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Album Review: Greg Nagy – Just a Little More Time

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photo courtesy of Greg Nagy

Album Review of Greg Nagy: Just a Little More Time

One of Michigan’s elite bluesmen is back again with an extraordinary new album. Five originals, six covers, a style all his own, and one of the best, most versatile blues-based voices you’ll ever here – blues, soul, swing… the man can do it all. That’s Greg Nagy and his newest album, Just a Little More Time.

The album opens like a big, brash, live stage show, with its title track sauntering in full of horns, swagger, a little playfulness in the lead vocals, and a whole lot of playfulness in the instruments, plus some occasional but well-placed background vocals. “Just a Little More Time” gives a peek at Nagy’s range; it’s a Greg Nagy original, so it’s almost as if he knows how to write to his own full range. And by that I mean yes, that’s exactly how it is.

image courtesy of Greg Nagy

That’s followed by a full-on, hornsy rendition of Guitar Slim’s “It Hurts to Love Someone” before returning to another original, the smoothly instrumented “Breaking Me,” this time leaning on emphatic organ and nifty guitarwork to augment Nagy’s blues-meets-soul vocal style.

“Between the Darkness and the Light” draws upon some psychedelic, ’70s-styled, funky blues rock guitar and organ to serve up a slappin’, groovy, rhythmically mid-tempo arena-worthy number, replete with frantic, distorted rock fretwork that’d put lava lamp-era bands to shame.

How do you follow that? With a smooth “Love Letter,” of course. The cool, brassy slow song comes with a story (told here by Greg on Facebook), a big, sweeping song from the late Bobby Murray’s final 2021 album, Love Letters From Detroit. Michiganders will dig the reference to Woodward Avenue, if you haven’t heard the song before, as I hadn’t. Nagy serves up some of his biggest, boomingest vocals on this song, delivering all the power and emotion it deserves.

photo courtesy of Greg Nagy

Such big vocals, in fact, that they apparently couldn’t be followed, vocally anyway. The next track, “My Buddy,” is a playful, funky blues instrumental, with some well-placed keys and bass helping carry the load. It reminds me a bit of the instrumentals blues pianist Bob Malone slides into his albums, songs with so much character they don’t need vocals. Of course, “My Buddy” is guitar-driven, whereas Bob’s are piano-based. Regardless, “My Buddy” is a cool number and a good palate cleanser because it’s followed by… wait for it…

“Only Women Bleed.” Yes, Nagy takes on Alice Cooper’s decades-old hit ballad “Only Women Bleed.” You know, the original was awfully bluesy to begin with (as I confirmed by re-listening to it), so it wasn’t as big a rearrangement as you might initially think, but even so, Nagy makes it all his own. Powerfully, with his rich, textured vocals, combined with soft guitar strums and a rich organ keyboard sound, this performance will leave a lump in your throat.

If you thought an Alice Cooper cover would be the rockin’est song on the record, you’d be wrong. The peppy, rhythmic “Big City” – a Nagy original – brings that blues rock energy and even sports an almost progressive-meets-psychedelic guitar solo in the middle of the song. I mean, the song itself is not really more than medium-tempoed, and there’s not any real guitar shredding. It really has more of a laid-back rock-meets-blues style but with a strutting, big-city vibe. But its energy is pure rock ‘n roll.

photo courtesy of Greg Nagy

A cool, laid-back rendition of “Rainy Night in Georgia” follows, with organ and horn sounds as if straight outta the ’70s. It’s followed by – again, ’70s anyone? – the Grateful Dead’s “Sugaree.” Actually, no, technically it was from Jerry Garcia’s first solo album, and it was Garcia’s only-ever solo Billboard Hot 100 hit. In Nagy’s hands, it’s a smooth, hit-worthy, mid-tempo rockin’ blues tune.

The final song on this impeccably curated collection is a nearly ten minute long, full-on slow-motion blues jam cover of John Lee Hooker’s “I’m in the Mood for Love.” And that, my friends, is the way to close an album!

More Recently

Since the release of Just a Little More Time, Nagy has released a pair of covers, both slow-paced, bluesy Nagy-ized yet respectful renditions of a pair of classics. In April, he released a mellowly delivered rendition of “Georgia on My Mind.” Then, in mid-June, his cool cover of Bonnie Raitt’s “I Can’t Make You Love Me” dropped.

If you’re like me, every Greg Nagy release is a welcome new listen. So if you’re new to Greg Nagy’s music and like blues music at all, start with Just a Little More Time and then work both forward and backward to keep discovering one of Michigan’s best bluesmen.

Album Review: Robert Ellis Orrall – Wonderland

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photo courtesy of Knyvet

Album Review of Robert Ellis Orrall: Wonderland (Infinity Cat Recordings)

Robert Ellis Orrall is a talented singer-songwriter. He has penned singles for the likes of Carlene Carter, Shenandoah, Clay Walker, Taylor Swift, and Reba McEntire, has produced, has been an indie label head. He has also recorded and released his own music through the years. In fact, I was planning to review his previous album, Wrong Thing, but before it reached the top of my review queue, Wonderland dropped, so I slipped the new release into its place in the queue. They’re both damn fine discs, but I’m not reviewing two albums, so here’s my take on the newer one, Wonderland. And if you dig it, check out REO’s back catalog, for sure! No, not Speedwagon, dude – that’s Robert Ellis Orrall’s initials. You know, but also Speedwagon, too, sure. In fact, I’d dig seeing REO and REO on a double-bill.

