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Album Review: Adam Sherman Band – Sorrows and Smiles

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photo by Carissa Johnson; photo courtesy of Knyvet

Album Review of Adam Sherman Band: Sorrows and Smiles

Adam Sherman is a modern rock ‘n roll crooner. That’s all there is to it. His songs on Sorrows and Smiles are singer-songwriter fare with rock ‘n roll instrumentation and a throwback, ’50s or ’60s teen idol delivery style. Sherman’s voice is rich yet edgy, and it’s compelling to such an extent that choosing whether or not to listen really isn’t a choice, it’s compulsion. The songs – particularly, Adam’s voice – command your attention. And Sherman’s bandmates provide just the right pop-friendly rock ‘n roll sonic backdrop to highlight his vocal talents.

The Adam Sherman Band, appearing on this record, is comprised of Adam Sherman (vocals, guitar), Kelly Jean Knapp (vocals), Peter Hoffman (guitar), Dinty Child (mandolin), Jeff Song (bass), Chris Michaels (drums), and Tom West (keyboards, accordion).

art and design by Adam Sherman; image courtesy of Knyvet

On the Adam Sherman Band’s new album, Sorrows and Smiles, “Everyday Dangers” provides a catchy kickoff. The song’s modest tempo helps contain the exuberant energy when Sherman leaps into the danger descriptor “everyday!” From beginning to end, the song is a bob-along rock journey.

Perhaps the bluesiest song on the record, “Greyhound” reminds me of a bit of a George Thorogood number. It’s an attitude-filled blues-rocker from the point of a literal greyhound. And that only makes the song that much cooler. By the middle of the song, I really do believe Sherman is greyhound.

“Long Fall Down”, next, is the first markedly Americana number on the record, leaning into the soulful crooning that allows Sherman to cross over between the Americana and rock world. I also notice hints of Elvis, notable Adam’s “I… can’t… take… that” gives shades of Elvis’ “I can’t help falling in love with you.”

photo by Michael O’Connor Marotta; photo courtesy of Knyvet

“Talk to You,” next, is a softer, melancholy crooner of a number. It’s followed by “Miles,” with twangy slack guitar strums that catch your attention while sitting atop a rich music bed.

Additionally, raucous howler “Gone Wrong” stands out in contrast with much the rest of the disc, an energetic, guitar riff-filled almost rockabilly-meets-rock number in which Sherman’s voice is at its most insistent. Meanwhile “In the Shadows” is a classic guitar-driven soft rocker that belongs in my collection alongside Martin Briley’s and John Waite’s ’00s/’10s work.

Finally, the record closes with “We’ll Never Know,” a softly-strummed, suitable album-ender. Lyrically and stylistically, the song is quiet and introspective, beginning to end. You know I like it when artists structure their album this way, with a song to settle the listener down calmly to close the record. And, with this thoughtful final song, the Adam Sherman Band does just that.

Simply put, Adam Sherman is an old-school, guitar-driven, soft pop/rock matinee idol type of singer. Sorrows and Smiles is a broad appeal album, one pop and pop-rock fans will enjoy for its tunefulness, while harder rockers will own and enjoy the album but may deny it because it’s too mellow and sentimental to be cool among their crowd. Now, if any of the people I described sounds like you, welcome to the next album you’ll want to add to your collection.

Album Review: Marina V – Labyrinthine Rose

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photo by Chris Jensen; photo courtesy of Marina V

Album Review of Marina V: Labyrinthine Rose

It has been way too long since I’ve written about Marina V. Longtime blog readers know about her amazing talent – and you’re all fans now, right? – but she keeps recording and releasing great new music, including her recent, powerful studio album Labyrinthine Rose. Most people have probably heard Marina V sing somewhere without realizing it – she’s placed several songs in TV shows and movies – so even if you don’t know that you’ve ever heard her before, you’re probably really already halfway to being a fan. Trust me, one listen to Labyrinthine Rose will push you over the top, seal the deal, drive it home. Choose your figure of speech.

Now, Marina has a trademark sound. Her strong yet soft-touch, often sultry, vocals atop a flowing musical backdrop. It sounds so simple, and yet her specific delivery is something no one else can quite match, which is why she has a cadre of exceptionally loyal fans. It’s the way she strings together phrases, changing tempo and emotion atop a flowing, often somewhat orchestral musical backdrop. When on a Marina V music binge, it becomes easy to forget that, while most of Marina’s songs are so stylistically cohesive, they stand out as incredibly unique when part of a multi-artist playlist. She really is one of a kind.

Of course, even just among songs in Marina’s trademark style, the unique tempos, lyrical messages, and nuances in the songs make each stand out. Within and beyond Marina’s core style, she also frequently breaks out of her musical comfort zone, exploring a variety of influences and songwriting and performance techniques, stretching and challenging herself rather than “merely” sticking to her easily identifiable soaring vocals and smooth pianowork – a helluva fine comfort zone to begin with, I might add. Indeed, many of my favorite Marina V songs are the ones where she blends disparate musical influences, including pop, rock, and metal elements, with her central soft pop-rock style. Her soaring numbers are so good, but unlike so many of the other best soft pop-rock balladeers, Marina is far from a one-note – or one-tempo – artist.

image courtesy of Marina V

It seems I’m 350 words into this review, and all I’ve mentioned about Marina’s new album is its title, so I’ll stop hyping one of my favorite artists – the artist I reviewed as article number five in the nine-part “The Road Back to Music Journalism” series I wrote to launch the blog back in 2015, I might add – and tell you about her latest studio album, Labyrinthine Rose.

