Album Review: Chris Pellnat – Rain

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Chris Pellnat

photo courtesy of Chris Pellnat

Album Review of Chris Pellnat: Rain (Houdini Mansions Records)

Artistry and songwriting skills. These are at the core of Chris Pellnat‘s Rain. His delivery is very singer-songwritery. Softspoken and matter-of-fact. The instrumentation is light and airy most of the time – its quirky cheerfulness often belying the seriousness of the lyrics – with occasional well-placed additional instrumentation.

Chris Pellnat - Rain

image courtesy of Chris Pellnat

Speaking of well-placed additional instrumentation, “Hold Me Now” opens the disc in carnival-esque fashion, with crashing waves of music providing emphasis. “Vie Vie Vie Vie Vie” follows with a tempo that suggests the song is walking along at an uneven gait, perhaps followed by all of the town’s children, as if a pied piper. Next up, “Black-Eyed Susans and Queen Anne’s Lace” continues that tempo, but with intriguing bridges tying the choruses to the subsequent verses.

Chris Pellnat

photo courtesy of Chris Pellnat

The harmonica lead-in to “It’s a Cruel, Cruel World” hints at a musical change of pace, though it’s just a modest one. I dig the lyrics, too; no sugar-coating.

“Turning of the Zodiac” is a quirky number – you’ll find yourself singing along with the “boop” sound, for goodness’ sake! – and sports brief sixties psychedelic instrument cameos, as if drawn by the word “zodiac” to this musical summer of love.

Chris Pellnat

photo courtesy of Chris Pellnat

On the back half of the album, I’m probably most drawn to a couple of the tunes. “Anything At All,” for its dark melancholy. And “Honor Bound,” though perhaps mostly because I dig the harmonica bits.

I also enjoy the final song, “Rain,” a memorable song with a bit of a hook that includes a hint of the musical crashing found to open the disc, this time in the form of storm clouds, providing a bit of a stylistic bookend.

Throughout, Chris’ original delivery provides a cohesive, memorable canvas for this collection of songs. The songs themselves are so tight and carefully written, they’d be equally compelling with different delivery styles and lusher production. As I mentioned at the beginning, the dude’s a songwriter. A talented one.

 

Single Review: Todd Rundgren – “Flappie”

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Single Review of Todd Rundgren: “Flappie” (Cleopatra Records)

If you’re looking for a demented bloodbath of a sweet little Christmas song, well, rock luminary Todd Rundgren has obliged with one. “Flappie” is Todd’s English-language cover of Dutch comedian Youp van ’t Hek‘s original. The most important takeaway is that, if a Dutch person tells you to avoid the bicycle shed, perhaps that’s a good idea. I suppose another useful lesson is not to mess with children’s pet bunnies.

Todd Rundgren - Flappie single cover art

image courtesy of Glass Onyon PR

Musically, it’s performed in a music box style, almost a jack-in-the-box style, lightly instrumented and tinny. Todd delivers his vocals in spoken-singing fashion. Stylistically, it is performed very faithfully to the original.

You’ve certainly not heard a Christmas song like this before – unless, I suppose, you’re Dutch. And it’s a little too dark and off-screen gruesome for me to listen to it with any frequency. But hey, it’s memorable, which may not be a good think if you’re easily haunted, and Todd did a great job with it, that’s for sure. And if you’re a big Rundgren fan, it’s available as limited-edition colored vinyl (250 each in red and green), signed by Todd.

Looking Ahead

Todd has been keeping busy. He has been releasing singles every few weeks from his upcoming album, Space Force, to be released in early 2021. He has also been planning the Clearly Human Tour, a series of 25 geo-targeted virtual concerts, beginning with Buffalo, NY on February 14th. You can get tickets to these shows, produced by NoCap, here: https://nocapshows.com/artist?name=toddrundgren.

Single Review: Electric Maestro – “On the Way Up”

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Electric Maestro - On the Way Up single cover

image courtesy of Exodus Music

Single Review of Electric Maestro: “On the Way Up”

I was doing a little new music exploration back in June when I first listened to the music of Electric Maestro, a musical identity of electronic funk musician Waynebo. Interestingly, he and I were members of neighboring – likely overlapping – musical spheres for many years back when I was publishing Geoff Wilbur’s Renegade Newsletter out of East Lansing, but we never crossed paths. That’s my loss, as this dude has serious talent.

