Single Review: Jon Muq – “Hear My Voice”

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Jon Muq

photo by Morgan Wommack; photo courtesy of Reybee Inc.

Single Review of Jon Muq: “Hear My Voice”

Singer-songwriter Jon Muq recently released his soulful pop single “Hear My Voice.” The song is musically lightly instrumented and pleasant, with the beat swaying softly in the verses, leading to an echoey power surge. Well, relatively speaking, anyway; the “surge” is still pretty soft-pop. But it delivers the song’s climactic moments, each time leading to the initial chorus vocal “Can you hear my voice.” And the song’s heartfelt final few notes are reminiscent of an Ed Sheeran ending.

Vocally, Muq’s vocals are in a very cool pop style. Yes, his vocals are entirely his own, but they contain elements of some other big-time pop and pop-rock singers. In some parts, they’re reminiscent of – here’s that name again – Ed Sheeran’s more syncopated moments. In other parts, like James Arthur, with Muq’s tone particularly comparable to Arthur’s warmth. And this memorably enjoyable voice is wrapped up in an old-fashioned, mainstream pop-styled vocal package, with maybe even a little Phil Collins vocal styling mixed in. If your musical taste includes any of those three artists, you’re likely to enjoy Jon Muq’s singing.

Here’s hoping Jon Muq has a few more well-written songs like this up his sleeve. He certainly has the voice to rival today’s top pop singer-songwriters. Predating “Hear My Voice,” Muq has a full-length album available. I’ve not listened to any of Muq’s prior releases, so after I wrap up this review, I look forward to checking out that record, Flying Away, a 2024 release. Muq will be on the road this spring and summer, with concert dates across the U.S. and Europe, plus a couple dates in Calgary, already scheduled, per the “Tour” page of his website.

Single Reviews: Girl with a Hawk – “#Vote (#Rock the Boat),” “Share It All,” and “No One Like You”

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Girl with a Hawk

photo by Kelly Davidson; photo courtesy of Knyvet

Single Reviews of Girl with a Hawk: “#Vote (#Rock the Boat),” “Share It All,” and “No One Like You”

Girl with a Hawk is led by New England Music Hall of Fame inductee Linda Viens (lead vocals, guitar). She’s joined by Daniel Coughlin (guitar), Richard Lamphear (keyboard), Nancy Delaney (drums), and Dan Bernfeld (bass). The band’s sound is rock-centered but veers into folk and Americana, as well. Essentially, Girl with a Hawk is a talented group that’s able to go wherever the song takes them.

Girl with a Hawk – #Vote (#Rock the Boat) cover art

image courtesy of Knyvet

I suppose it’s not surprising a song-driven band would unleash an issue song like “#Vote (#Rock the Boat),” a song released last fall, shortly before the U.S. election, as a non-partisan message encouraging voting, urging voters to make sure their voices were heard. The song is lightly instrumented, with just vocals and guitar, plus guest harmonica from Jim Fitting (Treat Her Right, Session Americana) and backing vocals from the entire band. The song opens with a twang – more precisely, slide guitar – and strums along folkily with a nifty, knee-slapping rhythm.

Girl with a Hawk – "Share It All" cover art

cover art design by Nicole Anguish; image courtesy of Knyvet

“Share It All,” on the other hand, is a richly instrumented pop-Americana number. Viens’ vocals are rough but tuneful, with an almost punk-rock pacing, varying phrasing to draw the listener in, helping turn what could be a too-smooth groove into an engaging, consistently interesting listen. And there’s a twangy guitar way off on the left-hand corner of the mix, giving your left ear a different listening experience from your right ear if you’re wearing headphones – country on the left, rock on the right, if you will.

The third single, “No One Like You,” is the sole 2025 release among this trio; the others dropped in 2024. “No One Like You” is a song about loss and passing, inspired by the tragic passing of Foo Fighters’ Taylor Hawkins in 2022. It begins with vocals steeped in sadness and melancholy but then picks up the tempo and thumps along with a steady beat. Still, the vocal cracks a little more than usual from time to time, echoing the emotion in the song’s lyrics. After the mellow opening, the tone moderates, and the song becomes more about reminiscence than loss, with the addition of a crunchy guitar bringing in some energy by the mid-point. The track’s second half embodies a more upbeat energy, seeming to recall the joy of the past a little, even if slightly strugglingly. In the end, what starts off sadly ends more enthusiastically, emphasizing reminiscence and joy, musically at least, more than loss.

