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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.

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!