As for the album, it’s a great rock ‘n roll singer-songwriter album. There are a couple outstanding records from the ’00s that have long filled this lane for me – Martin Briley’s 2006 release It Comes in Waves and John Waite’s 2004 release The Hard Way. And less than two months ago, I made the Briley comparison in my review of Robert Scheffler’s 2025 release Truce. Now, with Robert Ellis Orrall’s Wonderland, I have two new albums to pair with my old rock ‘n roll singer-songwriter favorites. Of course, it’s more than just that they’re rockin’ singer-songwriters – I’ve reviewed plenty of those without making this comparison. Rather, it’s this particular rock ‘n roll style. There’s a distinct soaring, heartfelt emotionally appealing edge to these songs. They seem very big-cityish – no, don’t ask me to explain that because I can’t. There’s a hint of that in some of Gavin DeGraw’s ’00s and ’10s releases, though DeGraw had a different flourish in his music. This particular big city-ness is also there in many Billy Joel’s songs, particularly his ’70s work. It’s just… well, it’s big-city rock ‘n roll singer-songwriter music!

image courtesy of Knyvet

Five years ago, Orrall reformed his old ’80s era band, the group that released several albums on RCA – Orrall (vocals, keyboards), Kook Lawry (guitars), Don Walden (bass), and David Stefanelli (drums and percussion). Since reforming, the band has released five albums, most recently Wonderland.

Orrall kicks off Wonderland with its title track. Soulful, pleading, soaring, “Wonderland” leads with its simple piano atop an orchestral soundbed. It’s almost Disney love story-ish in its styling, yet old-school adult contemporary radio-friendly, as well.

“Brand New Me,” next, opens with a soft rock guitar riff – right there cementing for me the Briley comparison – lifting itself into an an edgily soaring tune of self-discovery, regret, and reminiscence. This may very well be my favorite song on this record. Or not; depending on my mood, I can say that about several of the way-cool tracks in this collection. Probably usually one of my top two, at least, though.

“I’m Coming With You” adds a hint of Athens-era alt-rock in the guitar riffs, adding a new flavor – nifty original seasoning, at least – to this mid-tempo soft-rocker. It’s followed by “Carol Ann,” which borrows a bit from pop-friendly progressive rock (and also, sometimes, hints of the Beatles) in its musical phrasing; while the style is consistent with the rest of the disc, the nuances from song to song are likely to appeal to a slightly different subset of fans, meaning every song will be someone’s favorite. I’d bet any prog-leaning soft rocker is gonna especially dig “Carol Ann.”

photo courtesy of Knyvet

“I Disappear” is a classic guitar rock-style ballad in song structure, but with a softer touch than the songs typically categorized as such, leaning into softer vocals and instrumentation but effectively tugging at all the same emotions, and I mean that in the best possible way. So if you wish your power ballads had a little less power and a little more ballad, this one’s going to be a special new find for you.

“When Will You Love Me Again” is well-placed, as a soft ballad like “I Disappear” most definitely should be followed by an uptempo tune. The song topic, too, is in line with what you’d expect on Wonderland, particularly once you realize its long-form album title is Wonderland and More Unrequited Love Songs. Clearly, from the song title alone you can predict “When Will You Love Me Again” will fit into that category, and it doesn’t disappoint, with the persistently pleading vocals and the lyrics that, well, maybe let’s not look too closely at the lyrics lest they result in a restraining order.

“Underground,” at least, adds some perkier music, and in fact you’ll probably begin singing along with “So if you’re wondering where I am right now, I’ve gone underground. Bah, bah bah bah, bah. Bah, bah bah bah!” Truthfully, you’ll probably mostly just sing along with the “bah bah”s, but still, fun and catchy.

“Where Do We Go From Here” is another soft rocker with a somewhat stringy orchestral soundbed that’ll tug at your emotions, as will “I’m Only Me (When I’m With You).” This one’s a classic love ballad, supported even more orchestrally, rising and falling with the song’s moods. You may find this one incredibly romantic (or you may not, depending on how you interpret the lyrics, but I’ll let you decide for yourself because I don’t want to ruin it for you). But wow, it’s powerful!

And then the record closes with the second song that’s most likely to be my favorite. It’s “End Title Song.” Just as it sounds, it’s an ode to the end title songs of movies. It’s upbeat, uptempo, cheerful, and earnestly delivered, which is the only way a song as conceptually playful (silly?) as this one works. It’s a song worthy of Weird Al. If you consider that a supreme compliment, as I do, then you’ll love “End Title Song.” It’s also, cleverly, the final song on the record. Really, the sole departure from an album devoted almost exclusively to its subtitled topic, and exceptionally so.

If you dig heartfelt, singer-songwriter soft rock, with love songs (mostly of the unrequited variety) even a little bit, you’ll love this record.

EP Review: Frank Viele – The Silo EP

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image courtesy of Frank Viele

EP Review of Frank Viele: The Silo EP

Oh, my, that rich, gravelly voice! Frank Viele‘s ability to deliver a song earnestly and heartfelt-edly is a unique gift. A honed craft, sure. But a gift to the rest of us. His talent and dedication haven’t gone unnoticed, as he’s racked up numerous honors, including a plethora of New England Music Awards, including Artist of the Year in 2023, something you may have read about here at the Blog.