If this is your introduction to Linda Viens and/or to Girl with a Hawk, it’s a great trio of songs to start your journey. For longtime fans, if you’ve missed any of these three releases, it’s time to give them a listen!

Album Review: Circuline – C.O.R.E.

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Circuline band photo

photo courtesy of Glass Onyon PR

Album Review of Circuline: C.O.R.E.

Circuline is an acclaimed progressive rock band, and C.O.R.E. is the sort of soaring album that you’d expect from one of the genre’s best. On C.O.R.E., Circuline harkens back to classic progressive rock musical styles, throws in some elements from music with broader commercial appeal, and pushes the envelope on new, original styles and sounds. It all makes for a fun repeated listen, even for those of us who aren’t hardcore prog rockers. If you’ve been reading this blog for a long time, you may recall Eric Harabadian’s review of Circuline’s Counterpoint in 2017. Well, this time it’s my turn.

You’ll hear a lot of different styles on C.O.R.E., but if there’s one classic progressive rock band Circuline reminds me of on this disc, it’s Yes. Yes, Yes drew a lot of classic rock fans’ attention, as well. And that’s the point. Among today’s prog-rockers, Circuline is one of the more likely bands to perform a broad-appeal rock progressive rock song. There are several on C.O.R.E.

Circuline

cover art: painting by Henrietta-Mantooth-Bagley; image courtesy of Glass Onyon PR

Album-opener “Tempus Horribilis” isn’t one of those songs, but it is incredibly interesting and one of the more experimental songs on the record, with disconnected, almost jazz-rock-like guitar bursts, artsy spoken-word sections, and one of those mid-song restarts that tricks you into thinking maybe a new song is beginning. Nope. Of course, “Tempus Horribilis” clocks in at more than 6 minutes, so for a non-prog band it probably would be two songs. So yeah, it’s a very cool song if you’re a music fan, but it’s not bordering on mainstream in the least. From a song structure perspective, I could almost hear Pink Floyd perform a song like this, though Circuline’s central sound differs significantly from Floyd’s.

“Third Rail,” the next song, is probably the most likely crossover song. A couple others have a similarly classic rock-based feeling, but “Third Rail” clocks in at just 4:11, more than a minute shorter than the next-shortest song on C.O.R.E. That’s not the only reason, though. Keys, drums, and guitars provide swirling tension-builds supporting Natalie Brown’s powerfully emotive, soaring vocals.

“Say Their Name,” next, is a nifty near-ballad, as the music bed is mostly soft. Sure, when all the instruments enter simultaneously, it can get a little noisy, but that’s just the change of pace on this number. And some of the musical breakdowns in the middle of the song would make it difficult to slow-dance to, not that that should stop you from trying. But it’s a cool, groovy listen, that’s for sure. Sort of jazz, I suppose, if performed by a progressive rock band.

Circuline band photo

photo courtesy of Glass Onyon PR

Just as “Say Their Name” isn’t jazz, despite the structural similarity, “All” isn’t a Broadway showtune, despite having some segments where the group-sing could be straight out, let’s say, Les Misérables. There’s a mid-song instrumental exchange, too, where I can picture a stage character uneasily looking about, perhaps holding his hand above his eyes and leaning forward, as if searching for something. Sure, there’s too much instrumental jamming to find a home as something other than a shapeshifting progressive album track, so don’t listen for it on Broadway, but the sonic journey is enjoyably long and winding.

“Temporal Thing” is one of Circuline’s broad-appeal, mid-tempo Yes-reminiscent numbers. It’s followed by “You,” on which the band goes a bit dark and quite foreboding, something you’ll find nowhere else on this record, but the haunting sound befits lyrics like “You bore a hole in my soul. Now I’m screaming.” It’s a very powerful and emotional number. Then, for a change of pace, the sweetly mellow “Blindside” follows. It’s the third song in such an interesting song trio, showcasing Circuline’s depth and breadth back-to-back-to-back. As noted in the text next to the “Blindside” music video shared on Facebook, the song is “inspired by power ballads from David Foster and Dianne Warren, moving into anthemic rock choruses, with stacked vocals inspired by Journey.” So why didn’t I suggest “Blindside” as Circuline’s most likely crossover song? Well, you’re not likely to hear a 6-minute song on the radio unless you take your time machine back to the ’70s or early ’80s and find yourself a long-form AOR station. But it’s really cool on your stereo and would be equally so in concert. (Or back to that slow dance I mentioned earlier? Well, this is your song.)

