home in Canada.

Before rounding things off, I want to also mention the lovely fat bass lines on title track “Subcontinental Drift” and then the delicate, almost Paul Simon like calmness of final track, “A Heart Does What It Does.” A beautiful end to a classy album.

I’d not listened to Sultans of String before and the strength of this new album made me go and check out their previous releases. I was not disappointed and can easily see why they enjoy the award-winning success they have had.

Inviting Anwar Khurshid to collaborate on this album was a stroke of genius and has created an album of sunshine, happiness and positivity like a meditative soundtrack for your soul.

On the Road

According to the tour calendar page on the Sultans of String’s website, the bandhas two remaining gigs in May – the first, tomorrow night, May 22nd, at Cafe Nine in New Haven, Connecticut; then April 26th at a conference at Humber College in Toronto. Beyond that, upcoming concerts include a June 3 Kerrville Folk Festival date, a June-July 2016 tour of the UK and Ireland, and dozens of dates booked across Canada and in the U.S. throughout 2016 and into 2017. Check to band’s website to see when the group will be performing near you.

Album Review: Persona – Elusive Reflections

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Persona

photo courtesy of Persona

Persona – Elusive Reflections

Album Review of Persona: Elusive Reflections

This is an exceptional progressive rock/metal album from talented, Tunis-based ensemble Persona. Founded in 2012, by lead guitarist Melik Melek Khelifa and singer/pianist Jelena Dobric, the band’s line-up also includes Yosri Ouada (rhythm guitarist), Youssef Aouadi (drums), Walid Bessadok (keyboard), and Nesrine Mahbouli (bass).

Persona - Elusive Reflections album cover

image courtesy of Persona

The overarching style on Elusive Reflections is orchestral progressive rock, but other rock/metal influences are evident, as well. Melik’s axework ranges from soaring progressive to straightforward hard rock to even a little thrash. Jelena’s vocals also soar on some songs but more often act as an additional instrument, with tempo and phrasing changing along with each passage as required by each of Persona’s songs. And Youssef’s drumming can range from soft to thrashing, sometimes keeping tempo and at others embellishing with attention-grabbing runs. As with so many of the bands I choose to review, the variance on the album, thanks to the skill of the band’s members, provides an enjoyable full-album listen; the songs are bound together by Persona’s identifiable sound but varied enough to keep things interesting from beginning to end.

A good example of the Persona’s in-song versatility is “Ageless,” which kicks off with engaging synth work, joined by blistering guitar, adding soaring vocals, before combining those elements with a thrashing rhythm. It deftly moves back and forth between ethereal and heavy rock mode. And oh, the guitar solos! Music like this is meant to be heard on headphones… or in an arena.

Persona

photo courtesy of Persona

The track that I think best showcases the use of vocals almost purely as an instrument, though the lyrics are still clearly sung and easily understood, is “Monsters.” It also includes some of my favorite frenetic drumming on the album. And it’s the song that utilizes (in an appropriate spot) a death metal near-growl.

As each layer of the onion is peeled back, almost an endless array of details, subtle and otherwise, emerge. And not just on the songs already mentioned; it can be heard throughout the disc. That’s what makes a great progressive rock album such an interesting listen. Yet I haven’t even delved into my favorite songs on Elusive Reflections.

The record’s opening track, “Somebody Else,” opens with a musical arrangement and rhythm that does seem to be a subtle nod to a traditional North African sound, recurring throughout the song. Hard-rocking rhythms and soaring, theatrical interludes combine with the usual well-placed guitar run to add texture to this tune, which serves as a fitting introduction to the band.

Persona

photo courtesy of Persona

My favorite song on the album, “Blinded,” follows. It surges and pulses, with dancing guitarwork, relentless drum rhythms, and soaring symphonic-progressive vocals. The rhythm and vocals climb musical hills, pause and soar, sometimes gliding down a bit before surging forward and soaring again.

Persona’s songs typically and effectively begin with musical and drum openings that lead to the vocals – guitar and drums on “Forgotten”; drums and keys on “Halley.” Different instrumental combinations are found throughout.

Persona shows it can slow things down a bit on “Torn.” Or, rather, since the pace on most tracks isn’t blazing, I suppose it would be more correct to say the band softens things a bit on “Torn.” And this is a powerful, heartfelt ballad of longing, carried by the vocals and supported by the light instrumental touch. It’s an exceptional change of pace that fits well in its album placement.