The Silo EP is Viele’s most recent long-form recording, containing a quintet of songs, each revealing a unique variation of his rich, warm, welcoming singing, songwriting, and performance style.

photo courtesy of Frank Viele

So if it’s such a welcoming style, then why does the first song on the EP sport such an ominous, foreboding opening? OK, I can’t explain that, but you’ve gotta admit, it’s really effective; the EP-opening title track “Silo” gets your attention quickly and pulls you in. The music is like something straight out of an old Italian Western, while Viele’s steady voice with the occasional hint of gravel absolutely holds your attention.

The mood lightens quickly; “We Can’t Have It All” starts with an upbeat strum. This song is very stylistically akin to a richly-instrumented folk number, as Viele’s expressive, seemingly knowing delivery serves up the its message matter-of-factly. And that twangy guitar line that wafts through the verses? It’s not a hook exactly, but it adds richness and vibrance to the song, adding a sense of intentional direction, as well.

“Better Late Than Too Soon” is lightly instrumented and a bit lower tempo than “We Can’t Have It All.” There’s something about the arrangement and Viele’s delivery that brings to mind that this is what Bruce Springsteen might sound like if he went so fully acoustic on such a heartfelt song. At least, it’s reminiscent of that. The earnestness, the grainy emotional edge to the vocals, and the real-life, emotionally connecting message. Whew!

photo by Lisa Sanchez Gonzalez; photo courtesy of Skye Media

But don’t expend all of your “whew!” just yet. If possible, Viele dials it up a notch on “She Sleeps Better in the Rain,” with light instrumentation again offering the opportunity to underscore the gravity of his vocals, as well as providing an easy canvas upon which even modest increases in the fullness and volume of the instrumentation can add additional weight to the song’s tone and message. Very cool!

Finally, Viele closes the EP with the disc’s only non-original, digging deep to find enough heartfelt vocal gravelliness to do justice to a song originated by one of my favorite old-school rockers, and not just because of my allegiance to the mitten state. Viele’s performance of Bob Seger’s “Against the Wind” is guided on a lightly strummed guitar and a more hushed vocal delivery. This acoustic performance of “Against the Wind” sometimes gives me chills, it’s so cool.

Though it’s a short five songs, Frank Viele’s The Silo EP feels like an exceptional, top-shelf record. It’s an album – er, EP – that carries gravitas, a collection that conveys its weightiness to its recording artist. First-time listeners will not be at all surprised that this singer-songwriter has won awards; the question they’ll ask is why Frank Viele isn’t even more widely known. I know Frank’s working on it. In the meantime, he’s served up some damn fine music for those of us “in the know” to enjoy.

EP Review: Stonetrip – The Fight

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photo courtesy of BJF PR

EP Review of Stonetrip: The Fight

If you dig filthy-catchy, hard-driving, bluesy melodic hard rock, Stonetrip is the new favorite band you’ve been looking for. With shades of Aerosmith woven throughout the band’s sound – but also some bluesy hard rock bands like Tora Tora and the tuneful hitwriting skills of the likes of Firehouse in the mix, as well – Stonetrip delivers a big, bold, warmly inviting style of blues-based melodic hard rock that’s certain to draw fans from a broad swath of the rock ‘n roll spectrum. Seriously, if you don’t know about these guys yet, y’all don’t know what you’re missing!

In fact, this is a callout to my old, classic hard-rocking friends – loosen your grip on those old Tesla, BulletBoys, Extreme, Warrant, Aerosmith, and Slaughter albums and update and expand your playlists. I mean, I’m not saying you should be embarrassed about being old; I’m saying you should be embarrassed about being boring and predictable. If you read the blog, you’re probably already discovering some great new music even if your favorite rock ‘n roll neighborhood hasn’t changed in decades, but if not, hey, start with these guys. I’m tellin’ ya, fresh, energetic, original music in the style you love, from a band that would have been selling out arenas in the day (and will hopefully catch lightning in a bottle anyway regardless of the year), with an original style that you’ll instantly recognize as Stonetrip once you get to know ’em. Oh, and for young fans of good, classic hard rock – check it out! This is an awesome band your dad probably hasn’t heard yet (but he should!). OK, enough of my “there’s great new music out there you should listen to, too, you stubborn old people!” rant. Let’s get to the review.

image courtesy of BJF PR

The Review

The Fight kicks off with the EP’s title track, “The Fight,” a straightforward, big-sound, shredding, pounding hard rocker that comes at you just a little off-kilter. It’s actually a powerful mid-tempo rocker with relatable but deep lyrics worth rocking out to. Harmonies, hooks, power chords, energetic but controlled guitar solo… helluva way to kick of the record! By the end of the first listen, you’ll be singing along with the line “it won’t be tonight.” Quite probably not just the lead vocal line but also the echo background line, “won’t be tonight.”

“Beautiful You,” next, has an almost late ’80s Bad Company-ish lead-in before opening up into a big, wide-sounding guitar riff-driven song. It leans as heavily on the tuneful, emotive, and powerful vocals as it does on the churning guitar builds that lead to the chorus. This one’ll have you air-guitaring and air-drumming from time to time. It’s as catchy as the title track.

