Tag Archives: Album Review

EP Review: Blushface – EP

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Blushface

photo courtesy of Blushface

EP Review of Blushface: EP

Formed in Kraków, Poland in 2016, Blushface is comprised of Mateusz Bober, Michał Popiel and Maciek Iwański. The music created by this trio is exceptionally catchy rock and roll, making it a joy to get a chance to listen to this EP over and over while reviewing it. The music is impossible to pigeonhole further, though, because it crosses so many subgenre lines.

“Astral” kicks things off with a brooding, slightly grungy rock vocal, consistent beat, and straight-up rock attitude. A little 3 Doors Down-ish, on the slow side of mid-tempo, vocals a bit more rough-edged and with a clear, very cool accent. And the guitar solo in the latter half of the song is a great mid-tempo blues-based guitar rock segment. Even from the first few seconds, it’s apparent Blushface’s EP is going to be one of the better new albums you’ll discover this month. And it’s actually someone else the vocals remind me of – not exactly 3 Doors Down… or The Fray… or The Calling; I’m sure someone will think of the singer and mention him in the comments, even if the name continues to escape me, but I hear the voice in my mind. Still, that’s a pretty good list of bands whose fans might dig this tune, though you should expect something on the cusp of slow grunge.

Blushface - EP

image courtesy of Blushface

“Just Boy and Girl” is up next, and it opens with a cool, catchy rock guitar line before being joined by vocals, adding a dose of ’80s/’90s hard rock insistence to a song that’s a little jangly at times for typical hard rock but sports a crunchy riff that’ll satisfy rock fans while then dancing off into tuneful interludes for sections of the track. Indeed, like much of the album, this song almost feels like Scorpions-lite. In other words, it feels like the softest album you’d find among a collection of hard rock fans’ favorites. And it sounds as if a live performance will carry a bit more weight, too. Like a mid-tempo rock band the quality of whose vocal and axe chops give it serious street cred.

“Fairy Tales” mellows things out a bit, with strumming guitar offsetting the occasional dancing electric riff, the song eventually revealing itself as a lift-your-lighter arena rock ballad, replete with the crunching blues-rock-based guitar solo.

“YOLF” feels a lot like an ’80s guitar rock song. One of the more sparsely-produced ones, but unmistakably hooky ’80s guitar rock. Its totally cool vibe is supported by a driving beat and tunefully insistent vocals.

“Ask Me Twice” closes the disc with a catchy, hooky, lightly instrumented rocker. This one seems like a sing-along tune, supported by a playful guitar line that sometimes seems it would smirk if it could. It carries a lighter feel than the rest of the songs and sets the collection down softly with a smile.

Beginning-to-end, this is a fun five-song collection that could appeal to a broad range of rock fans. As noted, the guitar chops and occasional vocal power should be sufficient to earn a nod from hard rockers, while the hooks and tempo should appeal to pop and pop-rock fans. Indeed, this is a fun EP, and I urge you to give it a listen. Almost from the first spin, it became one of my favorite new discoveries this year; I’m glad the band reached out to me and introduced themselves and their music.

Album Review: Billy Crockett – Rabbit Hole

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Billy Crockett

photo by Rodney Bursiel; photo courtesy of Shock Ink

Album Review of Billy Crockett: Rabbit Hole

Billy Crockett opened the Kerrville Folk Festival’s main stage this year. He is widely revered within folk music circles. And, as I first discovered at a house concert in April and found confirmed by repeated listens to his newest album Rabbit Hole, he has as good a shot as anyone (and better than most) at making that leap into the broader public consciousness.

Billy Crockett - Rabbit Hole

image courtesy of Shock Ink

Billy’s voice is an original. It’s his calling card. It’s the perfect voice for a storyteller. While he often channels emotion via an exceptionally emotive vocalization a la Randy Newman, he does it with a voice that can be as smooth and able to hit big notes as Bob Halligan or Joshua Kadison. It’s a style that works well for him. I can picture Billy’s songs providing the narrative to a play or film, with Billy himself serving as the singing narrator. In fact, if there’s ever a remake of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, I’d nominate Billy Crockett for Burl Ives’ narrating snowman role.