Waynebo/Electric Maestro has been releasing a fair bit of music during 2020, much of it back catalog material. This seems to be one of his new 2020 releases, and it’s quite a compelling piece of music.

Electric Maestro

photo by Wes Stephens, Keep On Clickin’ Photography; photo courtesy of Exodus Music

An instrumental piece of classic-reminiscent, electronic, synth-driven, dance club dance music, “On the Way Up” reels the listener in initially with a sparse note, then a rhythmic hook, and next a beat. It’s a terrific slow-build, as the song forms element by element, engaging the listener each step of the way. As the song progresses, different beats, rhythms, and scenic aural landscapes come and go, woven in and out throughout a much-too-short six and a half minutes. Knowing its length at the beginning, it’s surprising how quickly the song flies by. You’ll hear a funky rhythm, some light, airy pop beats, and several rhythmic hooks throughout the track, such a variety that it’s amazing, in retrospect, that “On the Way Up” is able to feel so cohesive from beginning to end. It’s in part, I’m sure, due to repeating and recurring hooks, but mostly thanks to the mastery of Waynebo, the Electric Maestro.

“On the Way Up” is a welcome addition to my personal playlist; I eagerly await future releases from Electric Maestro. Based on what I’ve sampled of his recent and past work, this is an artist you simply must know about.

Electric Maestro

photo by Wes Stephens, Keep On Clickin’ Photography; photo courtesy of Exodus Music

More from Waynebo

There’s a lot going on at Waynebo’s website. You’ll find links to his various projects, free DJ mixes, a link to his podcast, The Afterglow, and more. You’ll also find him on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Most recently – just yesterday, in fact – Electric Maestro released “Dance of the Refugee.” I won’t do a full review, especially not based on a single listen, but the beats on “Dance of the Refugee” are exceptional. I’m a sucker for “radio edits,” but I can see spending the full seven-plus minutes on the dance floor to the full version and wondering how it went by so quickly. So be sure to check out Electric Maestro’s newest track, too.

Single Review: Jamie Hart – “Shadow”

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Jamie Hart

photo courtesy of Jamie Hart via Off the Stage Music

As you may have noticed, I’ve spent 2020 playing catch-up on some reviews I’d hoped to write the previous couple of years. Well, I’ve finally made it to music I received in 2020, starting with this single, a January 31, 2020 release by award-winning Boston-area artist Jamie Hart.

Single Review of Jamie Hart: “Shadow”

Jamie Hart - Shadow single cover

image courtesy of Jamie Hart via Off the Stage Music

This marked the second single since Jamie Hart dropped the “Lynn” from her moniker. (Worth mentioning in case you were already familiar with her as Jamie Lynn Hart.) And wow, did she ever come out swinging for the fences with this big single release! “Shadow” is one of those substantial pop songs you’d likely hear in The Voice auditions, if it were famous, that highlights a talented vocalist’s strengths. It’s a tuneful, catchy showcase for Jamie’s full range and skill set. Moving effortlessly from booming power to soft emotion, while traversing an appealing melodic path, you can hear Jamie connect with the emotional essence of the lyrics. And, as a fun bonus, you’ll find yourself singing some of the “oo-oo” parts along with her after a few listens. This is a song you’d turn up the radio for when you hear its first few notes.

Jamie Hart

photo courtesy of Jamie Hart via Off the Stage Music

Now, if this is your first introduction to Jamie Hart, yowza! I had sampled a little of her music before – not much, but enough to know she was on my short list of must-cover local artists. This, however, was the first song I’ve had the opportunity to give innumerable listens – the first I’ve gotten to know really well – and it’s an ideal introduction to this incredibly talented vocalist. So, enjoy the vocal showcase of “Shadow” and, if you’re like me, track down some more of her music, too, when you’re done.

I’m now looking forward to hearing a multi-song collection of Jamie Hart’s powerful pop masterpieces – I believe there was an EP in the works, but I haven’t heard more about it, so I assume this may be one of the many 2020 plans scuttled by the pandemic. And I can’t wait to get a chance to experience Jamie’s voice live sometime, too, when things get back to normal again.

Jamie Hart

photo courtesy of Jamie Hart via Off the Stage Music

More recently…

This fall, Jamie was featured on Steeple Doves‘ single, “Louder,” a soaring, rhythmically addictive, defiant anthem that takes great advantage of Jamie’s vocal power. Of course, if you want to go back to last fall, you can listen to Jamie’s impressive September 2019 emotionally powerful pop single “Get Closer.”