It’s followed by the hooky, sidewinding rocker “Fame,” the song that introduced me to Stonetrip and that I reviewed last year here at the Blog. It still grabs me as hard as the moment I first heard it more than a year ago.

“Postcards,” next, opens with the kind of filthy bluesy guitar riff you might expect from a George Thorogood number, but the song then opens up a bit, its big, bright sound being more akin to something you might expect from a band like Tora Tora.

The EP closes with “My Angel (Radio Edit),” a classic, guitar-laden, soaring power ballad, replete with gravelly, emotional vocals, a completely slow-danceable rhythm, and a last near-minute that’s nothing but a wailing, howling guitar riff and the strained vocals of “you’re my angel” a few times, as the song sways and fades to its close. It’s a melodic hard rock ballad of the very best kind, a shortened, 3 1/2-minute, radio-friendly version of the rock club-friendly 5-minute version that included an additional 1 1/2 minutes of howling, wailing, and rockin’-slow-song shredding when it appeared on the band’s self-titled EP in 2021.

And that’s it. Five short songs, all of which will end up on your “personal favorites” playlist. Well, on mine, anyway, which is really what’s most important to me. But honestly, there are links throughout this review. Go listen to the band’s songs and discover them for yourself!

Album Review: Wayward Vine – The Fall

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photo by Diana Levine Photography; photo courtesy of Knyvet

Album Review of Wayward Vine: The Fall

Wayward Vine‘s music covers a fair amount of musical real estate near the intersection of Americana, folk, and pop. In some eras, it would be considered radio-friendly. Today, it may be more accurate to describe it as festival crowd-friendly, in that the band’s music is likely to appeal to fans of a relatively broad swath of bands at a multi-genre festival. Wayward Vine’s songs have pleasant melodies and harmonies, appealing vocals, and detailed songwriting. Add to that a recording effort that paid serious attention to the details to obtain a crisp, clean sound without losing the songs’ energy or the artist’s vibrance, and you have The Fall, a record that’s an enjoyable, easy listen, whether alone or with a group of music fans whose tastes diverge a bit.

image courtesy of Knyvet

Wayward Vine is led by primary songwriters and co-vocalists Valerie Rachel (vocals, violin, keys, Hammond, tambourine) and Greg Lawrence (vocals, guitar, percussion, harmonica), joined by Yoni Gordon (electric guitar), Jose Downes (bass), and Jim St. Pierre (drums and percussion).

Wayward Vine kicks off The Fall with the album’s title track. “The Fall” is a soft piano-driven number that paints a picture, but of course, when you have a violin on board and a variety of talented instrumentalists, the sound is rich and variety. Just driven by the piano.

Therein, by the way, lies the difficulty in describing Wayward Vine’s music. It’s song-driven. Certainly, they fit just fine in the Americana setting in which I first heard them. The musical style could also be richly instrumented folk music – meaning what folk musicians music sounds like when they’re not averse to rich instrumentation in a studio.

photo by Diana Levine Photography; photo courtesy of Knyvet

Then there are songs like second track “Hannah,” particularly the opening, which is really more pop with a hint of rock before settling into a fully instrumented, well-produced singer-songwriter song vibe (with rich background vocals). In the end, multi-influence-driven categorization attempts aside, Wayward Vine simply sounds like Wayward Vine, and that’s what all bands really strive for, isn’t it?

Next up, the niftily smooth “Narcissist’s Disguise” is a pleasantly listenable storytelling tune with a moderately sneaky guitar hook and a classic soft-rock fadeout. It’s followed by single-worthy swayer “Dancing on Your Basement Floor,” the first song on the disc that leans more on Greg’s voice than Valerie’s – and not solely but as a lead with plenty of harmonizing. It’s the first time on the record that you really notice how well the pair’s voices blend together in harmony. Indeed, Valerie’s voice is core to Wayward Vine’s distinctive sound, and is what you’d want leading most songs, but having a second capable lead choice and a top-notch harmony option is another cool weapon in Wayward Vine’s arsenal. Plus, specifically on this track, it allows space for Valerie’s voice to extend the “floooooor” vocal to particularly good effect. It’s those little nuances that elevate a song like “Dancing on Your Basement Floor.”

The tempo picks up and the band delivers a jangly, guitar-driven mostly-pop song with “Implode,” with Valerie’s voice, particularly on the lines “so arrest me!” and “na na na na” ideally suited to the light, cheerful vibe.

“Just Like That” offers up a folky country music vibe and includes one of my favorite rhymes on the record: “It’s funny how life can bite you on the ass. I guess this too shall pass.” It’s not nearly the most insightful lyric in the song, as the song tries to answer the question it poses twice (“Why does it always feel like you’re only alive when you’re dying inside?”), but it’s the one that makes me chuckle.

The band doubles down on the country music vibe with the heavily-rhythmed floor-thumper “Hard Way.” Next is a journey to a fiddle-driven, mountain country (or barndance) musical place next with “History.” And then comes “End of May,” a very folky, singer-songwritery storyteller, picture-painter of a song.

Penultimate track “Turn Yourself Around” opens with notable harmonicawork before revealing its somewhat haunting musical edge and a tunefully ominous vocal strain. And the record closes with “Imperfect Beings,” a pleasantly pop-folky, piano-supported number that closes with a long, slightly psychedelic rock ‘n roll musical outro, providing The Fall with a fittingly genre-blending close.