With that in mind, Rabbit Hole is an engaging collection of folk paintings, with Billy’s voice serving as the paintbrush, or folk stories, as told by a master storyteller. And, though I hadn’t intended to mention each and every song when I initially planned this review, I found it impossible to leave even one out once I started composing the review, so here you go…

Billy Crockett

photo by Rodney Bursiel; photo courtesy of Shock Ink

The title track kicks things off in a carnival barker-ish style that’s an instant attention-grabber. Indeed, Billy’s narrating the story as an Alice in Wonderland-ish Mat Hatter exploring things rabbit hole-related. It’s a unique song, an interesting journey, a great way to kick things off.

“Record Player” follows, with guitar-slapping syncopation, an emotional voice, a cheery rhythm, and a healthy dose of nostalgia. As a standalone track, I think this one is my personal favorite.

Forboding vocals, as hinted at on “Rabbit Hole,” return full on “On Your Way,” as if Billy’s lead and the backing Gospel-blues wails are warning of a gathering storm. It’s followed by the thoughtful “Drought,” with Billy’s wistful vocals painting a picture of drought, aided by carefully picked strings portraying raindrops.

As Billy moves around the big tent of folk styles and incorporates other influences, “Take Me” sports a bit of a Jimmy Buffett vibe, cheerful, playful, and relaxed. And, in an act of wise song placement, it’s followed by a soft song in the same vein, relaxed and happy, the mellow, comfortable “Almost Perfect,” replete with reminiscences and of the fortunate results of opportunities foregone.

Billy Crockett

photo by Rodney Bursiel; photo courtesy of Shock Ink

“Spare Me” utilizes an accelerating and decelerating vocal tempo and sorrowful tone, along with sparse guitar strumming, to draw the listener closer and bring tears to the listener’s eyes. If you can withdraw yourself from the song’s emotion enough to examine it, the song structure is as interesting as its content.

Fortunately, Billy doesn’t leave the mood low for long, as “That’s Something” is the next song up. Impossible to stay down in the face of this song’s building wave of cheerfulness, as powered by its upbeat music, it’s an ode to small pleasures and the subtle things at which to marvel in everyday life, if someone’s eyes are open to them. Remaining upbeat, he follows that with “Mavis,” an uptempo, groovy ode to Mavis Staples (and to civil rights).

Next up is an homage to family he barely or never knew, those family members before his time, who he never met or merely crossed paths with as a young child. “Ghosts” is a softly-strummed, detailed, comfortable spoken-sung story-song that will bring a lump to your throat, even though the song is about complete strangers – well, not to Billy. And if you don’t get completely choked-up when his father arrives at his dinner of ghosts, you’re not human. Such a powerful song.

Billy Crockett

photo by Rodney Bursiel; photo courtesy of Shock Ink

The mood comes right back up with “Big Old World,” the album’s final track. Utilizing the one-phrase-flows-into-the-next vocal style, it’s a happy ditty encouraging exploration of the world outside, living life beyond your four walls. Indeed, after the roller coaster of emotions in Rabbit Hole, it’s a great one on which to end. Enjoy life because every day’s a gift. As is this album. Thanks, Billy.

Beginning to end, Rabbit Hole is a masterwork from a masterful singer and songwriter in the folk genre. So I’ll repeat that thanks to Billy for sharing it with the rest of us. Now it’s up to you, reader, to take a listen.

Looking Ahead

Well, if you can get out to see Billy Crockett perform live, you should. I saw him perform a couple months ago, as I reviewed in the Blog. He opened up the Kerrville Folk Festival as the first opening night performer on the main stage last month. At the time, I inquired of an old music industry friend in attendance if she’d be at his performance, and she replied “Of course. I wouldn’t miss Billy.” So don’t miss Billy.