Looking Ahead

You can find Jamie’s live show schedule, when there is one, on the “Shows” tab of Jamie’s website or on the “Events” tab of Jamie’s Facebook page.

Oh, and for the full range of sites where you can hear “Shadow” for yourselves, here’s Jamie’s “HearNow” page: https://jamiehart.hearnow.com/.

 

Album Review: The Doughboys – Running For Covers

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Album Review of The Doughboys: Running For Covers

Released late last year by New Jersey ’60s-flavored garage rock flagbearers The Doughboys, Running For Covers is an album of 13 cover songs, including covers of a couple of the band’s own old originals, all given an updated treatment in The Doughboys’ modern-yet-classic signature style.

The Doughboys - Running for Covers album cover

image courtesy of Howlin’ Wuelf Media

The album begins energetically with the classic-style guitar-buzz-driven “96 Tears,” a raucously enthusiastic – surprisingly upbeat, given the song’s lyrics – update of the ? and the Mysterians’ number one hit from 1966.

The rest of the disc includes The Doughboys’ renditions of the Kinks’ “The Hard Way,” The Band’s “The Shape I’m In,” the Rolling Stones’ “Play With Fire,” Herman’s Hermits’ “My Reservation’s Been Confirmed,” the Beatles’ “It’s All Too Much,” Lambert Hendricks & Ross’s “Moanin’,” Mose Allison’s “Your Mind Is On Vacation,” Neil Diamond’ “Solitary Man,” and more, plus reimaginations of The Doughboys’ own 1967 singles  “Rhoda Mendelbaum” and “Everybody Knows My Name.”

It’s a couple of the latter cover songs on that list that are really interesting, since they include particularly significant style changes. The Doughboys take blue jazz number “Moanin’,” for example, and infuse it with a timeless ’50s-meets-garage rock energy to completely change the song’s energy without disrupting its mood. And on “Solitary Man,” the band marches forth confidently, delivering this standard with a buzzy, almost Johnny Cash-meets-Hawaii Five-O flavor.

Other favorites include “Your Mind Is On Vacation,” with its bluesy style and harmonica bursts; the fast-paced adrenaline-filled, sped-up, wailing version of David Essex’s “Rock On,” a song also covered by Michael Damian, though still not at The Doughboys’ tempo; and the tunefully mid-tempo “Everybody Knows My Name.” The whole disc is solid, of course, and as a result, my personal favorites tend to change with my mood, so pay attention during your test drive because your mileage may vary.

You know, I always struggle with reviewing cover albums because, well, what do you say about them? About the good ones, you can say something like this: The Doughboys have delivered a disc full of great rock ‘n roll music, putting their distinct sound on classic songs, both famous and obscure. So, even though cover collections are difficult reviews, I really enjoy listening to this record, and I couldn’t resist sharing it with y’all. If you’re a fan of timeless, kinda raw but really tight rock ‘n roll, you owe it to yourself to take The Doughboys’ Running For Covers for a spin.

More Recently

Of course, Doughboys drummer Richard X. Heyman has assembled a renowned career as an independent singer-songwriter. I reviewed his 12th album, Incognito, in 2017. This past fall, he released the single “Choices We Make,” which you can check out via this YouTube video, from an unnamed upcoming 14th RXH solo album. I can’t wait.

Looking Ahead

When live gigs return, you’ll find The Doughboys’ on the “Events” page of the band’s website.

Also, here’s an interesting little nugget from the band’s bio, for those of us not old enough to have first-hand knowledge. The Doughboys were the house band of the legendary Cafe Wha? back in their heyday. I know this sounds like “looking back” rather than “looking ahead,” but this bar in the Village is one of the few remaining (surviving) iconic live music venues on my personal NYC “must see” list. Assuming it survives the pandemic, it’ll be a stop on one of my future trips to the City, visits I sorely miss right now and am looking forward (i.e., looking ahead) to resuming when some semblance of normalcy returns. So, in this paragraph, I’m looking ahead to my future, not the band’s.

EP Review: Sam Sherwin – Left In

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Sam Sherwin - Left In EP cover

image courtesy of Media Stew Public Relations

EP Review of Sam Sherwin: Left In

Left In is the follow-up to Sam Sherwin‘s full-length album, Iodine Cocktails, which I reviewed here three years ago. It’s a great continuation of the vibe in that prior release, perhaps skewing a bit more toward the live blues-rock joint vibe than the big stage rock show flavor of the prior release. Still, one can’t help imagining “The Wells Run Dry” rocking a stadium crowd, too, so my comparison is a bit of an oversimplification.