Looking Ahead

Wayward Vine has several upcoming July and August Massachusetts performances, per this Facebook post. With the band’s ability to appeal to fans of multiple genres, they’re well-suited to their next half-dozen venues, an even split of farmers markets and beer garden/brewery events in Hyde Park, Roslindale, Canton, Jamaica Plain, and Natick.

Album Review: Jen Kearney – Gas Station Poet

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image courtesy of Jen Kearney

Album Review of Jen Kearney: Gas Station Poet

Jen Kearney‘s newest album, Gas Station Poet, is timeless. It’s so familiar yet so very original. It’s album-oriented classic groove rock with elements of funk, soul, blues, jazz, and ’70s rock. It’s the sort of record to listen to with your headphones on, stretched out in your bean bag chair (or comfy recliner), just soaking it all in. A two-time New England Music Awards nominee for Soul/R&B Act of the Year, Kearney’s vocals are smooth and rich; stylistically, one artist that comes to mind as a comparison is Prince, in tone and phrasing in particular, especially during some of Kearney’s vocal riffs. Other comps that make it into the conversation are Nina Simone and maybe Tracy Chapman, though neither is a perfect match; still, they’d sit well side-by-side on compilation discs or mix tapes.

Blog contributor Eric Harabadian reviewed the single “Long Division,” Gas Station Poet‘s third track, last year; and yes, it’s one of my favorite stops along the album’s 7-song, 34 minute journey. I’m going to primarily focus on the music and vocals in this review, but I’d implore you to listen closely to the lyrics, too. Says Kearney, “This album is my response to the rising tide of greed that’s eroding empathy. We’re watching humanity bargain with its own soul, and I wanted to put that into words and music.” At risk of contributing to the overhype that permeates all things media today, hell yeah, she did!

The record opens with kind of a jazz club feel, with playful light music and horns leading up to Jen Kearney’s coarsely soulful vocals on “The Auctioneer.” The horns and the groove this song settles into make it infectious.

“The Hang of Sisyphus and Narcissus,” next – and I just have to point out that this album’s first two songs both reference Sisyphus, so top that! – is a laid-back, piano-driven, soulful groove that keeps pushing forward, steadily up that hill, finally showcasing some cool wails from Kearney that drive the song’s point home in the song’s latter portion.

“Long Division” follows, with those horns again that are used so well on this record, supporting Kearney’s pleading voice, stressing the lyrics about algorithm-driven divisions while the song meanders pleasantly through some funky, bluesy instrumentation.

“11 Minutes” is the only song on the record to clock less than 4 minutes in length, but of course, the song’s title is not really about its length. Rather, as the opening lyrics “11 minutes in space” clarify, it’s a reference to Katy Perry’s 2025 space “adventure,” and yeah, it’s a critical reference to performative activism in place of actual, meaningful contributions. The song itself builds on a musical base of pianowork, designed almost specifically to enhance Kearney’s vocal delivery, driving home the song’s grievances in a very jazz-clubby, riffing style. Of course, the way the music highlights the lyrics on “11 Minutes” also brings to mind a Broadway performance. It’s a really cool, stylish performance and delivery.

“Burn Me Down” brings back the horns and the funk, and while it has some really smooth grooves – vocally and musically – it also sports the most musical dissonance on the record, as its horn pop-ins coincide with some aggressive percussion and bass. It’s really cool, especially as a slight change of pace from the rest of the disc.

“Burn Me Down” ideally sets up the next song, “Just in the Neighborhood,” whose horns, organ, and underlying rhythm come across all the more playful in contrast with the preceding number. Of course, don’t let the mood and the tempo of the song fool you; it’s a soulful, bluesy groove highlighting the downsides of gentrification. It’s as I wrote earlier, listen to the lyrics! But oh, man, what a cool, smooth delivery; even with your brain turned off, it makes for a great listen!

Kearney closes the record with the title track, “Gas Station Poet.” It’s a drawn-out, soulful, bluesy number, lightly instrumented and primarily featuring Jen’s voice as its guiding light. It’s one of those close-your-eyes-and-listen songs, in which you’ll maybe sway a little and enjoy as the five minutes simultaneously last forever and end too soon, closing with the repeat fadeout lyrics of “I guess I still believe in love.” It’ll leave you sighing contentedly when it’s over, ending an album listen that’s time well spent, at least if you’re a music fan. (And if you’re not a music fan, what are you even doing here?!)

In the end, though you’ll generally find me listening to this record beginning to end because it’s such an outstanding collection, if I were to choose just two or three songs for a quick listen… well, they’d change based on my mood, of course, but probably most often they’d be the big single “Long Division,” the album-opener “The Auctioneer,” and the playful “Just in the Neighborhood.” That’s because I always like a little tempo. There are a couple slow grooves that’d top the list if I was in that mood. But hey, choose your own faves. A listen to Jen Kearney’s Gas Station Poet is guaranteed to be time well spent.

Looking Ahead

This record also makes clear that a Jen Kearney performance is likely to be a top-tier event. She’s a bigtime talent, and finding artists like this whose shows are still in smaller venues and more affordable is one of the very best reasons to get to know who the top-shelf artists are in your local and regional music scenes. According to the “Shows” page of Kearney’s website, she’ll be at the Lizard Lounge in Cambridge, MA on June 26th, performing in Portsmouth, NH and Cambridge, MA in the back half of July, and has a full-band show (I always love full-band concerts!) on August 20th in Medford, MA – a free concert at Medford’s Condon Shell. Of course, check back at Kearney’s website for new shows as they’re added, and follow her on Instagram and/or Facebook to see her latest news and announcements.