Circuline closes this record with “Transmission Error.” And I seem to be mentioning song lengths a lot in this review, don’t I? Well, this is the album’s longest track, at more than nine minutes. But that’s not really the point. The point is that none of these songs seems too long. They’re so interesting, with unexpected sonic twists and turns that deliver the sorts of payoffs that lead you to want to follow the next one down what appears to be another dark alley but, as it turns out, most certainly isn’t.

There’s a reason Circuline is considered a premier progressive rock band. They’ve got the chops, they’re never boring or redundant, and they turn what can sometimes be a standoffish (to outsiders) musical genre into something both progheads and the general rock public can enjoy. If you haven’t heard C.O.R.E. yet, give it a listen. If you’re a mainstream rocker, start with “Third Rail” and “Blindside.” If you’re a little dark, try “You.” If you’re into the more experimental stuff, check out “Tempus Horribilis” and “Transmission Error.” If you’re into Pink Floyd, maybe also “Tempus Horribilis” and “Transmission Error,” though you might dig different sections of those tracks. C.O.R.E. is simply an exceptional progressive rock album that deftly covers a broad swath of the progressive landscape.

 

Single Review: XIII Doors – “See How You’ve Come So Far”

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XIII Doors – "See How You've Come So Far" cover art

image courtesy of BJF Media

Single Review of XIII Doors: “See How You’ve Come So Far”

This song simply rocks! It’s timeless, with plenty of classic hard rock riffs and song structure but a very modern rock edge, in part driven by the song’s soaring vocals.

XIII Doors is a powerful Irish rock band consisting of DJ O’Sullivan (vocals, guitars), Flash Murphy (guitars), Pat “Pablo” Byrne (bass), and Cian “Whoasley” O’Sullivan (drums).

“See How You’ve Come So Far” features a guitar part that cycles in and out of the song, atop a full-on energy-buzz of a music bed. O’Sullivan’s voice soars with an airy power that’s a bit reminiscent of classic progressive hard rock bands. The song also features a blistering axe solo – from Murphy, I presume – about two-thirds of the way through that impresses while still remaining true to the song’s feel, returning it to the powerfully churning close. Musically, the arrangement and delivery are well-suited to the song’s focal lyric: “See how you’ve come so far. Look deep within your heart.” For power-rockers like me, this is an inspiring song.

“See How You’ve Come So Far” appears on the band’s debut album, Into the Unknown. I haven’t heard anything else on that record yet, but if this single is any indication, it’s gotta rock!

Album Review: Craig Bickhardt – Soliloquy: Sixteen Solo Songs

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Craig Bickhardt

photo courtesy of Trespass Music

Album Review of Craig Bickhardt: Soliloquy: Sixteen Solo Songs

Craig Bickhardt has a classic folk singer-songwriter voice. It’s rich but a little raspy. Craig’s voice can be powerful in some instances, tender in others. He can be a storyteller, can help you feel the emotions in the lyrics, or see things from a new perspective. Craig’s voice, coupled with his detail-oriented, picture-painting lyric-writing skills, dependably result in an instant-classic collection of folk songs, and Soliloquy is no exception.

This record is just Craig, his guitar and his voice – solo, as the album title indicates. It’s an attempt to capture the intimacy of one of Craig’s acoustic performances, and it certainly does. The production of such an undertaking is extremely important, and Craig’s performance on this record is captured with a rich, full sound that plays well through speakers or headphones. Now, 16 songs is a lot, so I’ll just focus on some favorites or tracks that stand out for different reasons.

Craig opens the record with “Go Round,” with energetic finger-picking that provides an energetic opening to the album, something that’s always wise to do on a record that’ll feature a lot of softer crooning later on. Wake the audience up at the beginning! The song itself is playful, both musically and regarding wordplay, with fun lyrics like “Way back in ancient times, men had the upper hand, ’til Solomon’s seven hundred wives made a wreck of the man.”

“It Opens” is a song about embracing what comes in life, built around the chorus “It don’t look like a door. It don’t look like a door. But it opens, it opens.” Craig rolls out his raspy voice in a couple spots in this song. It seems like more, but upon closer listen, no just in a select few spots, mostly at the beginning of the verses.

Craig Bickhardt – Soliloquy: Sixteen Solo Songs album cover

image courtesy of Trespass Music

“You Take Me Home” is a pleasant love song on which Craig employs a rough-hewn vocal delivery that conveys his emotion, punctuated by guitar-picking that’s almost like a soft rain.