At the moment, according to the “Shows” page on Billy’s website, he lists only six upcoming shows, the first more than a couple months away: Saturday, September 30 at Rolando Diaz Fine Art in Santa Fe, NM; Saturday, November 11th at Blue Sage Hall in Kerrville, TX; Sunday, November 12th at Kessler Theater in Dallas, TX; Saturday, November 18th at the Cactus Cafe in Austin, TX; Sunday, November, 19th at the Dosey Doe Big Barn in The Woodlands, TX; and Friday, March 9, 2018 (next spring!) at The Calgary Folk Club in Calgary, Alberta, sharing the bill with Perla Batalla. Check back to Billy’s website for more updates; he added three of those six shows between my first draft of this review and its publication date.

Album Review: Lucid Fly – Building Castles in Air

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Lucid Fly

photo courtesy of Head First Entertainment

Album Review of Lucid Fly: Building Castles in Air

Building Castles in Air is the fourth release from heavy progressive rockers Lucid Fly since 2005, but it’s the band’s first full-length release. Nikki Layne (vocals), Doug Mecca (guitarist), and Aaron Ficca (drums) combine their talents to create a powerful, weighty, brooding tour de force.

The album moves along at a slow tempo, as if weighed down by its heavy guitars and drums, carrying its power slowly and deliberately. Yet even with all of its weight, Lucid Fly finds the ability to soar, lifted at least in part by Nikki Layne’s rising, falling, soaring vocals, but also by the progressive nature of its instrumentation, able to reach exceptional heights without losing any strength and power.

Vocally, Nikki reminds me a lot of Rescue Aurora‘s Brittany Flynn. Though Lucid Fly is progressive heavy metal while now-defunct (and much less widely-known) Rescue Aurora was heavy alt-rock, the two bands’ penchant for powerfully deliberate tempos further amplifies their vocalists’ similarities.

Lucid Fly - Building Castles in Air

image courtesy of Head First Entertainment

Lucid Fly opens Building Castles in Air with “Billowy and Broken,” easing the listener into the band’s power with bits and pieces of unleashed fury displayed periodically, offset by an erstwhile mellowly soaring music bed and strong vocals, mixing softness with strength and power. By the end of the song, the shift has been made to power; a perfect entrée into the heavy progressive rock world that is Building Castles in Air.

Stylistically, this could easily be listened to as a mood-setting album, a work that creates a feeling, with individual songs being less important than the complete collection. It suggests the sort of band whose concert would be amazing simply because of an overriding sound, one that draws listeners in for that reason alone. Then, of course, after multiple listens, the songs begin to separate themselves, carve their individual identities, and favorites begin to emerge.

“Billowy and Broken” is one standout, and it’s followed by another, “Circles Into Squares,” with edgy vocals punctuating the powerfully atmospheric guitar line.

“No I in Voice” shares its power in a seemingly asymmetrical manner, as if the whole song is off-balance and about to topple over, atmospheric in parts, yielding to driving power via forceful drumming and a whirling, heavy guitar line. I never really quite groove along with the song, as it always seems a bit askew – very creatively interestingly so.

Lucid Fly

photo courtesy of Head First Entertainment

“Ribbons” would stand out by itself, but it serves the purpose of steadying the ship, as well, by immediately following “No I in Voice.” “Ribbons” hints at the same whirling guitar in spots, but it’s more of a straight-ahead, steadily-balanced, centered mid-tempo rock tune. One with pleasingly powerful vocals, occasionally soaring with the music, building in power and releasing during softer musical bridges.

Finally, the last song I’ll mention individually is “Next to Strange.” It has an incessantly driving rhythm with interestingly tempo-overriding vocals seeming to soar but actually just punctuating the song’s gentle intensity. This is, at least to me, quintessential progressive hard rock at its finest.

As a whole, Lucid Fly’s Building Castles in Air is an all-encompassing listen. It envelopes the listener with a slow but heavier-than-a-brick-wall progressive sound, as powerfully weighty as it is musically meanderingly progressive. Again, it almost seems odd to review the individual songs as the entire album is an entity, a terrific beginning-to-end listen. It also captures such power that I’m guessing Lucid Fly must most certainly deliver a blow-your-face-off live performance worth seeing… and feeling.