Marina starts things off gently with piano and a naked vocal on the album-opening title track before the full instrumentation kicks in. “Labyrinthine Rose” slowly builds until you realize you’re in the midst of, musically, a richly orchestrated number and, lyrically, a powerful metaphor, as you’ve been distracted the whole time by the soft, sometimes breathy vocals’ slow build. It’s pretty cool sequencing of musical elements, building from nothing to power through most of the last portion of the song, each build setting you up for the next one.

“Symphony & Metal” also starts out with a similar piano and vocal opening, but it builds into a much more rockin’ onslaught relatively early in the song, as you might expect with rock legends Bruce Kulick (guitar) and David Ellefson (bass) being featured on this song. Listen, in fact, for Kulick’s kickass late-song solo, but also how well it and the song overall integrate with Marina’s always-amazing pianowork. In any case, remember what I wrote about Marina’s versatility? Yeah, this is a classic metal ballad. You know, a little faster-paced than you’d expect a ballad to be, but it has a little softer touch than the heavier songs, with a comparatively slower tempo and a guitar solo – heck, always a guitar solo – so when we were young, we’d slow-dance to it anyway. What about now? Well, there’s no age at which you can’t slow-dance to a classic metal ballad.

photo by Don Adkins; photo courtesy of Marina V

“Morning Light,” next, is a truer ballad. Or slow song, anyway. It’s thoughtful, with musical tension-building sequences that make the whole song seem as uneasy and tense as it is soaringly beautiful. Then “Daughter Song” follows, a song I suspect all mothers can relate to, while the rest of us can simply enjoy the swaying tempo, nifty swirling pianowork, and heartfelt vocals in this orchestrally sweeping slow ballad.

“Ready to Live Again,” next, is a song that bursts forth, a song that, while Marina wrote it from a place of specific personal experience, is one many of us can probably relate to, at least from a broader perspective, as we relate it to places and times in our own lives. I find the key line in the chorus – essentially, the song’s title – to be a particularly powerful, self-motivating lyric, especially thanks to the assertiveness Marina delivers it with. “If I Fade Away” is another ballad, this one a bit more haunting and, of course, no less beautiful because that’s just how Marina V ballads are.

photo by Chris Jensen; photo courtesy of Marina V

“Shine Again (It Gets Better)” starts from a low place emotionally with the appropriately subdued vocals and music, both of which build alongside the song’s lyrical encouragement. Marina even mentions in her song notes that it’s a song of encouragement for her, personally, that helps her power through tough times. Clearly, that’s lyrically true, but it’s also true musically, as the song marches forward, with increasingly uplifting tone and tempo. Not that I’m ever surprised, but Marina’s songwriting nuances are still something to marvel at sometimes.

“Minute in Time” is another one of those richly instrumented, rising ballads that’ll strike a chord with a segment of her audience, highlighting living in the now. Also, among the songs in this collection, it features some of the clearest instances of Marina nailing noticeably higher notes, making the delivery as impressive as the songwriting.

Marina does a great job of expressing darkness – or, at least, forebodingness (it’s a word if I say it is!) – in her pianowork. Indeed, does just that on “Never Let Go of Hope,” written as a theme song for Bill Adler’s sci-fi short story, Sakura Petals. I mean, the opening lyrics are “The lightning strikes across the skies. The earth, it growls before it dies.” So yeah, that’s pretty dark. Yet the song evolves into a message encouraging hope. There are a lot of soft-touch vocals and twinkling keyboardwork in the song, but the headline story here is the major builds to power, softening in places, yet always pushing higher and more powerful with each new verse, landing softly with the final lyrics, “never let go of hope.” I’m inclined now to read the short story, with the assumption that the song may hit even harder if I know the plot.

photo by Angel Gomez; photo courtesy of Marina V

Though so many of Marina’s song topics are thoughtful and heavy, some of them are instead thoughtful and light. “My Impossible” is one of those happier numbers. I mean, it’s not entirely bereft of struggles. Rather, it’s about achieving one’s dreams; in this case, it’s an ode to the love of the singer’s life helping encourage and inspire her to achieve her dreams. It’s a terrifically uplifting song, inspiring and joyful, one of my favorites on this record.

The penultimate song is a Russian-language number, “Птица Счастья/Bird of Happiness,” and while it’s sweet and beautiful – soaring with vocals mostly just supported by Marina’s painowork – if you read the liner notes about this Russian-Ukranian song, you’ll tear up at what it means personally to Marina when she performs it.

Marina closes the record with another deeply personal song, “Particles in the Air,” a song written for her late father, encompassing both the emotions of his passing and the idea that he may still be there when needed in the “particles in the air.” Indeed, I’m usually sniffling a little by the time this song ends, it’s so touchingly performed and carries a concept I want to believe is true about my own father. And with that, whew! It’s a powerful record!

To circle back to my initial comments, though, Labyrinthine Rose is similar to but different than Marina’s preceding releases. Like all great artists, it’s another step in a lifelong musical evolution. While, as a pianist, Marina maintains the keys as the core of the songs on this album, full symphonic arrangements are much more prominent on Labyrinthine Rose than in Marina’s prior work (or at least much more noticeable, since I’m going on memory, but that’s impression they’ve made upon me), perhaps most of all on “Symphony & Metal.” Indeed, as is so often the case for the best albums, there’s a cohesive thread throughout, an ebb and flow from song to song, enough variety to keep the listener enraptured from beginning to end, and an evolutionary step forward for the artist. Obviously, Marina’s biggest fans have all already have this record memorized. But if you’ve enjoyed her music in the past, it’s time to check back in. And if you haven’t heard Marina V’s music before, well, you’re in for a real treat!

But wait, there’s more!

Marina is about to release another new album, One Take, a recorded-in-one-take album of songs spanning Marina’s career, with a limited run of just 100 CDs and 100 vinyl records. The vinyl is available via Marina’s online store, here, where Marina also shares a little of the album’s backstory. CDs of One Take are available from this website.