Persona

photo courtesy of Persona

“He Kills Me More” is worth noting for the haunting soft-opening that leads first to a rhythmic war-beat of drums and then a hint of sixties flavor in the first soaring guitar riffs before eventually giving way to a more haunting, plaintive vocal. But it’s that rhythm that carries through the song, tying it together and carrying the listener along on its journey as classic rock guitar (within the fabric of the song and as a blistering solo) and vocals each have their featured moments, as does a spoken-word segment. All of the band’s songs carry a strong, well-constructed structure, but the various parts on “He Kills Me More” are more identifiable and it’s relatively easier to see how they interact than elsewhere on the album.

As the band closes the disc strong, I particularly enjoy the guitar solo and the sweet vocals late in the song on “Persona,” while “The Sea of Fallen Stars” provides a soft landing at the end of the Elusive Reflections, with the vocals soaring a bit more and the intricate axework paced just a touch slower. It’s a fitting closing number for this collection.

From beginning to end, it’s clear Persona could capture the imagination of audiences of any size, from a cozy club to a large arena, as the music and performance would be well-placed alongside an arena-caliber light show. If you’re at all a fan of progressive or symphonic rock – or, for that matter, a classic rock fan who appreciates musicianship – you owe it to yourself to give Persona a listen.

Album Review: Jimmy Lee Morris – Wilderness Wood

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Jimmy Lee Morris

photo courtesy of Jimmy Lee Morris

Jimmy Lee Morris – Wilderness Wood

Backstory

There’s a little backstory, as this album was produced by Simon Scardanelli, whose music I’ve reviewed as long ago as the mid-1990s and whose latest release I reviewed here.

Jimmy Lee Morris has a significant musical backstory of his own. He started writing and recording in the 1980s. I won’t run through his entire background, but he has done solo work, and bands in his past include A La Tienne, Mojo Filter, and the Collaborators. The album Wilderness Wood was released on April 1st, 2016 on Automix Records and published by Musica Scardanelli.

Album Review of Jimmy Lee Morris: Wilderness Wood

If I had to describe Jimmy Lee Morris’ Wilderness Wood in just a single phrase using way-too-many hyphenated adjectives, I’d describe it as a full-sounding, folk-influenced, singer-songwriter-styled, song-driven recording. But it’s more than that, and you can identify specific other genres influencing some individual tracks on the LP. Beyond folk, you’ll hear some Americana, a hint of blues, and a little jazzy flair.

Jimmy Lee Morris - Wilderness Wood

image courtesy of Jimmy Lee Morris

Disc-opener “Give Me All Your Love” has a folk base, but the full orchestration is rather soft-poppy, and the guitar picking suggests Americana/Western. I’d call it eclectic, but that might suggest inaccessibility; in the end, it’s a singer/songwriter type of tune that significantly carries the aforementioned influences. And therein lies the difficulty in describing Jimmy Lee Morris’ music – while much of it defies categorization, it always sounds familiar.

Jimmy possesses a high, strong, rich voice. The songs on Wilderness Wood are well-written. And the production and instrumentation is full and lush, except where a light touch called for. But it’s interesting to run through the songs focusing on the edges, where the songs differ from each other rather than how they’re so cohesive and similar, so with that in mind…

Probably the best pure folk song is the traipsing-through-the-woods-ish song about a trip – technically, I suppose it’s a song about a driving trip, with its title a dead giveaway on that point – “Campervan Song.” This one will have you swaying left and right, perhaps flashing a peace sign, and most likely wanting to sing along once you learn enough of the words to make it worthwhile. Meanwhile, the catchiest pop-folk song of the collection may well be “Sunshine,” with its happy whistle and light, enthusiastic tone. It’s a musical tonic for shaking the blues.

Speaking of blues, the award for best blues edge on Wilderness Wood clearly belongs to “On the Outside.” Great bluesy guitar riff. And a classic recurring blues line in”Nice of you to tell me to my face…” Yeah, it’s blues-folk; heckuva job on this mild genre-bender.

Continuing in the genre-combo theme, do you like a dash of polka seasoning in your folk? The next song, “Home From Home,” achieves just such a convergence. Sure, it’s mostly folk, but it’s just another example of how this disc, while maintaining its folk center and featuring Jimmy’s emotive, identifiable vocals, explores additional influences to juice up individual tracks.