Album Review: Lindsey Luff – Lindsey Luff

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Lindsey Luff

photo by Dustin Cohen; photo courtesy of Lindsey Luff

by James Morris, Contributing Blogger

Album Review of Lindsey Luff: Lindsey Luff

This self-titled debut album from Lindsey Luff is hyper radio-friendly. I would go so far as to say it is an album full of singles. But there is so much more to this record than its glossy radio appeal. Get under the surface and you discover a deeper introspective worth. The singer has created an album to be proud of whilst candidly revealing a life of heartache and pain. These are raw emotions dressed up in such a well-presented musical package that it offers both passing radio play enjoyment and for the more discerning, a darker more rewarding experience.

“Music has been a really healing process for me,” says Lindsey. “I think this record is a story of the pain I’ve gone through in my life. It’s me processing that anger, and giving it a name and a face. It adds skin and bones to everything I’ve dealt with, and it makes it clear that those things don’t define me.”

Lindsey has an absorbing and plaintive voice; an intriguingly lazy drawl with a depth of world weariness. She puts it to good use in this revealing and beautifully concise 32-minute, 9-track album.

Lindsey Luff

cover design by Stephen Brayda; photo by Dustin Cohen; image courtesy of Lindsey Luff

There are some real standout moments here, plus a few tracks that happily grow on you. Opening track “Anything at All” is certainly a grower for me. After a few listens I found myself enjoying it more and more and liked the “Ticket to Ride” line which nicely referenced Lindsey’s childhood listening preferences.

Second song, “Until It’s True,” has a driving beat and bright sound that put me in mind of Fleetwood Mac and KT Tunstall, which also applies to the next track, “Remind Me,” which comes at you with a country pop kick and ultra catchy chorus. Could be my favourite track, but the more I listen, the more contenders there are. What a great dilemma to have.

“If You’re Leaving” starts slowly with a great drum groove (bit like Paul Simon’s “50 Ways To Leave Your Lover”), and I have to admit, although it highlights the sonic geek in me, I really enjoyed the drum sound on the album, especially the relaxed and airy bass drum. Musically the album is beautifully played and its level of understatement gives the songs lots of room to breathe. This is particularly prevalent in the next song, “Homecoming,” with its warm acoustic opening and delicate vocal.

Next up is “What I Wouldn’t Do.” There is something reminiscent in the intro of KD Lang. I could also imagine a later-life Roy Orbison singing this. Very solid stuff and, yet again, another very radio friendly track.

Lindsey Luff

photo by Dustin Cohen; photo courtesy of Lindsey Luff

Track 7, “Weathered,” has a wonderful 3/4 swing that works so well in creating a swaying folky vibe, underlined by a weaving Gaelic lilt.

Penultimate track is “Wishing Well,” a love song to Lindsey’s husband, longtime supporter and childhood sweetheart.

Final track “Those Days Are Gone” is a stripped-back affair, just voice and ukulele. It is a nice way to end, a moment of solitude that focuses you directly on the singer for a final thoughtful moment before enticing you to take another listen from the top.

The album was co-written with a small group of collaborators, including the Lone Bellow’s Brian Elmquist. A similar approach was taken in the recording, filling the studio with guests, including singer/songwriter Sandra McCracken.

I completely agree with Lindsey Luff’s own conclusion on the album where she states that the songs don’t overshadow the challenging circumstances that birthed them. This is well-constructed, classic songwriting that draws from the musical influences of her childhood. Classic pop-style melodies woven through an alt-country landscape. This is a musically polished work but with the rough edge of painful raw emotions left unchecked. In the wrong hands it could have sounded mawkish, but Lindsey’s painful lyrics are delivered so boldly and honestly that the experience is very real, engaging and highly listenable.

It has been a pleasure to discover Lindsey’s music through this album, which is available now for download and streaming. Discover more through her website, where you can keep an eye out for any live shows at www.lindseyluff.com.