Album Review: Neale Eckstein – Build Our Dreams

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image courtesy of Broken Jukebox Media

Album Review of Neale Eckstein: Build Our Dreams

Singer-songwriter Neale Eckstein has been a fixture in the Boston area music scene for years, primarily recording other artists in his studio, but he only recently began releasing his own albums. Build Our Dreams‘ release earlier this year followed the late 2024 release of Never Too Late, which I reviewed last year. Neale’s work as a recording artist has been recognized, too; 2026 marks the second consecutive year he has been nominated in the New England Music Awards‘ Songwriter of the Year category.

Neale has a knack for storytelling. So much so that it’s hard to tell which of his songs’ stories are his own. Clearly, he’s drawing on emotions from his own experiences, but the experiences in his story-songs are too varied to have all belonged to a single person. Some songs, in particular, it’s interesting to wonder how and where Neale found his inspiration because his rough, ragged, folky storyteller’s voice and first-person songwriting style are so convincing.

The entire album is touching and heartfelt, and you’ll discover your own favorites. These are a few of mine:

“Always Been Older Than Me,” a cowrite with Dan Navarro, is a song about a young man with an old soul and a musician’s dream. The song is lively for such a slow swayer, and Neale’s gravelly voice is a bit punchier in all the right places to deliver the emotion.

“All the Little Things” is a detail-filled love song Neale wrote for his wife, Laurie, that needs no extra motivation for Neale to deliver it so convincingly. Musically, it’s Steve Lewis’ pedal steel work that adds a special nostalgic twang to the song.

Neale’s version of Kris Kristofferson’s “Help Me Make It Through the Night” is the only cover on the record. With Sophie Buskin’s harmony vocals joining Neale’s in key passages, Neale delivered this classic in his own style. If you had not heard the original – impossible, I know – you’d never know it wasn’t one of Neale’s originals, it fits so well with the others. In any case, it’s interesting to hear this take of the Kristofferson classic.

A couple of the more touching songs on the record are “I Just Want to Talk to You” and album-ender “Mr. Ashe.” The ending of “I Just Want to Talk to You” is a little shocking, though the arrangement carries hints, as it’s a little foreboding. At least, it is in retrospect. Of course, after the first listen, it’s more obvious on repeat spins. “Mr. Ashe,” meanwhile, is an inspiring song, though told in the setting of the song’s namesake’s funeral.

Finally, since it’s getting to be that season soon enough, I wanted to close by calling out “Keep Christmas in Your Heart,” a heartfelt song for the season that Neale’s fan are sure to want to add to their holiday playlists.

The entire record is 11 songs long, and while I’ve listed my six favorites, I’m sure yours will differ. If you like gravelly old, sage-sounding storyteller folk songs, you’ll absolutely enjoy this collection – be sure to check out Neale Eckstein’s music, with Build Your Dreams an excellent place to start.

Album Review: Girl with a Hawk – Regenesis

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photo by Kelly Davidson; photo courtesy of Knyvet

Album Review of Girl with a Hawk: Regenesis (Rum Bar Records)

Two of the songs on Girl with a Hawk‘s Regenesis were part of my GWAH 3-singles review last year. But “Share It All” and “No One Like You” are joined by 7 other cool old-school rock numbers on this full-length release.

As on the singles, Linda Viens (lead vocals, electric guitar, acoustic guitar) is joined by Richard Lamphear (keyboards), Daniel Coughlin (guitars), Daniel George Bernfeld (bass), and Nancy Delaney (drums), a line-up whose tight working relationship helps deliver the cohesive sound that ties together this classic, rollicking, varied rock ‘n roll effort with all the musicianship of a strong collection of instrumentalists while maintaining the loose, jamming, raw vibe of a top-shelf garage band.

cover art by Carissa Johnson; image courtesy of Knyvet

The record kicks off with the steady, swaying “Way with Words,” a modest rockin’ complaint of a number that keeps things musically light even when the lyrics suggest annoyance, resulting in a fun disc-opener. (Apologies to those who walk by when I listen with headphones on, since there are a couple spots where I always sing along. I can’t seem to stop myself.)

It’s followed by perhaps the signature song on this record, “I’m in Love with My Friends,” a cheerfully reminiscent, uptempo number with a totally sing-along chorus. Locals will also dig the shout-out to favorite Cambridge live-music-and-drinkin’ spot the Plough and Stars.

“No One Like You,” part of last year’s GWAH singles review, slots in nicely in the third slot, keeping the energy lively and positive. Things then get a little more “real” on “The Fighter,” a thoughtful, dense-feeling, heavy power rocker.

The lightness returns immediately on the pleasantly melodic “Share It All,” which was also part of last year’s review and remains one of my favorites on this record. It’s followed by “Full Moon,” an interesting, thumping amalgam that hides a thoughtful treatise on modern society within a moderately rueful relationship song that, musical, doesn’t change direction throughout the song, unique as part of this collection.

Girl with a Hawk slows things down with gravelly ballad “Beautiful Today.” A waltz, in fact. Very cool! “It’s the Way” follows, hinting at progressive rock influences during its opening before settling into a relatively GWAH-typical, steady rocker with harmonies, musical flourishes, a singalongable “woo hoo hoo,” and vocal and lyrical nuances to keep the attentive listener happily occupied for at least a few dozen listens.

Finally – and far too soon – Regenesis ends with another of my personal favorites, “Wasn’t It Just Yesterday,” an energetic, buzzy rockin’ ode to being a rocker, notably an aging rocker, noting “the only trouble is I forgot I’m getting old.” Young at heart, though. And cool af. Both this song and the life of a rocker.