The external influences keep coming. Prefer a little jazz with your folk? There are a couple spots you’ll find it in Wilderness Wood, but “Don’t Fear the Night”‘s sax intro isn’t just a tease; yeah, you’ll find jazz in spades throughout. Daddy-o. If there were such a thing as hipster jazz-folk, this would be it.

Also worth mentioning are “Nothing to Fear,” with its ’70s soft rock/lounge flavor (and sleek, cool sax line); lullaby-esque ballad “Sleep in the Morning”; and “It’s You That I Love,” which has a similar lullaby flavor but tends a bit toward a slow dance song, something you might expect at a ’50s high school sock hop.

Jimmy Lee Morris

photo courtesy of Jimmy Lee Morris

Finally, my favorite track (the one you’ll find on my personal smartphone playlist, in fact) is “This is the Life That You Chose,” which sports a twangy, Western folk-Americana feel. And, of course, in my mind at least, its title phrase can be a bit snarky.

Throughout the album, you can tell Jimmy Lee Morris knows his way around a song and is well-skilled with his instrument and his voice. And the album’s lush, full production is rich enough to fill a room. If your musical tastes include folk-Americana music that incorporates other influences, you’re likely to really dig Wilderness Wood. Despite the variety of influences – well, actually, because of them as a 13-song disc of pure folk would get somewhat redundant for anyone but the most hardcore folk aficionado – it’s a cohesive collection that takes its listener on a pleasant journey.

On the Road

Jimmy just kicked off a tour of radio appearances and live gigs. I’ll list them below, but you can also find them on Jimmy’s website.

You can hear Jimmy on the radio May 8th in Seaford on Seahaven FM; May 25th in Uckfield on Uckfield FM Folk Is Not A Rude Word; and May 30th in Brighton on Reverb Radio.

You can see Jimmy perform live on May 26th in Uckfield at Folk & Blues Club Ringles Cross; on May 27th in Hastings at Gecko Bar; on May 31st in Lewes at The Lamb; on June 1st in Lymington at Folk Club the Thomas Tripp; on June 4th in Lingfield at The Star; on June 11th in Mayfield at Rose & Crown; on June 18th in Eastbourne at the Pentacle Drummers Solstice Festival; and on June 19th in Battle at Crowhurst Park.

Be sure to check Jimmy’s website for any additions or updates.

Album Review: Rusty G’s – Low

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Rusty G’s – Low

Rusty G's

photo by Geoff Wilbur

The Backstory

I first became aware of Rusty G’s when I saw them perform live in London on Halloween night. They were the opening act for guitar god Bernie Tormé, and the show was the fifth entry in my “Five Nights in London” series of live reviews. I arrived at the concert in time to catch the opening act, which was Rusty G’s, and it turned out to be an unexpectedly pleasant surprise. Raw, raucous, rough and ready. And way too much sound to be coming from a two-piece band! Now, several months later, I have the privilege of reviewing the band’s debut album, Low.

Album Review of Rusty G’s: Low

Rusty G's - Low

image courtesy of Rusty G’s

Doing power trios one better, Rusty G’s is a rare “power duo.” If it were easy, bass players could soon find themselves made redundant, but these guys have achieved a rare feat: They’ve constructed a complete sound as a two-piece. Slated for a May 9th release, Rusty G’s debut full-length album Low confirms the “power duo.” designation. Singer/guitarist James Finch and drummer Dan Lopez deliver a raucous disc of heavy metal that garnishes its lush power rock sound with a stripped-down edge.

Opening track “Oh Yeah” kicks things off in a blaze of guitar before settling into a junkyard dog-esque, bare-bones, raw rock style. On this cut, I’m especially fond of the bluesy guitar riff that wails late in the song as it’s winding down, providing the only hint to the track’s impending conclusion since the drums never let up. The vocals on “Oh Yeah” (and the rest of the disc) are of the old-school, early metal, “sing loudly, as near the edge of the vocalist’s range as possible while still being gravelly but tuneful” variety. Exactly as you’d expect to appropriately accompany the music.

Rusty G's

photo courtesy of Rusty G’s

“Crawl” follows with a killer riff providing a monster hook to the otherwise pulsing, relentlessly plodding steamroller of a rhythm.

A raw guitar hook that embeds itself into my brain for days at a time – not surprisingly, perhaps, punctuating what has become my initial favorite track on the disc – is featured front and center in “I Don’t Want This.” And it’s not just the monster guitar hook; the “ooh, I don’t want this” line is an earworm, too.