EP Review: Nate Jones – Testing the Waters

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Nate Jones

photo by Jill Moninger; photo courtesy of Nate Jones

by Eric Harabadian, Contributing Blogger

EP Review of Nate Jones: Testing the Waters

This EP represents a nice cross-section of what you would get at a live Nate Jones show. He is a Detroit area singer-songwriter cut from the same cloth as artists like Jason Mraz, early John Mayer, and, even, classic James Taylor. No doubt a take-off on the local indie brew pubs and taverns Jones plays on a regular basis, the disc sleeve bears the stamp: “100% Genuine Craft Music; Made in Michigan.”

Nate Jones - Testing the Waters

image courtesy of Nate Jones

The dream-like ballad “Autumn Road” opens the disc and sets a romantic scene, with a vivid aural portrait suitable for framing. He begins with solo acoustic guitar lightly arpeggiated as he softly sings of a fall stroll—crunching leaves under foot—where two lovers are lost in each other. This is a great place to start as Jones immediately grabs your attention, with his graceful and engaging vocal style.

“Blonde in the Ballroom” follows and has a lilting and entrancing waltz-like feel. Jones sings in a buoyant and wistful manner about dancing with the song’s dream girl. Bassist Barry Schigelone and drummer Dan Bourquin give it a light kick that recalls something Fairport Convention or Mumford & Sons might do.

“Smoke Filled Room” features a lyrical tale of a femme fatale, with a steady propulsive groove and Oscar Sosa’s flamenco-tinged lead guitar. The song is rooted in a minor key and is the perfect vehicle for Jones’ emotive and dramatic delivery.

Nate Jones

photo by Brandon Hawk; photo courtesy of Nate Jones

“Love is Not a Victimless Crime” explores the perspective of songsmith as the prey or victim in a relationship. In it he sings “I’m the victim, you’re the thief, you stole my heart right from beneath my feet.” With practically anyone else those words might come across somewhat forced or a cliché. But Jones has a knack for conveying sincerity and vulnerability that is convincing and totally for real. This also has a bubbly rhythmic hip-hop vibe that bops along in a catchy and free-spirited fashion.

Subtle social relevance enters into the mix here with the track “Good Morning Rome.” It is a sly and clever reference to the fall of ancient Rome at the hands of its own people. The song makes comparisons to American society and its common foibles and faults.  The tune has a very loose, yet steady beat where Jones spins his cautionary tale while Sosa turns up the heat via sizzling blues riffs.

The bonus track here ends the disc as it began, with a solo acoustic piece. “King of Hearts” has all the majesty and wordcraft of a Shakespearean tragedy blended with masterful and brilliantly executed guitar work. Again, Jones sells the song right up to the final plea where he cries to reclaim his queen.

Nate Jones is a diverse and personable musician that lays it on the line by wearing his musical heart on his sleeve. That sincerity comes through loud and clear, with production that is lean, open, and brings out the best in this refreshing and original young artist.

EP Review: Aüva – Side Effects

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Aüva

photo courtesy of Aüva

Aüva formed in January 2015 while studying at Berklee and is comprised of Miette Hope, Jack Markwordt, Jake LeVine, Michael Piccoli, Andy Metzger and Austin Birdy.

EP Review of Aüva: Side Effects

Psychedelic, enveloping pop-rock music. Aüva unleashes three new numbers within its lush, full sound on this 3-song EP, Side Effects, a follow-up to the band’s eponymous 2016 full album release.

Aüva - Side Effects

cover art by Nathan Gorey; image courtesy of Aüva

EP-opener “Pretend” is based in ’80s New Wave, an engaging pop-rock journey that reminds me a bit of Modern English and its MTV-conquering New Wave brethren, but Aüva utilizes richer production to form a more plush wall of sound. “All I Need” slows things down and sounds a bit more ’70s-influenced, though it’s otherwise a very modern number, a current take on a lava lamp ballad. EP-ender “Glitter & Weed” is a more energetic psychedelic pop-rocker atop a music bed I’d call a “din” and supplemented with some ’80s-style synth.