And the album, Regenesis. If you’ve got a collection of ’70s/’80s rock albums, this belongs as one of your new classic entries. And I noticed Rum Bar is selling it on vinyl, too, if you’re so inclined. Just sayin’. It’s also worth getting to know these songs in preparation for seeing Girl with a Hawk perform them live, something I wholeheartedly recommend!

Album Review: D.C. Anderson – Songs Stay Sung

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image courtesy of D.C. Anderson

Album Review of D.C. Anderson: Songs Stay Sung

D.C. Anderson has a versatile, very showtune-styled performance style adeptly combined with a singer-songwriter’s sensibility and an uncanny ability to turn a phrase. That’s showcased repeatedly, in all its glory, on his most recent full-length album, Songs Stay Sung. Often, D.C.’s albums can be heavy, thoughtful, introspective – all reasons I’ve enjoyed and reviewed them. This one doesn’t stray far from his bailiwick, but it does contain some truly lighter moments. Song Stay Sung is, indeed, an exploration of songs that are… worth staying sung? OK, well, that’s a severely strained sentence, so let’s just say the album’s hella cool to listen to.

This album grabbed me right from the start with the uplifting-flavored “Oh Man,” a Harry Chapin-penned number that leaps to life with D.C.’s emphatic vocal performance atop playful strumming and picking, thanks to enthusiastic acoustic guitarwork from Gantt Kushner. It flows nicely into the piano-led old standard “The Very Thought Of You,” wherein D.C.’s voice soars and squeezes every ounce of style and tunefulness out of this classic favorite. David Robison’s impeccable pianowork combines with D.C.’s emotive delivery produce a rendition of this song that’ll find its way to my favorites playlist.

“Something in the Valley,” next, transports the listener to a backwoods town. D.C. notes the song originated from the Perch Creek Family Jug Band. I guess I have a new band to research, but this does sound like a jug band’s kinda song, and guitarist Kushner is joined by harmonica-player Rob Paparozzi, whose eerily haunting opening notes foreshadow what’s to come. D.C. delivers great big, powerful vocal bellows, as if into a “holler,” or perhaps the bellows holler into a dark, unsettlingly foggy valley. D.C.’s voice rattles in the ideal spots during the lyrics “I got shivers runnin’ up and down my spine” before shaking in audible fear, letting you know all is not right because “mama, there’s something in the valley tonight!”

photo courtesy of D.C. Anderson

Never fear, though. Apparently D.C. survived whatever was in the valley, because he lived to sing song number four, “The Touch of an Old Friend’s Hand.” This may sound odd, but the sparse guitar strumming and the first few lyrics remind me of Kermit singing the opening of “Rainbow Connection.” Indeed, even in a later lyric, “I’ll just singing songs about leaving,” I half-expect the last word of that phrase to be “rainbows.” Muppet comparisons aside, this is a thoughtful song, as D.C.’s slow-paced vocals and little bit of harmonica work combine with Kushner’s widely-spaced guitar strums to deliver a pleasantly heartfelt rendition of this sweet Guy Drollinger-penned number.

There’s a nifty little guitar flourish on “Time,” next, that causes lightness in what would otherwise be a heavy song, with D.C.’s theatrical vocals rising sharply to add well-placed intensity here and there throughout this cover from Jonatha Brooke’s 2014 album My Mother Has 4 Noses. Perhaps moreso than any other song on this record, it showcases the full spectrum of D.C.’s vocal capabilities, ranging from softness to extreme power and forcefulness.

“Oh, This Time,” next, is a D.C. cowrite, with D.C.’s lyrics paired with Matt Vinson’s music. Robison mans the piano on this number, while D.C. forcefully delivers his own words, which plumb the emotions of loss, providing, over the course of the song, glimpses of the wide range of emotions experienced during such a time. D.C. follows it with a rendition of Mary Chapin Carpenter’s “Between Here and Gone” that’s sensitive and graceful, supported well by Kushner’s patterned strumming, rising and falling with D.C.’s vocal power.

“Summons” is D.C.’s musical portrayal of a poem written by Aurora Levins Morales, a poem that carries a grandmother’s – or, rather, every grandmother’s – hope for piece. So yeah, this album does get deep and heavy. And it doesn’t stop there. “Promised Land” follows; it’s the Alan Chapman-penned song about a journey across the ocean hoping for a better life, a sentiment brought to life by the nooks and crannies of D.C.’s vocals, capturing the range of emotions while painting pictures that tell a story.

The mood gets lighter when D.C. takes on the playful Roy Zimmerman-penned “I Approve This Message,” which may carry a solid political message but is also frequently downright silly. If you’ve never heard D.C. perform a song like this, well, he’s a master. His voice can spin from serious to ridiculous on a dime, delivering just the right tone at the right time to tie the whole friggin’ thing together. This song is in most ways very different from “Pelican,” which I reviewed as part of my review of D.C.’s Believe, Breathe and Sing album, but, at least with respect to D.C.’s ability to provide the right tone to an otherwise ridiculous lyric, the two songs remind me a fair bit of each other.

Finally, D.C. closes the record with its title track, “Songs Stay Sung.” There’s a little feeling of an Irish dirge to this Zoe Mulford cover. Simultaneously dark and playful. A light ode to human impermanence, circling back to the lyric “love stays loved and songs stay sung.”

Indeed, this collection of songs stay sung. And enjoyably listened to. I’m a big fan of D.C.’s work as a recording artist, but this might be my favorite collection of his, at least the few albums I’ve listened to (and mostly reviewed) since I first encountered his music.