“The Real Game” is an energetic song about preferring baseball played for the love of the game rather than money or fame. About remembering the pure reason for enjoying the game. It has a lively tempo and is extremely catchy, though it espouses an opinion that can come off as kind of pretentious and preachy. However, given the story behind the song, I know that’s not intended, so I try to hear it a super-catchy song about the simple pleasures, unencumbered by real-life, adult complications.

“This Old House” and “Stan” are extremely well-written songs that paint vivid pictures of frequent folk song themes, at least among the better folk songwriters with the talent to pull it off. “This Old House” is an ode to a dependable house, while “Stan” is about a man who saw his livelihood disappear, as the world leaves people behind – in this case, Stan. The first of this pair of songs is pleasant and reminiscent, while the second is matter-of-factly heartbreaking.

“The Restless Kind” stands out as a particularly energetic quick-picker of a song, a song on which Craig varies his vocals more than on many of his others. It’s a peppy song that could inspire those among us who are restless souls to feel much better about their desire to avoid putting down roots or staying in one place too long. Come to think about it, it’d be nice if it inspires a few restless people to throw off their shackles. Again, the energetic delivery could certainly inspire.

I think the connection made on “Men and Rivers” is interesting. Referencing Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer in one verse, Lewis and Clark in another, Craig keeps things moving with rhythmic guitar-picking as he elucidates “the bond between men and rivers.” I suppose, much like “The Restless Kind,” this could inspire some restless souls to break free from societal expectations, as well, but more specifically as it relates to men… and rivers.

“Donald and June” is one of the best life-story storytelling song you’re ever going to hear. The pattern of the strumming and Craig’s vocal cadence do a great job of supporting his precisely-phrased lyrics to paint a vivid picture of a couple’s life together. This song is truly something special.

“Life With the Sound Turned Down” deploys a nifty little recurring guitar bit, while Craig’s delivery is energetic. There are some vocal flourishes on this song that recall, for me, another of my all-time favorite singer-songwriters, Billy Crockett (who I reviewed live here, while I reviewed one of Billy’s albums here). Mostly, though, this song will stand out because of the slightly different vocal delivery style Craig deploys on it.

Craig closes the record with another soft love song, “Where in the World.” He sets it atop the backdrop of a world on the brink, but “Just when the world’s looking painfully blue, I see a light shining through.” The guitarwork pairs the verse lines as couplets; it’s always a pleasure when guitar styles are varied, particularly on an album where that’s the only instrument on the record. You want to keep a folk album interesting over the course of 16 songs? Then you’ve gotta vary the guitar patterns, like Craig does. Have I mentioned how exceptionally talented he is? Well, I’m saying it again. Soliloquy is an inspired 16-song collection. And “Where in the World” is a sweet way to close it, leaving the listener with a warm heart and a soft smile, while acknowledging the world around us isn’t ideal.

If you’re a folk music fan, you need this record – heck, probably several Craig Bickhardt records – in your collection. If you’re not so much of a folkie, then i you only listen to one song on Soliloquy, I’d recommend “Donald and June.” While Craig’s songs are all among the best folk performances you’ll ever hear, that song is simply inspired.

More Recently

Three months ago, in February, Craig released another album, Man of Sorrows, this one a collaboration with Thom Schuyler on which a whole lot of other talented artists make appearances, as well.

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

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Salem Wolves

photo by Black Cherry Creative; photo courtesy of Knyvet

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

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

Salem Wolves – "So Desperate" cover art

image courtesy of Knyvet

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

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

Salem Wolves – "November" cover art

image courtesy of Knyvet

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

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

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

Salem Wolves

photo by Black Cherry Creative; photo courtesy of Knyvet

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

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

Album Review: Travellin’ Blue – Take the Edge Off

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Travellin' Blue

photo courtesy of Big D Radio Promotions

Album Review of Travellin’ Blue: Take the Edge Off

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

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

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

Travellin' Blue – Take the Edge Off album cover

image courtesy of Big D Radio Promotions

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Album Review: Pure Prairie League – Back on Track

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Pure Prairie League

photo courtesy of Michael J. Media Group

Album Review: Pure Prairie League – Back on Track

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

Pure Prairie League – Back on Track album cover

image courtesy of Michael J. Media Group

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

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

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

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

Pure Prairie League

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Lansdowne

photo courtesy of Lansdowne via BJF Media

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

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

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

Lansdowne – "Here to Stay" cover art

image courtesy of BJF Media

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

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

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

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

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

image courtesy of Skye Media

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

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

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

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

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