One of the more jangly, raucous tracks on Low is “Don’t Belong.” Its melody suggests this may translate exceptionally well to other musical styles; it ain’t necessarily just a metal number. The verses hint at a blues-punk-metal hybrid, while the fog of heaviness in the bridges suggests a rougher-edged version of Metallica-era Metallica.

Rusty G's

photo courtesy of Rusty G’s

Later in the collection, there’s an impressive stop-start rhythm and heavy, metal-bluesy, growling guitar hook in “Waiting” that’s augmented by some nice, true-to-the-song drum runs, sometimes expressive, other times seemingly in anger.

Though not the only place on Low this occurs, “Static” is notable as primarily a drum-driven selection, with the vocals and guitar (aside perhaps from a late solo) playing supporting roles to the drums’ rhythm and short runs. Not a showy song; just real damn solid. And a strong showcase of how a two-piece metal band can be versatile without going mellow.

And if you want an example of prog-influenced heavy rock, you’ll find it at the end of Low. “Losing You” has the fast, slow, experimental, soft-and-heavy elements that could easily be prog-rock influenced. It’s a great way to round out the album, with this six-minute opus extending to the final curtain.

Heavy and cohesive throughout yet with enough variance to stay fresh from song to song, Low makes a good beginning-to-end listen. My personal standout tracks likely differ from yours, but they all maintain a raw power, rhythm, and broad rock appeal that encompass Rusty G’s trademark sound. Yes, power duos are a thing now.

Rusty G's

photo by Geoff Wilbur

Upcoming Gigs

I’ve seen Rusty G’s live, and I can confirm they put on one heck of a show. This is a great live band, so get out to a gig if you can.

According to Rusty G’s website, you can catch the band live at a variety of venues in the coming months: on Friday, May 6th at Craufurd Arms in Milton Keynes; on Wednesday, May 18th at The Dublin Castle in London; on Friday, May 20th at Maida Vale in Sheffield; on Tuesday, May 31st, supporting Cold in Berlin at Gullivers in Manchester; on Wednesday, June 1st, supporting Cold in Berlin at Bannermans in Edinburgh; on Friday, June 10th at the Willow Festival in Northampton; on Saturday, July 2nd at Cranfest in Cranfield; on Friday, August 19th at Tribfest in Yorkshire; on Saturday, August 27th at Bridgnorth Festival; and on Saturday, September 3rd, supporting Eat This at The Castle in Wellingborough. Obviously, check the band’s website for additional bookings, details, and changes.

Album Review: Amy & the Engine – TandeMania

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Amy & the Engine

photo courtesy of Amy & the Engine

Amy & the Engine – TandeMania

The Backstory

I first saw Amy & the Engine late last summer at Worcester’s stART on the Street festival. I only caught parts of two songs, not enough to form an opinion, but the band was handing out copies of its Summer of ’15 Sampler, so I picked one up. Over the following months, it worked its way onto my playlist, and I became increasingly enamored with the band’s radio-ready pop stylings.

EP Review of Amy & the Engine: TandeMania

Amy & the Engine - TandeMania

image courtesy of Amy & the Engine

Pop-rock. Catchy pop-rock. Harmonies, melodies, killer hooks, Amy’s saccharin, precise vocals. And most of all, simply well-written songs. These six tracks will get stuck in your memory quickly and easily, like… um… well, arrows.

First track “Arrows” is full of stops and starts, with vocals and melody flirting with rhythm and even some well-placed distorted guitar. It’s an energetic, pleasant start to a happy EP that reveals a lot more meat on its catchy bones with each listen.

“Love Me” follows with an immediately attention-grabbing rhythm that flows readily into a catchy pop melody augmented by well-placed pauses and tempo shifts.

If I had to select the two biggest potential hits, though all six tracks have the sort of timeless pop music quality that could catch and ride a hit-making wave, I’d place my bets on “Megaphone” and “Baby.”

“Megaphone” has a hint of Motown rhythm (really; listen closely) behind Amy’s soaring vocals – soaring away at the end of each word, at times – with a stop-and-start tempo and interloping guitar line. For a light pop song, “Megaphone” has a lot going on, all carefully interwoven into memorable ear candy.

“Baby,” meanwhile taps into a bit of an old-time “girl group” pop feel with singalong bits, but it’s mixed with a minimalist modern guitar line dancing among a bit of light strumming that camouflages a strict adherence to any musical era. In the end, it’s just yet another catchy, timeless pop song.