More Recently

image courtesy of D.C. Anderson

I had thought I might set aside Songs Stay Sung when I received my copy of D.C.’s next recording, the EP For Woody, which dropped just a few months later. But I really wanted to review Songs Stay Sung, so it remained the “feature” review, with For Woody relegated to a mere paragraph at the end here, certainly much less than it deserves. Regardless, here’s a quick overview of the EP. “For Woody,” you might guess, was inspired by Woody Guthrie. It’s the first of the five protest songs on this 5-song record, a disc comprised entirely of D.C. Anderson-penned lyrics, no covers. The rest of the songs are “Be Thou Our Vision,” “In Case I’m Disappeared,” “Twenty Twenty Six,” and “What a Time to Be Alive in America.” You can hear them all on the For Woody EP. They are also 5 of the 16 songs on D.C.’s “Songs for the Resistance” Spotify playlist, which you might enjoy if you’re looking for a larger collection of, as D.C. puts it, “songs for the resistance.”

 

Album Review: Florence Sommerville – Endless Horizon

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image courtesy of AFC Management & Publicity

Album Review of Florence Sommerville: Endless Horizon

Acclaimed young British country music artist Florence Sommerville shows her talent and range on Endless Horizon, her full-length album featuring 12 songs plus 4 CD-only bonus tracks.

Sommerville has a classic country vocal sound, sort of. Her style has a hint of folk-country storyteller but with the carefree energy of a Stevie Nicks. Coincidentally, one of the “bonus” songs on her CD is “Landslide,” so she clearly leans into that persona. It’s a sound that comes off as intimate but with the power to entertain a big crowd from a festival stage. In fact, I’ve noted on Sommerville’s Instagram – yes, I follow most of the artists I add to my review queue on one or more social media – that she’s been a big hit on the festival circuit in the UK this summer. What else have I noticed on Sommerville’s Insta? Well, Endless Horizon won UK Country Album of the Year at the UK Country Music Awards this month. So I’m in broad company when I tell you this is a must-hear record from a talented artist.

photo courtesy of AFC Management & Publicity

The record itself is a broadly-pleasing collection of appealing songs. Well-written, frequently storytelling. Many of them come from the voice of a free spirit, and Sommerville presents herself as someone who fits that persona. Several songs are sung from an American perspective, though there’s a mention of London on one track that befits a UK country-Americana artist like Sommerville. At the same time, she’s convincingly American where the song calls for it. Some songs are fresh and young, while others are backward-looking stories that are sung with the wisdom and from a perspective of someone well beyond Sommerville’s years. All that is to say, she’s a helluva performer, a great storyteller, and not at all bound by age or geography in her ability to spin a convincing yarn.

I have so many favorites on this record, I barely know where to start. At the beginning, I suppose. First song “(I’ll Be Your) Best Broken Heart,” which kicks off with a big, swaying sound and leans into the whole free spirit thing: “I’m all in for the moment. I’ll be the best thing you have going. Even when I leave a mark, I’ll be your best broken heart.” Add softly wailing soft rock guitar mini-runs in the bridges and verses, and you’ve got potential hit number one right at the start.

“Fearless” is a fun, rowdy number – lyrically, at least, more mid-tempo by tempo – that celebrates youth and bad decisions. Next track “Overton” is a poignant storytelling song that does that cool thing where it’s told in the third person until late in the song when the story turns first-person, prompting the thought of “Aha! It was you all along! I knew it!” Of course, Sommerville’s too young for this to be her first-person song, but you forget that, since the character in the song is convincingly much older, looking back.

photo courtesy of AFC Management & Publicity

“Broken Pieces,” next, has a fiesty honkytonk feel, one that’ll have you swaying in your seat or, almost certainly, paying rapt attention if seeing it performed live.

Next up, “California” is slower, more wistful, seemingly exhausted. And yet, when it gets to the chorus, hopeful. And the chorus reveals that the story behind the song takes the same journey as the song’s sound itself takes from verse to chorus, then starts over with the next verse, though slightly less wistful and perhaps a little more reminiscent that the first verse. And the cool chorus lyric that begins with “I would drive down to California” and ends with “finding me without you.” As with the album opener, there are spots for crying, wailing soft rock guitar, and it’s appropriately used mostly in the bridges at first, though seemingly throughout the song by the end. It’s a soft, smooth, and wickedly cool tune.

“Out Where the Love Grows” is a warm, proud proclamation of small-town life and, in particular, of one’s hometown. There’s a country bounce and twang, musically, to this most country of all country sentiments, a song subject that’s immensely popular among those country music fans who’ve grown up in small towns, whether they’ve stayed or left. Sommerville’s entry into this category is impeccable, by the way. No surprise there. Ideal for a county fair. Or a soft, intimate, moderate-tempoed moment on a big concert stage.

photo courtesy of AFC Management & Publicity

“Silly Little Things,” next, lightens things up. It’s not as if the preceding song had a heavy mood. Not at all. And it’s not as if this isn’t reminiscent; it most surely is. But somehow it’s still a little lighter, even though it’s about changing one’s life. Like so much of this album – and this exceptionally talented artist – the songs are straightforward and, at the same time, a contradiction. It’s a nifty, clever song, though, quite likely some people’s favorite from this album.

Some of the songs to this point have been thoughtful and a little heavy, but for the first time the songs get darker on “Forget the Water”: “No there ain’t no similarity. Your ever-changing personality. I don’t know if I can live this way much longer. Forget the water, there’s something in the whiskey.” It’s a song about the contradictions. Sad, wistful, thoughtful, a song with a slow pace and careful voice inflections that tell not just a story but the emotions behind the story. It’s not the first serious song on the record, but it’s the first hard-swallow, lump-in-your-throat number. Whew!

After that, some relief is needed, and Sommerville provides just such relief with the playfully cheerful sound of “Love Me Then.” Oh, the subject is of love unrequited, but it’s fun journey through a love-not-quite and one of my (many) favorite songs along this Endless Horizon.