Sam Sherwin

photo by CE Katz; photo courtesy of Media Stew Public Relations

The songs are tuneful and catchy. Sam’s vocals have the ability to cast a rough edginess that suggests real-life experience and emotion while still powerfully hitting all the notes. Very New Jersey rocker-ish, appropriately.

The keys and background vocals add a richness and playfulness to EP-opener “Can’t Depend On You,” balancing the earnest growling blues-rocker song style. A great introduction to the depth and breadth of Sam’s music, this song is a well-chosen first impression.

“Johnny Got Soul” follows, with a bit of a bemused feel to the vocals in the first verse, providing a matter-of-fact descriptiveness that serves the song well. The bridges divide the song into sections, providing a breath of fresh air and break in tempo that helps the listener focus on and enjoy the vibe – the soulful, bluesy vibe, natch – of the verses and chorus.

Sam slows things down with the mellow, wistful “Losing My Faith.” Driven instrumentally by piano with well-placed organ, the music bed well-supports the aching vocal delivery in the verses and chorus and is supplemented by backing vocal bridges, soaring both high and low, in the second half of the track. I know it’s a dorky music-reviewer type of thing to say that one of my favorite things about a song is its arrangement, but I’m playing that card here.

Sam Sherwin

photo by Dwyt Dayan; photo courtesy of Media Stew Public Relations

The fourth and final song on this all-too-short disc, “The Wells Run Dry,” brings back the energy. A gruffy, seedy juke joint kind of energy. Fun, with instrumental runs and a wry delivery. Picture a big auditorium, a well-choreographed lighting sequence, and a rollicking jam band feel, all in a well-structured bluesy rock song package. A great closing number to a well-bookended four-song collection.

I always dig a Sam Sherwin release. Granted, it’s generally a little hard to describe, but at its heart, it’s good, old-fashioned rock and roll with a pop-friendly flair, rooted in multiple decades of the classic rock era, with influences from a broad range of other musical genres. In this case, lots of blues, but not just. I know it’s only rock ‘n roll, but I like it.

Looking Ahead

When live music returns in earnest, one place to look for upcoming gigs would be the “Shows” tab on Sam Sherwin’s ReverbNation page.

Album Review: Burnt Out Wreck – This Is Hell

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Album Review of Burnt Out Wreck: This Is Hell (Cherry Red Records)

This is crunchy, soaring, hard-driving ’80s style melodic rock ‘n roll of the very best kind. I reviewed Burnt Out Wreck’s previous album, Swallow, back in 2017. Now, I’m finally getting a chance to review the band’s 2019 release, This Is Hell. As I mentioned in the previous review, Burnt Out Wreck has an ’80s pedigree, with lead singer Gary Moat having served a the drummer in ’80s rock band Heavy Pettin, and with Burnt Out Wreck Gary’s every bit the energetic, raucous rocker now that he was “back in the day.”

Burnt Out Wreck - This Is Hell album cover

image courtesy of BJF Media

This new disc starts out with high energy right from the start, as “Dead or Alive” romps from the get-go. I hear the AC/DC comparison I mentioned in my last review, but there’s a high-screaming, tuneful, frenetic energy that also recalls Kix’s Steve Whiteman. Much headbanging and air-drumming on this fun, rockin’ album-opener.

The album contains a fair bit of good ol’ rock ‘n roll-style raunchy good humor, with tracks like “Paddywack” turning clever phrases and featuring singalong-ready verses. And, of course, later on the disc, “Rock Hard Sticky Sweet,” which is driven by a gritty, bluesy rock guitar line with some Cinderella-like chord progressions (from their really good bluesy hard rock songs), as well as tasty soaring guitar solos during one particular mid-song bridge.

Burnt Out Wreck's Gary Moat

Gary Moat; photo courtesy of BJF Media

One of the more direct anti-love songs you’ll find on this disc is the catchy “Headfuck,” with vocal screams and crashing drums and vocals reminiscent of Headhunter-era Krokus.