And that’s what the band does well. Timeless, catchy pop. When you learn the group formed at Berklee, it begins to explain the songwriting, the musicianship, the production value. Where else could you so readily assemble the talent to successfully form a sugar-sweet pop band whose music is structured and substantial enough it can’t be dismissed? Amy & the Engine possess musical, vocal, and songwriting skills honed by top-shelf training and diligent attention to detail. All they need now is that elusive big break. You and I can count ourselves lucky we have this EP to keep us company while we wait.

Amy & the Engine

photo courtesy of Amy & the Engine

Looking Ahead

Upcoming gigs listed on the band’s website include Wednesday, May 4th in Toronto for 2016 Canadian Music Week; Tuesday, May 31 at Pianos in New York; Saturday, June 11th in Kennebunkport, Maine for the 2016 Kennebunkport Festival: Brews & Tunes; Sunday, June 12th in Portland, Maine for the Old Port Festival; Saturday, June 18th in Quechee, Vermont for the Quechee Balloon Festival; Friday, June 24th in Boston at Lawn on D; Wednesday, July 27th in Boston at the Harvard Longwood Campus; and Saturday, September 17th in Craigville Beach, Mass., with Cody Simpson at the 2016 Yellow Dog Music Festival. Watch the band’s website for additional upcoming dates as they’re announced.

Album Review: Altered Sky – Without Wonderland

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Altered Sky – Without Wonderland

 

Altered Sky

photo courtesy of Reaction Management

The Backstory

As you may or may not know, I’m a sucker for great, hook-laden pop-punk. I’m also rather selective about it. So if you see me cover a fair number of pop-punk bands in this blog, know that for each band that makes the cut for a review, I’ve sifted through oh-so-many not-so-great ones. I have written about one no-longer-performing favorite, Preston (UK)’s Next Stop Atlanta, as part of my “Road Back” series. A few other pop-punk bands I discovered while “on hiatus” from music journalism also broke up before I returned to writing, though there are a couple others I may reach out to in the coming months.

Pertinent to today’s review, I recently stumbled across Glasgow’s Altered Sky purely by accident. Well, not exactly. When the band’s lead singer, Ana Nowosielska, followed me on Twitter, I followed her back, as I always try to do when musicians follow me. Soon thereafter, I found time to check out her band’s music, something I don’t find time to do nearly as often as I’d like when musicians follow me, and I immediately got in touch with Altered Sky to offer to review its album. So I suppose I should get to the review…

Album Review of Altered Sky: Without Wonderland

There are a lot of mediocre pop-punk bands out there. Altered Sky is not one of those. This group is exceptional. Formed in 2010, the quartet of Ana Nowosielska (vocals), Amy Blair (drums and backing vocals), Rich Passe (guitar), and Ross Archibald (bass) delivers hooky, tight, well-structured, engaging songs. And the band’s newest release, Without Wonderland, is an energetic, powerful pop-punk compendium.

Altered Sky

photo courtesy of Reaction Management

Altered Sky roars out of the gate with “This War Is Mine,” delivering the album’s most instantly memorable track at its outset, showcasing the group’s trademark rhythmic tension, powerful yet sensitive and emotive vocals, and buzzy, quick-hitting guitarwork. Oh, and the listener will soon be singing along from “I’ll give you one more chance to run…” all the way through the chorus.

“Stupid in the Dark” is an interesting second song, as it winds tension tighter and tighter with no significant release. Proof that Altered Sky is willing to toy with its listener. Indeed, the releases follow in many of the other tracks, perhaps more enjoyable because of the way this still-quite-catchy song tightens the screw a bit early on.

Currently vying with “This War…” for designation as my favorite track on the album is energetic rocker “Bury It All,” which employs an upbeat, hopeful musical style, builds periodically to musical climax, and features crisp, clean, strong, smooth vocals. Perhaps most on “Bury It All,” though also in other songs, Ana’s vocals hint at a bit of the pop-sassy vocal style sported by young mid-’00s almost-star Skye Sweetnam, a bit of a gold standard even now.

Oddly tuneful mid-tempo rocker “Songbird” is another standout, replete with attention-grabbing stop-starts and a clever blend of edgy and smooth vocals.

Heartfelt, crisp, emotional ballad “Imagine Adventure” shows off the band’s ability to produce a top-shelf, heartfelt, piano-based slow song. A powerful, pleading, sometimes-gymnastical vocal line is the dominant feature of this stripped-down, soaring number.