“Boots in the Rain” is a thumping, very country-sounding twanger of a travellin’ song, a free-spirited view of enjoying life wherever country music takes you. Oh, and this is the one song that clearly references England rather than the U.S. – it contains the lyric “it’s cold here in London,” something I mention for no real reason other than I wrote about it earlier in the review.

photo courtesy of AFC Management & Publicity

“Molasses,” next, opens with an almost ominous guitar chord, and the song, both stylistically and musically, keeps the listener off-balance throughout. I keep hoping this song is somehow connected to the Great Molasses Flood of Boston, but, alas, no. Rather, it’s a haunting song whose style matches its well-crafted lyrics.

The the final song is “Cut and Run,” a warm, summery, hopeful song about a mismatched romance. And perhaps Sommerville in the role of the romantic with the “gypsy mind” is what starts the Stevie Nicks comparison. It is the last song on the album, so it’s a mental picture that endures. And it is a damn fun song. More likely, though, it sets the table for the comparison, allowing the bonus cover on Nicks’ “Landslide” to seal the deal.

As for it actually being Endless Horizon‘s final song, that’s only sometimes true. It’s the end of the digital album, but the CD contains four acoustic “bonus tracks.” And four very cool ones, too.

The first bonus track, “Whisky in the Morning,” is a wailer in which Sommerville’s voice rises, falls, and connects with the song’s character, a downtrodden man whose day starts with, you guessed it, whiskey in the morning. The song’s delivery really connects with the lyrics’ depression and hopelessness. But, you know, in an appealing way.

Bonus song two is the aforementioned “Landslide.” Sommerville sings it with all the requisite fragile vocal nuance, accompanied by a soft, sparse strum.

“Love Me Then,” next, is the only duplicate song in the collection, an acoustic version of one of my favorite electric tracks on the disc. The acoustic treatment adds a different feel to the song, to the point that I’m not sure which one is my favorite.

The CD version of the album then closes with some Guns N’ Roses. Yes, really. Somerville delivers a tremendous cover of GN’R’s “Sweet Child O’ Mine,” convincing making the case that it always should have been a country song.

I look forward to one day, I hope, catching a Florence Sommerville concert here in the States. She’s an exceptional talent, stylistically serving up music with the potential for broad appeal, with impressive songwriting and storytelling skills, and the performance presence of a country music industry veteran. If you’ve not yet heard of Sommerville, give this album a listen. You’ll be glad you did.

Album Review: Paul Sherry – Peace in Mind

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photo courtesy of Cobra Promotions

Album Review of Paul Sherry: Peace in Mind

The anguished rock ‘n roll voice of Paul Sherry. It’s a gravelly voice that conveys itself as weary but full of wisdom and sincerity. There are a handful of rockers out there who does this with the same gravitas Sherry carries, but there ain’t many, and it’s worth taking notice when you run across one of the few. In this case, Paul Sherry.

Last year, I reviewed an advance single from this record, “Fades,” and it’s still one of my favorites, thanks to its jangly rockin’ness, its coolly swaying tempo, and its descent (ascent) into raucousness as it heads into its fade. But let’s talk about some of the album’s other tracks, too, some of which have become new favorites.

You can almost divide the album into two halves. (“A” side and “B” side, anyone? Is Piece in Mind available on vinyl?) Disc-opener “Rise” kicks off a noisy, loud, grainy five-song bender, as each song features Sherry’s voice at its glass-garglingest, forcefully pounding skinswork, near constant guitar buzz, and the occasional nifty guitar run. Within that framework, though, each song has its own personality, and while the five-pack feels similar, and they all seem to be a well-fitted first half of the record, each has its own distinct character, providing the variance that keeps things interesting.

image courtesy of Cobra Promotions

“Rise,” for example, is a noisy, raucous rocker. “Peace in Mind” has a little slower pace, carves out some white space inside the wall of noise from time to time, and even sports the occasional tuneful noodling on the axe, all befitting the song’s lyrical introspection. “Show Your Love” has a warmer guitar buzz throughout than its neighboring numbers, as its “show your love right here before you go” lyric is repeated like a mantra atop a methodical, always-moving-forward heavy rhythm.

The steady nature of “Show Your Love” is an ideal set-up to one of my favorite songs on the record, “Soul Searching,” a jangly, grainy rock song that seems to be always lifting upward, providing a hopeful underpinning to the “soul searching” lyric, helped along by some “ooh-ooh” support vox in the bridges. It’s just a plain-ol’ cool, broad-appeal noisy rock song.

To be honest, though, I think “Feel the Glow” will be the most popular number among these first five, with a primary guitar riff that’s the most memorable on the record so far.

“Meditation Instrumental,” next, kicks off the “B” side, and it feels like a palate cleanser, like ginger if, in this metaphor, you consider the songs before and after to be sushi. The instrumental number has a jazz-like feel, or is perhaps more reminiscent of something you’d hear on progressive or experimental rock albums, with light guitarwork dancing across a synthetic buzz before the guitar sound increases in density, slowly building to a moderate intensity before fading toward the end. Again, it’s so unlike anything before or after on the album that it stands out for that reason alone.

photo courtesy of Cobra Promotions

Sherry stays mellow for a couple more songs. Well, one at least. “Here Lies the Way” comes across as a grainily, at least initially, plaintive plea before it builds in, well, I’d have to say confidence, if it were possible for a song to have confidence. Indeed, I’m sure it is confidence, at least to the extent its composer or creator can breathe that trait into a song. In this case, the song grows into its message of “Here Lies the Way.” It’s well-followed, both lyrically and musically, by “Serenity.” Indeed, the moderately uptempo rock ‘n roll swagger, tunefulness, and recurring cheerful guitar flourish help establish this as another of my personal favorites on the record, replete with a fun, late song, ’70s/’80s-style dancing guitar line. I wouldn’t say it’s exactly like a Dirty Guv’nahs song, but I’d stick it back to back on a playlist with some of the Dirty Guvs’ best.