Surprisingly, if know how much I dig lyrics, probably my favorite song on this disc is lyrically simple. “Guitars Electrified” is all about the energy, rhythm, and guitar hooks. It grabs your attention from the first note and pulls you in as the instruments join one by one and the power builds. It’s a song all about rockin’ – and it does rock – with vocals, at times, a bit of a blend of Steve Whiteman and Jack Russell, though really just 100% Gary Moat. Much like Autograph’s “Turn Up the Radio,” this is a good, old fashioned, energetic rock and roll party song.

Really, though, every song on the disc has a reason it might be your favorite. “Just a Dog,” for example, has a bluesy rock flavor, and for some reason it reminds me just a bit of ZZ Top’s “Dirty Dog,” though this Burnt Out Wreck tune is much slower-tempoed and grittier. Perhaps it’s because the tunes have a similar attitude… and the word “dog” in them.

Burnt Out Wreck's Gary Moat

Gary Moat; photo courtesy of BJF Media

And the final song on the album, “Snow Falls Down,” closes things out with all of the vocal, drum, and guitar elements that make This Is Hell so much fun.

Another top-shelf, fun, melodic hard rock disc from Burnt Out Wreck, This Is Hell is a great follow-up to Swallow. Though the style is familiar, the songs are fresh and new, and the enthusiasm and energy are genuine. This is a disc that harkens back to the days when rock ‘n roll was all about screaming vocals, guitar and drum runs, and fun, headbanging live shows. This may be greedy on my part, but I’m already hoping there’s an album number three in the works.

Looking Ahead

Burnt Out Wreck has several gigs booked next year through July of 2021. You can find the gig calendar on the “tour” page of the band’s website.

Album Review: Susan Gibson – The Hard Stuff

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Susan Gibson

photo by Bill Ingram; photo courtesy of Broken Jukebox Media

Album Review of Susan Gibson: The Hard Stuff

The Hard Stuff is a collection of familiar-sounding, easy-to-get-into, memorable songs. Not surprising, given Susan Gibson‘s songwriting pedigree. “The Hard Stuff” and “Lookin’ for a Fight,” for example, feel like songs you might hear from the (Dixie) Chicks. That what my first impression, made before reading Susan’s bio, which tells me that Susan’s song “Wide Open Spaces,” was a hit on the Chicks’ 1998 major label debut.

Susan Gibson - The Hard Stuff album cover

image courtesy of Broken Jukebox Media

Released in 2019, The Hard Stuff was Susan’s first full-length album since 2011’s Tight Rope, with EP Remember Who You Are filling the void in 2016.

There are so many potential hits – or, at least, potential personal favorites – on The Hard Stuff it’s hard to know where to start, so I’ll start with the first track, “Imaginary Lines,” with thoughtful verses that ebb, flow, and surge interestingly, leading to a heartfelt, memorable, catchy, emotionally energetic chorus.

Next, there’s a nice, forward-moving energy – kind of an almost Barenaked Ladies tempo – to “Antiques,” whose chorus reveals the song’s topic: “Gettin’ older ain’t for the weak. It only happens to the strongest ones. They aren’t useless, they are precious antiques. Better treat ’em like one.” As is so often the case on The Hard Stuff, the song is a lyrical goldmine atop an engaging melody that’s easy to enjoy even if you’re not paying attention to the lyrics.

Susan Gibson

photo by Dave Hensley; photo courtesy of Broken Jukebox Media

“The Hard Stuff” is a rhythmic tune with attitude. As I mentioned earlier, it reminds me of a Chicks song in style, tempo, and (of course) attitude.

“Lookin’ for a Fight” has a more ominous tone and western flavor to it, sporting the singalong-able chorus: “Hey, Jack, you’ve got something to prove. You think your dirty looks will make the mountains move. ‘Out of my way!’; that’s your attitude. There you go lookin’ for a fight.”

“The Big Game” showcases a precision of vocal delivery and lyrical wordplay, and not just the obviously clever “Why ya gotta make it so hard for me to be easy?”

As I mentioned, the disc itself is full of songs that will be personal favorites, varying wildly by person, and the next two are likely to fit that description for a decent subset of of listening audiences. “Diagnostic Heart,” I know, will appeal to some with its introspective noodling. Others will be drawn to the nostalgically delivered tale of troublemaking pasts, “2 Fake IDs.”

The disc’s energetic mid-speed musical motor returns on “Hurricane,” a song that’ll have you bobbing and weaving in your seat a little while listening thanks to its engaging tempo.

Susan Gibson

photo by Dave Hensley; photo courtesy of Broken Jukebox Media

“Wildflowers in the Weeds” is next; it’s yet another song I expect to be a frequent fan favorite, a pleasantly melodic tune that may particularly hit home for those who identify parts of themselves in the lyrics.