 

Album Review: BlitZ – Rock City Symphony

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image courtesy of BlitZ

Album Review of BlitZ: Rock City Symphony

You’ve read about BlitZ here before, so you know these guys rock! Last year, I reviewed the band’s Kicking Up a Storm album; well, they’re back and rockin’ as hard as ever with Rock City Symphony. The band is a blast from the past – ’80s-style guitar rock, for the most part, with powerful, almost-always-on-10 vocals that are as important to the songs’ enthusiastic delivery as the dynamic guitarwork.

This Nottingham-based throwback melodic metal outfit is comprised of Stuart Corden (vocals, bass), Kevin Simpson (guitar, keyboards, piano, backing vocals), and Mat Davis (drums, vocals). The trio’s latest full-length release isn’t just a feast for the ears. No, it also comes with an 11-page color comic book that tells the story behind Rock City Symphony. So, you know, multimedia, but the old-school kind.

photo courtesy of BlitZ

Musically, Corden’s voice reminds me of an amalgam of ’80s rock voices, but repeatedly in the band’s songs on this album I hear elements of Kix. I’m not suggesting soundalike vocals, but Corden’s voice has some of the same dynamic elements that made Steve Whiteman such a legendary frontman. Simpson’s axework, meanwhile, can shred, but more often it’s his nimble, tuneful guitar lines that carry the songs forward, slightly reminiscent of late ’80s/early ’90s guitar-driven rock bands like Trixter (especially the album tracks, a bit heavier than the hits but still hook-laden) and Sweet F.A. In any case, BlitZ’s sound is very familiar, but after a few listens, you realize it’s all their own.

Indeed, since I already knew the band, I immediately knew I was listening to a BlitZ record from the opening chords of the album-opening title track, “Rock City Symphony.” And if “Rock City Symphony” sets the album’s tone, then the opening funky hard rock lead-in to second track “Tear Down the Walls” establishes the fact that this band has a variety of influences. Despite a harsh wall of noise that ratchets things up early on, the song soon erupts into a bit of a sing/shout-along with a monster guitar hook that’ll reel in just about any listener.

Mostly fast-paced guitar rock songs follow. There’s “Hurricane,” on which I hear hints of Black ‘N Blue, and “The Score,” which sounds like something current kickass, classic-style, somewhat raw melodic hard rock band Dirtbag Republic might play.

photo courtesy of BlitZ

The album maintains its energy level following “The Score” with “Skin of Our Teeth” until finally slowing things down on “Vampires of the Dawn,” a somewhat hauntingly sparsely instrumented number apart from the build to power during the chorus and the bridge following the second chorus, which leads to a slow-paced, wailing guitar solo. The song’s power holds until the last minute, which is guided by soft piano. In your mind, you may picture a piano being played in a soft mist on the stage as “Vampires of the Dawn” fades out.

The mist dissipates quickly, though, as “Hollow Man” brings the energy and aggression back from its very first notes. It’s a ragged and distorted heavy rock anthem for hollow men (“I was born in a lab, cloned from a rat”), and it sports a really cool blistering axe solo whose intricacy belies the song’s blunt-force heaviness.

“Anti Hero” brings forth a little bit of a heavy prog, storytelling edge, with exactly the sort of rhythm and heavily floating wall of guitar you’d expect to find in progressive-influenced heavy rock songs about fantasy worlds with dragons. Or, perhaps, Norse mythology.

photo courtesy of BlitZ

Put a pin in that thought, though, as “Song 4 Life” is a catchy-af song that blends pop-punk enthusiasm, particularly in the fun chorus, with an old-school Sunset Strip vocal and lyrical vibe. Yes, this one’s probably going get some repeat-play action on your (and my) playlist!

Now, back to that pin. BlitZ goes full-on heavy theatrical with Rock City Symphony‘s penultimate track. Seriously, the opening voice-over could be something a dungeon master might spout at the beginning of a quest, at least if they were a dramatic DM who valued high production value. The song itself mixes ultra-heavy verses that feature the closest to a heavy metal death growl you’ll find on the record with a chorus of “we ride to Valhalla for vengeance” that’s the next-heaviest thing on this record but comes off as almost soaring compared with the verses. Indeed, it’s the polar opposite of the preceding track.

The album closes with “Kick It Up,” a song that could be the featured anthem on any ’70s (or early ’80s) straight-ahead hard rock disc.

Rock City Symphony is a record that’ll give you whiplash. In a good way, if you enjoy when bands show their versatility, as BlitZ has done here. Old-school AOR fans will dig the bookends of “Rock City Symphony” and “Kick It Up,” while the band – as you see from my review – goes both much heavier and much lighter over the course of the record. My personal favorites are the title track, “Tear Down the Walls,” and “Song 4 Life,” but with the song-to-song variance on the disc, I’m sure you’ll have your own faves.