“Fades,” next, is a song I was incredibly familiar with already before hearing Piece in Mind, since I reviewed it in the spring of 2025. It’s a fun, kickass, mid-tempo guitar-rock number, just as memorable as when I reviewed it more than a year ago.

The record closes with the fittingly-entitled “It’s All Over.” Even more fittingly, it includes the lyric “It’s all over. Start again.” The guitarwork absolutely drips hard-rockin’ blues, even as the rhythm section powers forward as if it’s a strict rock ‘n roll song. Put those elements together, and the resulting song is rockin’ and cool, a strong album-ender… unless, of course, it convinces you to “start again” from track one, in which case it ain’t over yet!

There’s a reason Paul Sherry is a decorated professional musician. His music is catchy. Sherry’s energy – and that of his music – is the sort that’s designed to absolutely rock a stage as small as a dive bar or as massive as a festival main stage. And Peace in Mind is a strong rock ‘n roll record. The music is electric and will leave you buzzing long after the album ends. Or, if it compels you to catch one of Sherry’s live shows, you’ll clearly be feeling the buzz long after the concert ends.

Album Review: Samantha Rae – The High Road

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photo courtesy of Samantha Rae

Album Review of Samantha Rae: The High Road

Samantha Rae had a big year last year. Just focusing locally and on last year, since the accolades have continued in 2026, she was the winner of the Country Artist of the Year award at the Boston Music Awards. She was also nominated for Country Artist of the Year by the New England Music Awards as well as the Nashville-based Josie Music Awards. Her album The High Road was nominated for Album of the Year at the New England Music Awards, and one of the songs on The High Road, “I See in You,” won the original song competition at the Williamsburg International Film & Music Competition. That was all well-earned acknowledgement of not just Samantha’s talent but also the talent of her co-writer, bandmate, and co-conspirator Jay DellIsola, as well as the impeccable quality of this record, The High Road.

Samantha Rae delivers a dozen catchy country ballads and rockers on The High Road, delivered in a modern sound that would play well alongside current hitmakers like Ella Langley and Ashley Cooke, and yet, without sacrificing that current sound, Samantha also serves up plenty of that old school sass and style reminiscent of icons like Dolly and Reba.

image courtesy of Samantha Rae

So what about this award-nominated album? Well, The High Road is every bit as top-shelf as its praises suggest. And that’s apparent from the very beginning. You know how sometimes the opening notes of an album instantly cause you to think, in that moment, “oh, this is gonna be good!”? Well, the cymbal strike and guitar strum at the beginning of disc-opener “Taking Me Down” is one of those moments. Very quickly, this song will have you swaying along, and screaming along with Samantha’s drawn-out “I… never had a prayer without you” and other “I…” lyrics. It’s not a fast-tempo number, but it’s absolutely energetic and very fun-country, kicking things off with good vibes.

The vibes turn more ominous – or, at least, the second song’s opening guitar notes do – as if foreshadowing what’s coming next, though the song is called “Gaslighter,” so its direction is not exactly a secret. And while the eerie tone persists in bridges and even parts of the verses, the chorus itself is empoweringly energetic, with the same sort of vibe that drives Carrie Underwood’s “Before He Cheats” or Meredith Brooks’ “Bitch.” Samantha displays the swagger to carry the “don’t mess with me” mantle, while the arrangement and instrumental performances are as big-stage and radio-ready as the vocals.

photo courtesy of Samantha Rae

It’s followed by perhaps the oddest song on the record, “Pinocchio.” The track’s an absolute attitude-filled banger. And it sounds like Pinocchio’s kind of a prick, which is a sentence I never expected to write. You’ve kind of gotta think this is one of those circumstances where the names have been changed to protect the innocent (or guilty) because the emotion behind the vocals is powerful. The lyrical choices are clever, leaning into references that only this character reference could produce. You’ll totally get into this tune, all the way to the end, as Samantha’s voice really soars during the song-closing lyrics “I’m wide awake, it’s your mistake that you let me go. Now I’m wide awake, it’s your mistake that you went so low. Oh, Pinocchio.”

“Want Me Back,” next, is an energetic and playful follow-up. Then “Burning in My Soul” follows, with its cool, mid-tempo country-bluesy vibe.

It’s a nice set-up for the album’s first full-on ballad, the memorably emotional “Where You Are.” Interestingly, something about the piano opening of “Where You Are” is vaguely reminiscent – to me, at least – of the opening measures of Motley Crue’s “Home Sweet Home.” Of course, other than the feeling in that short moment, this one’s a purely country ballad. “Where You Are” is one of those lump-in-your-throat numbers that causes the hair on your arms to stand up, with warm piano providing support but mostly leaving room for those vocals, crisply clear but with a rough, emotional edge, helped along by prominent violinwork that just adds to the song’s poignance.

photo courtesy of Samantha Rae

After that, deep sigh, whew! And time to bring the energy level back up. “143 (I Love You)” kicks off with guitar licks that recall Lonestar’s “Never Enders,” one of my favorite Lonestar songs, even though the title track from the band’s 2016 Never Enders never really gained much footing on country radio. In any case, “143” is as emotional as the record’s preceding track and a little reminiscent, but it’s both of those things packaged as a joyful, mid-tempo country rocker that’ll bring a quick smile to your face. It seems like a number that’d get a live audience bopping and swaying, likely a live favorite.