And the album concludes with “8 x 10,” a banjo and fiddle-powered, down-home reflection on home, history, and memories of loved ones no longer with us.

The entire collection, The Hard Stuff, is a truly exceptional disc, with the songwriting, the emotion, and the performance composing an enjoyable, heartfelt whole package. If any of what I’ve written appeals to your musical tastes, check this music out; you’ll be glad you’ve given Susan’s album a spin.

Looking Ahead

There are no upcoming live shows listed on the “tour” page of Susan’s website; that’ll be where you can find her gigs when there are some. You can also keep an eye on the “events” tab on Susan’s Facebook page.

Album Review: ZagreuS – ZagreuS

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ZagreuS

photo by JZ Zurawski; photo courtesy of ZagreuS

Album Review of ZagreuS: ZagreuS

Adam Sloan and Laurel Marsh are highly-regarded industrial/electronic music duo ZagreuS. ZagreuS’ self-titled album is a follow-up to their 2016 debut EP.

ZagreuS album cover

logo by Michael Hanson; image courtesy of ZagreuS

Beginning to end on this album, ZagreuS combines a raw energy reminiscent of ’90s/’00s Detroit industrial metal luminaries Forge with the tunefulness and pop-friendly vocals of Blog favorite The Sweetest Condition to forge a sound that can only be ZagreuS.

The disc opens with “Times of Change.” On it, vocally, Adam delivers a raw industrial croaking growl, which trades on and off with Laurel’s soaring, Annie Lennox-reminiscent vocals with a steady beat and an ’80s new wave keyboard style wrapped in a wall-of-sound, musical blanket as its musical backdrop. This song opens the disc “big,” an advance sample of this album’s powerful musical character.

ZagreuS

photo by JZ Zurawski; photo courtesy of ZagreuS

But there are other flavors and techniques deployed on the album, as well. Not surprising, as any top-shelf industrial/electronic group worth its salt experiments.

On “Possessor,” a catchy, driving beat and a sneaky rhythmic hook make this a very likely dance club favorite, with dueling vocal styles proving particularly complementary.

“Illuminate” is much more Eurythmics-meets-Thompson Twins than anything else on the album, with accessible beats, soaring vocals, some attention-grabbing spoken-word interjections, a very radio-friendly “we can have it all” transitioning vocal bridge… and, most of all, again, that rhythmic, danceable beat.

ZagreuS

photo by JZ Zurawski; photo courtesy of ZagreuS

And while “Illuminate” particularly interests me from a song-structure, intellectual perspective, it’s the following track, “Punishment,” that I’m much more likely to remember a few hours later. Specifically, phrases like the tunefully-sung “you get what you give” offset against the gruffer “get what you give” (sans preceding “you”) and the less frequently used but more croakily growled “you wanted it” are delivered memorably – and perhaps repeated frequently enough to drive the point home – amid a mostly beat-driven rhythm with relatively sparse instrumentation. Even the song’s title “Punishment,” when sung, has its own barking style. Indeed, the contrasting, battling vocal deliveries are the driving factor that makes this is one of the more memorable tracks on ZagreuS’s self-titled album.

“A Whisper” is mostly rhythmically standard. Enjoyable but not a standout, except for the piercingly beautiful “Na na na na…” vocal overlay. Very cool. And am I the only one who hears it, or does Laurel have just a hint of a George Michael tone during some of her vocals in this song?

ZagreuS

photo by Leanne Williams Photography; photo courtesy of ZagreuS

My remaining favorite track in this collection is its penultimate entry, “Prisoner of Missing Persons.” It blends the soaring-haunting vocal overlay with a stoically aggressive (if that’s possible) vocal croak, atop a catchy, just-slower-than-really-danceable beat, well-placed synth accents, and musical sound effects. Just a really cool mix of elements that create a memorable song.

And the disc closes darkly with “Withdrawn,” a somewhat foreboding track that signals the end… of the album, at least.

In its entirety, ZagreuS is an enthralling album from its namesake performers, a duo comprised of a couple of the top industrial, experimentally adventurous artists in Massachusetts, whose talent helps them stand out in what’s often a less visible genre in most local music scenes, beyond its core audience. Occasionally, an outfit like ZagreuS transcends genre to garner more widespread attention, usually deservedly so. Definitely deserved, in this case, for the talented duo of Adam Sloan and Lauren Marsh.