One of Altered Sky’s singles from this disc is “Waves”, a memorable track due largely to its insistent, pleading, persistent vocals. Not quite as much unresolved tension as with “Stupid in the Dark,” though the releases, again, aren’t complete; yes, though it’s not quite a theme, musical tension-maintenance something Altered Sky does quite well.

Without Wonderland ends with a heavy drum-driven number, “White Witch,” that showcases the edge in Ana’s voice. A powerful, slightly-off-balance, proud entreaty like this track is essential for the band’s genre; well-executed, it’s a great way to close this fine, 10-song collection on a powerful high note.

Looking Ahead

Altered Sky recently concluded a UK tour but will take to the road again this summer. Altered Sky has announced dates for an acoustic tour with Beyond Recall at Pulp stores in the UK. With all shows scheduled for 5:00 pm starts, announced dates are: July 28th in Glasgow, July 29th in Edinburgh, August 1st in Leeds, August 2nd in Bristol, August 3rd in London, and August 4th in Nottingham. Be sure to check the “shows” page of Altered Sky’s website for further information and to discover upcoming live dates whenever they’re announced.

 

Album Review: Fire Tiger – Energy

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Fire Tiger – Energy

Fire Tiger - Energy

image courtesy of Fire Tiger

Album Review of Fire Tiger: Energy

Some of the best albums start with a few catchy songs that reel the listener in. They’re followed by a few cuts that quickly grow in their appeal, and finally there are the remaining tracks whose unique features reveal themselves after repeated listens. Before long, the album is an enjoyable old friend beginning-to-end.

My first exposure to Fire Tiger was through its two most hook-laden songs – the fast-paced, energetic, catchy “Energy” and the slowly-building, soaring mid-tempo rocker “Green Light.” Stylistically, those two tracks recall Mannequin soundtrack-era Starship. In this comparison, Tiffany Alkouri’s vocals split the difference between Mickey Thomas and Grace Slick.

The third quickly memorable tune is a sort of tempo-changing ballad, “He Has Changed.” At its core, it’s a strumming and picking folk song (replete with harmonica) with a memorable hook in the chorus. And it features a great tearjerker of a video you won’t forget once you see it.

Fire Tiger

photo courtesy of Fire Tiger

The rest of Energy showcases the depth and breadth of Tiff Akouri and James Ramsey’s songwriting skills. Spanning the spectrum of pop-rock music while incorporating a broad range of influences and employing a variety of catchy sound devices, this disc is about as varied as you could ask for, all while sounding like a cohesive collection from recognizably the same band.

I think the ’80s comparisons in Fire Tiger reviews are accurate because this is a keyboard-heavy rock band; Fire Tiger conspicuously features a keyboard/synth sound without sacrificing its rock ‘n roller street cred. And that’s very ’80s, the decade of the keytar. That’s the ’80s sound that causes people to reference that decade when describing Fire Tiger. And this band embraces its trademark sound, applying it to a set of original, catchy rock songs.

Within the Fire Tiger sound, Tiff’s vocals are memorable and unique. She has a strong lower register, as in “Looking At Us,” a song that opens with Tiffany clearly channeling Stevie Nicks. She also exudes serious rock attitude with vocal flourishes like the opening “rock grunt” of “Just” and the stylized “oh-oh”s in “Count Dracula.”

Several songs elicit increasing affection over multiple listens. Album-opener “Fancy War Dance,” for example, kicks off the disc with an uncommon, memorable opening – accomplishing one of the primary jobs of a first track, which is to be identifiable. This tune is remarkable for the war chant-inspired supporting vocals you’ll catch yourself singing along with and a subtly catchy guitar hook, while the song itself is driven equally by its guitar line and energetic keyboard work.

Also worth noting is energetic, synth-driven “Wall of Technology,” a catchy tune that even features a snippet of JFK’s moon mission speech while seemingly incongruously driving home a message of the distancing effect of technology relative to human contact.

Throughout Energy‘s ten tracks, Fire Tiger showcases its range, bringing ’80s style to the 2010s, wrapped tightly in well-written, catchy, enduring songs. Because as with all music, no matter how well-performed, it always comes back to the songwriting.

Looking Ahead

Fire Tiger doesn’t currently have any upcoming shows listed on its website, but here’s where you’ll find them when they do.