EP Review: Thool – Cwmcerwyn

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image courtesy of Unsung Hunger

EP Review of Thool: Cwmcerwyn (PRAH Recordings)

I enjoy music from a wide variety of musical style, but this is a subgenre that doesn’t grab me nearly as often as music from other categories. Sometimes there’s something special that can cross genre lines and reach fans of other styles; in this case, me. And when I hear something I really dig in a style I don’t often listen to, you know I’m gonna share it with you!

Thool is a longtime UK-based electronic music duo whose music is interesting, engaging, and structured with enough direction that it remains fresh throughout multiple listens. For me, that’s usually a key element if I’m going to really enjoy electronic music. The album Cwmcerwyn is an interesting instrumental electronic release – I mean, there are actually words occasionally, but they’re mostly unintelligible, always buried deep in the mix, and not really lyrics, so yeah, this is an instrumental album.

image courtesy of Unsung Hunger

Album-opener “Cwmcerwyn,” the title track, buzzes, thumps, and squeaks along, progressing through softer spots and more prominent rhythms to form a satisfying listen. It’s the EP’s longest track, clocking in at nearly 7 minutes, which I only really mention because longer songs can begin to feel repetitive, but again, “Cwmcerwyn” does not; rather, it takes an interesting, progressive journey. Meanwhile, as much as “Cwmcerwyn” is more meandering, second track “Gwin Priseli” is built upon a steadier, rather dancefloor-worthy beat. Indeed, this is a song I could imagine hearing thumping away at a nightclub.

Next, “Waun Maun” takes a more mid-tempo approach, though with some nifty sound effects late that might be a spaceship taking off. “Magellanic Gloom” has a funky bass rhythm underpinning its recurring beat and varied musical experimentation, which, again, isn’t unusual for electronic music, but Thool is great at varying it enough to maintain interest while still tying it together into a cohesive song, with each song notably different from the others. And the final track, “Helpful Realm,” while a little more grounded in a prominent rhythm than more soaring numbers, would still fall largely into that category, though it really seems to build toward the end, combining several interesting sound patterns. Basically, a cool way to end the EP.

On the whole, for those who like to dabble in a broad playlist but for whom electronic music isn’t a staple – well, that would include me – this could be a nice addition to your collection, something you’ll enjoy spinning when you’re in the mood. I won’t attempt to speak for hardcore fans of this genre, though I imagine if I’m drawn to the uniqueness of Thool’s Cwmcerwyn, perhaps you’ll find it interesting, original, and unique, too.

 

Album Review: Namedroppers – Cool Blue Shoes

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image courtesy of the Namedroppers

Album Review of Namedroppers: Cool Blue Shoes

There’s something about the Namedroppers‘ brand of blues. Despite the band’s ragged, emotional vocals, there’s a lightness that bring joy with the blues. If that’s your style of blues – blues as therapy rather than downtrodden commiseration – then the Name Droppers are a band you oughta know.

I reviewed the band’s last disc, Starshine, and now I’m giving Cool Blue Shoes a spin. As expected, Cool Blue Shoes is a collection of Namedroppers-style potential new favorites. The new album showcases the band’s broad-based talent, delivering a fun collection of new music, Namedroppers styled!

“Killing Floor” opens the record with a rhythm you’ll recognize quickly as the Namedroppers if you’ve heard their previous records. It’s a loose, soulful style of laid-back blues, and there’s just something about the music and vocal style that lets you know it’s gotta be the Namedroppers; it can’t be anyone else. Indeed, all the elements sound familiar, but the band has carved out its own signature sound, something few bands can do. As such – a tune that clearly identifies the band – it’s a great disc opener. “Cool Blue Shoes,” next, still has that hint of a herky-jerky rhythm but leans into its instruments’ repeated patterns just a little heavier.

“Be Alright” is a big-stage performance number, with plenty of background vocals and an uplifting rhythm. The song sports a kind of a blues meets soul meets ’70s rock vibe. You can almost see the greens, browns, oranges, and goldenrods of the ’70s if you close your eyes and listen to the funky guitarwork.

“Keep Pushin'” combines a George Thorogood-esque guitar crunch with some serious ivory-tickling and a fast tempo.

“That’s the Way My Love Is” is a bit of a late ’70s/early ’80s laid-back distorted rocker, the sort that would be reminiscent of the summer of love in a style that’d likely place it a little more than a decade later. It’s a pretty cool number in that it shows the band’s range, falling a little farther than usual on the straight-up rock ‘n roll fringe of the band’s blues style, though still clearly being a Namedroppers tune. “Hard Way,” too, leans old-school rock, with sixties-style vocal harmonies and organ-style keywork setting the stage for a very cool, very bluesy blues-rock guitar solo. It’s followed by a rocked-up, modernly-stylized version of Willie Dixon’s “I Cry For You.”

A fun, energetic, kinda silly “Think Yiddish” – playing on the phrase “think yiddish, dress British” – follows, dropping in a brief “hava nagila,” while also serving as a vehicle for a nifty keyboard solo, all delivered with some typically ragged, cool Bobby T vocals.

The album’s second-to-last song, “Yes I Will,” carries the spirits of ’50s-style rock ‘n roll, with an almost Chuck Berry-ish guitar riff, maybe a little Chubby Checker style in the song’s rhythm and its rockin’ blues.

Then Cool Blue Shoes closes with the slowly swaying, spoken-over-doo-wop “Out of This Blue.”