Keep Up With ZagreuS

Keep up with ZagreuS’s goings-on at the band’s Facebook page or its Instagram page.

 

Album Review: Trysette – TRX+J

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Trysette

photo by Jeanette Elaine Dubois; photo courtesy of Trysette

Album Review of Trysette: TRX+J

This is a fun compilation of music from Trysette and a talented team of collaborators. A songwriting and performance collaboration, this disc features four co-writers (Trysette, Rob Bonfiglio, Xander Hale, and Jon Ciorciari) and three different lead vocalists (Trysette, Rob, and Xander).

The song order differs, by the way, on Bandcamp (where the song titles are sorted alphabetically) and Spotify. I chose to listen to the album in the Spotify order. How did I write the review? In a third order, by featured vocalist, of course. Each lead vocalist’s songs suit them quite well, and it’s an extraordinary testament to this team’s songwriting skills that they cover such a broad swath of pop musical styles. I suppose that may have been one of Trysette’s goals for this project, to show off the breadth of her songwriting skills above and beyond her primary singing style.

Trysette – TRX+J album cover

image courtesy of Trysette

The four songs featuring Trysette as lead vocalist are light pop, with one more of a dance number. All take advantage of the light, airy pop atmosphere perfectly suited to her uniquely identifiable high range.

At both Bandcamp and Spotify, the album begins with Trysette’s “Fall For You.” You may hand-clap a bit or sing along with the background harmonies, or you might just dance or bob in your chair to this cheerful tune.

“Feels Like Magic” lies somewhere between a Disney movie background song and a girl group pop track, though it leans more toward something that would be a great featured background cut in a teen love story, especially one that throws in a little light witchcraft or, even better, yet another retelling of a Cinderella story.

“The Mirror Song” is a cheerful, woman-power pop song that’ll have girls and young women dancing around their bedrooms singing while psyching themselves up with a little “I Am Woman” attitude… for any purpose that would benefit from a song where the singalong lyric is “hot, hot, hot, hot.” This is a fun, catchy song, though the target market for those encouraging themselves with this song is definitely female.

The final song featuring Trysette in the lead is “Feels So Good,” a disco-flavored number that’ll have you dancing in your seat, though I’d be curious whose voice is co-lead through much of this with her – they’ve found a complementary harmonic vocal blend.

Xander Hale shows quite a bit of vocal range in the three songs on which he’s featured.

“Leave a Light On” is a heartfelt, powerful ballad full of the sort of soaring instrumental musical support that’s common on big, emotional soft pop/rock hits… or songs during emotional scenes in motion pictures.

“Put Your Hands Up,” meanwhile, is a catchy, bouncy dance song with great synth hooks. Something I’d definitely dance to, with a broad enough appeal to have a shot at some pop radio airplay.

Finally, “Movin’ Up,” which closes the album, instantly stylistically brings to mind Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines,” particularly with its recurring, song-driving hook. “Movin’ Up” has a bit more obvious energy than Thicke’s hit, and it’d be a great nightclub – or radio – track.

The first song featuring Rob Bonfiglio‘s voice in the lead is “True Believer,” a rambling soft rock song that takes advantage of Rob’s emotive voice and sports a timeless sound, in that it could have been recorded with roughly the same arrangement in the ’60s, the ’00s, or today.

The other song featuring Rob in the lead, “The Magic in You,” sports a ’60s/’70s pop-song vibe. A bit of the Beatles, particularly in the song structure, kind of the way Cheap Trick and Enuff Z’Nuff infused this sort of songwriting into some of their ’80s hits, though with a more soft rock arrangement than the aforementioned bands. This song, in particular, is the one on the disc that seems like it’s one you’ve heard before… on steady rotation for a while somewhere.

In all, this is a great album containing a variety of songs written by TRX+J, and between the two options I’d recommend listening to it in the Spotify order, as it offers the variety of a half-hour of pop radio listening. Very glad to have this album in my collection; check it out.

Trysette

photo by Jeanette Elaine Dubois; photo courtesy of Trysette

Looking Ahead

In addition to her solo career, Trysette has performed as a backup singer on John Fogerty’s tour the last couple of years. During the pandemic, she has also performed some virtual concerts, most recently on August 22nd. Though she has nothing currently scheduled, you can find future performance dates (solo and otherwise), when available, on the “Tour Dates” page of her website.