From there, the album veers back toward defiant spunkiness with another of those songs that sounds like it has an interesting story behind it, “I Only Cry in Trucks.” It’s a song that coolly calls out specific pick-up trucks – yeah, I know, very country but with a nifty spin. The song’s topic and its sassy energy, though, is focused more on the “only crying” part, with the trucks acting as supporting castmembers. There’s some fun fiddlework, a nifty pluckin’ guitar run, and, of course, Samantha’s insistent, powerful vocals driving this fun number.

Samantha Rae and Jay DellIsola; photo courtesy of Samantha Rae

“Back to You” follows, another mid-tempo emotional broad-appeal country rocker, with a really cool spot in the back half of the song where the music drops out and highlights a powerful Samantha Rae wail of “you give me all I need,” a musical turn that’ll make you stop and notice. “Therapy,” next, is another of those attitude-driven songs, replete with the warning, clearly not undeserved, of “I’m good where I’m at, but you’re gonna need therapy after that.”

The mood brightens on the disc’s penultimate track, “I See in You.” As much as the prior number was a warning, this mid-tempo country rock number is something a couple in love might play for each other, a song that may be a little lyrically sappy but is delivered in such a way that it’s simply not. Well-placed harmonies, engaging stop-starts, dynamic vocals that carry both power and nuance. And occasional singalong “ooh, la la la” backing vocals. Yeah, this is a wicked cool song.

The record ends with “Time.” Twelve whole songs, but the record still seems to end too soon. “Time,” however, is a soft, encouraging number with a message of hope that’s likely something most of us need from time to time. Ideally placed guitar twang and an empathetic vocal from Samantha that really seems to relate to the lyrics, it’s a nice, soft ending to The High Road, a pleasant, tuneful landing to an enjoyable 12-song flight.

As I mentioned at the beginning of the review, this album is well-deserving of all its accolades. Whether you’re a fan of new country or classic country, you’ll find a lot for your ears and emotions to love on The High Road.

Looking Ahead

You can catch Samantha Rae live, with shows at several New Hampshire and Massachusetts locations – many of those listed as “Samantha Rae & Jay acoustic” shows – currently listed on the “Tour” page of her website. Of course, check back for more shows as they’re added.

On the recording front, Samantha is currently finalizing work on a second album targeting a 2027 release, if I’m not mistaken. As teasers, two advance singles from that record, “Gone Fishin’ (For a Man)” and “My Life,” have already dropped. If those two tracks are any indication, there’s not gonna be a sophomore slump. So if you’re new to Samantha Rae, start with The High Road, and then join me in looking forward to the next full-length album, coming soon!

Album Review: Remnants – Strange Things Change Brings

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photo courtesy of Remnants

by Eric Harabadian, Contributing Blogger

Album Review of Remnants: Strange Things Change Brings

Remnants is a quartet based in Southeast Michigan that flips the concept of “alternative” right on its ear. This band brings a musicality and sophistication to the indie music scene that, in many ways, defies description. That’s not to say the members of Remnants are not effective communicators or difficult to understand. Far from it! They just bring so much to the table that when the listener takes the time and samples all from their musical buffet, one’s plate runneth over!

image courtesy of Remnants

Adam Quiroz, Nathan Adermatt, Jude Biggs, and Michael Ellerman II are the masterminds behind the nearly 80 minutes of audio nourishment that is before you. For those who like their rock with a little pop, folk, progressive, classical, and experimental elements, get ready for an adventurous and satisfying walk down the road less travelled.

The album opens appropriately with a track called “Intro.” It’s an instrumental piece featuring “additional musicians” that, actually, are integral to each and every track on this body of work. Violinist Colin Murphy, cellist Sara Gibson, flautist/saxophonist Paul Johannes, and percussionist Tom Arnett bring their “A” game to the overall sonic tapestry of this recording. “Intro” is cinematic, dynamic, symphonic, and has a relaxed folk feel that gently massages your senses. That’s followed by the Counting Crows-influenced “Kinda Like the World.” The track’s herky jerky rhythms matched with Murphy’s elaborate strings throughout creates an ebb and flow that is soulful and organic. “This Car’s Careening” is a mix of atmosphere and ambience. The blend of acoustic guitar and Wurlitzer-like keyboards summons a mystical and whimsical feel.

photo courtesy of Remnants

They present a somewhat poppier demeanor to the followup “Seeing’s Believing.” It spotlights strong hooks, light percussion, and a cool guitar figure that really stands out. “Burning Fire” flips the script once again, with its dreamy languid meters and odd guitar motifs. One of their signature tracks, “House Down by the Water,” keeps that progressive sensibility going, with dynamic sectional changes and a mix of dissonant and melodic sounds. “Interlude” takes a break from vocals as this instrumental piece dips into a darker tuning, almost musique concrete experimentalism. And then “Bargaining” comes right back and hits you squarely in the face, with saturated and scorching lead guitar work. Some light Manzarek-tinged keyboard textures add a tasty and unexpected touch to this track.

photo courtesy of Remnants

“The Being” features Alice in Chains-type tribal beats and complex sound design. Quiroz’s surreal vocals are an added delight. “The Road We Live On” is another live set favorite that gets an odd mix of acoustic elements and a Zappa-type feel. “Woebegone” highlights the violin and offers more of that chamber music ensemble vibe. “Let it Grow” continues in that vein and suggests the enigmatic brilliance of Jack Bruce’s solo work. “The Right Rig” is another dynamic piece that builds to an epic crescendo and finale. “Outro” appropriately takes things out as the album began, with an arrangement that is dreamy and orchestral.

Remnants are a young band that appears fully formed and seem to have found a unique voice amid a modern music sphere that is cluttered with tribute bands, copycats and wannabes. That said, this reviewer does not paint the current state of cultural affairs with a broadly negative brush, but pick up a copy or stream this band and judge for yourself. If you’re looking for a true alternative to all the pervasive noise that dominates the current narrative, look no further than these progressive musical stalwarts.

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.