In all, Cool Blue Shoes is a solid blues record with forays into adjacent styles that showcase the Namedroppers broad range while also providing a fun disc whose variety – all containing the Namedroppers’ cohesive, identifiable sound – make for an interesting listen, an enjoyable follow-up to Starshine.

Looking Ahead

Well, you won’t have to look far ahead to find the Namedroppers’ next album. Let’s Live Together is scheduled for a June 12th release. That’s next week! I, for one, look forward to more music that, I have no doubt, is gonna be a welcome addition to my playlist.

Album Review: The Peppermint Kicks – Pop Rocks in My Chewing Gum

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photo courtesy of the Peppermint Kicks via Knyvet

Album Review of The Peppermint Kicks: Pop Rocks in My Chewing Gum (Rum Bar Records)

The Peppermint Kicks are Boston duo Sal Baglio (The Amplifier Heads, The Stompers) and Dan Kopko (The Shang Hi Los, Watts), who according to the credits both seem to play the same instruments – so I guess it varies by song – though only Kopko is listed as playing bass. They’re also accompanied by a trio of top drummers, varying by song: Kevin Rapillo, Chris Anzalone, and Napoleon Hashimoto.

The Peppermint Kicks’ Pop Rocks in My Chewing Gum is modern pop-rock with its roots firmly in the early days of rock and roll, carrying a ’50s/’60s Dick Clark’s American Bandstand vibe throughout the record, though to be fair, the same stylistic elements were popular in pop-rock music as late as the ’80s, so the Peppermint Kicks’ musical style is actually pretty timeless. The result of the band’s latest recording session, Pop Rocks in My Chewing Gum, is a fun, imaginative, rockin’ romp centered around this type of timeless rock ‘n roll. The biggest modernization is some of the wildly raucous guitarwork, so yeah, this isn’t throwback music, but it is throwback-inspired. Smash Mouth did the same sort of things on a few songs of their Astro Lounge album, though not exactly the same way. (They’re different bands, after all.) But Smash Mouth’s “Diggin’ Your Scene” and, to a little lesser extent, “Who’s There” and “Radio,” carry the same sort of throwback vibe you’ll find on this record. As for a comparable band with a longer run as a major act, this is the sort of sound you’ll hear from Cheap Trick from time to time, too. The Peppermint Kicks also seem to infuse a punk rock energy into these songs, certainly moreso than any of the comparison bands I’ve mentioned.

image courtesy of Knyvet

The first track, and the first single from the album, so I’ve been listening to it the longest, “Radio Wam Bam Boom” is probably my favorite song on the album. Not by much, mind you. But the quick-starting throwback energy, the old-school city callouts, and the brief radio DJ interjections all combine to make for a fun romp (there’s that word again!) that makes it an ideal first single, concert-opener, or otherwise first exposure to the Peppermint Kicks.

“Too Sweet (Oh Yeah)” follows as an equally fun number – sometimes this is my favorite on the album! – with a little slower tempo and a sound and lyrical tempo that recalls The Archies’ “Sugar, Sugar,” though the Peppermint Kicks are much faster-tempoed and harder-rockin’, so consider that a stylistic comparison, not a “sounds-like” one (because I’m not puttin’ an Archies song on my personal playlist, but this one’s absolutely getting added). Still, you get similar feels. Listen, too, for the album title in the lyrics, as “Too Sweet (Oh Yeah)” is where that line resides.

“Number One Record” has a little more distortion in the main guitar lick, and it carries more modern alt-rock influences than I’ve led you to expect from my overarching overview of this record’s sound. “Number One Record” could’ve blended into pop-rock radio rather seamlessly in the ’90s or ’00s. Again, as is the case throughout the album, this song has a timeless sound, but those are the decades I feel it would have been less conspicuous on radio playlists.

“Little Doll (Picola Pupa)” infuses the Peppermint Kicks’ sound with the most punk rock energy in this collection of songs, with a rougher, edgier vocals and more ragged guitars than on any of the previous tracks.

“Shangri La” slows things down and gives me the strongest semi-balladic Cheap Trick vibes on the record. “Lollipop Girl,” next, reminds me of what you’d get in this musical style if you had someone from ELO as a cowriter. (Jeff Lynne wasn’t involved in this project, was he?) “Out of the Trashcan and Into Your Heart,” next, returns to a more pure throwback style, replete with “oo-oo”-ing, though with some inspired lyrics.

Next, the Peppermint Kicks take on retro animation with a pair of ’60s cartoon-themed numbers – the boomingly campy “Gigantor” and the equally throwback (but no, not quite as campy) “Speed Racer.”

“We Did It All For Rock and Roll” is the penultimate track – or the final song, depending on how you look at it. This tune is the one that recalls the Beatles more than any other on the record, swaying along pleasantly, sung tunefully, and with a feeling of big, wide-open rock ‘n roll spaces.

And what did I mean about “depending on how you look at it”? Well, the album’s final track is “Tout Fait,” which is really just a 44 second-long tinny fadeout of “We Did It All For Rock and Roll.” So, you know, another track but not really another song.

Beginning to end, Pop Rocks in My Chewing Gum is a fun listen with a nostalgic-feeling, pop-friendly rock ‘n roll style. If that’s your vibe, this is your kind of album. And if that isn’t your vibe, I have just one question for you: Are you allergic to fun? If not, perhaps reconsider.