I stumbled across Aüva’s music while traveling down a local music rabbithole a few weeks ago and was quickly impressed by the band’s unique sound. I’m not sure if I should be listening to it in the shag-carpeted back of a van or in a black-lit lounge sitting in a bean bag chair, maybe with a slowly turning, subtly lit disco ball overhead. Regardless, the band’s full sound and vocal interplay between its male and female vocalists create eminently listenable, stylish pop-rock.

I’ll be watching the “shows” page of Aüva’s website to see if I can catch them live somewhere soon. I’m guessing their music will translate exceptionally well to a live performance.

Album Review: Zucchero – Black Cat

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Zucchero

photo by Ari Michelson; photo courtesy of Rock Paper Scissors

by Eric Harabadian, Contributing Blogger

Album Review of Zucchero: Black Cat (Polydor/Universal)

Many folks may not know the name Zucchero in the United States, but he’s something of a musical phenomenon in his native Italy. Born Andelmo Fornaciari, Zucchero is kind of a cultural bon vivant, able to hang with opera greats like Luciano Pavarotti and filmmaker Tinto Brass, tour with Miles Davis, and rub shoulders with everyone from Nelson Mandela to Dan Aykroyd.

Zucchero - Black Cat

image courtesy of Rock Paper Scissors

This latest effort finds the Italian blues and soul-inspired pop star taking that same approach and applying the star-studded celebrity concept to this powerful and charismatic collection of tunes. You know you’re on the right track and have set a good course when you’ve got Don Was, T-Bone Burnett, and Brendan O’Brien producing, and everyone from Bono, Mark Knopfler and Elvis Costello helping out in the composition and playing departments.

This is a very interesting album in that many of the songs have a very rough-and-ready American raw blues and rock edge to them. But, contrary to a lot of other cultural crossover projects of this nature, the leader chooses to sing much of the album in his native Italian. This, of course, gives things a very cosmopolitan flavor and a very unique and somewhat provincial perspective. Zucchero has a powerful, almost operatic, voice and he really sells these songs in the process.

Zucchero

photo by Ari Michelson; photo courtesy of Rock Paper Scissors

“Partigiano  Reggiano” opens the album, with the phrase “Black cat, my bone.” Forgive the fact that you may not speak Italian, but the feel and intent is one of a bluesy romp, with a New Orleans groove and kickin’ horn chart. One doesn’t have to be fluent in the language to get the gist and energy of the tune that Zucchero conveys.

Another strong showing is “Ti Voglio Sposare.” It features more of a hard rock format, with a memorable chorus and a nice mix of Dobro and acoustic guitar elements.

The song “Streets of Surrender (S.O.S.)” is significant for its blend of Zucchero’s music with lyrics by U2’s Bono. The Italian crooner sings in English with a cadence and tone not unlike Joe Cocker or Gary Brooker of Procul Harum. The addition of strings makes this a real highlight.

Zucchero

photo by Ari Michelson; photo courtesy of Rock Paper Scissors

“Hey Lord” blends Italian and English in a seamless, yet, unusual mix of blues and gospel.

“Turn the World Down” is a tune penned by Elvis Costello that finds Zucchero delivering a hearty ballad with a strong message of hope, pause and reflection. In it he sings, “Get the word out, let the globe spin. Save everyone and everything. Turn the world down.”

There are over a dozen songs here, and each one features contributions from some of the top session musicians on the planet such as drummer Jim Keltner, bassist Nathan East and select National and Dobro guitar spotlights from Knopfler. Zucchero’s organ and pianowork on many of the tracks adds a choral and light classical feel to much of the album as well.

Zucchero

photo by Meeno; photo courtesy of Rock Paper Scissors

This is, perhaps, Zucchero’s most Americana-sounding release to date. The Italian pop star was inspired by America’s Afro-diasporic musics. Apparently he discovered in a lot of African American communities that the “black cat” was a symbol of good luck. “I decided to give this name to the album because, more than the others, it is a black album, with its roots in Afro-American music,” explains Zucchero. “The sounds are rough and rotten and anarchistic—cats are not as domesticated as dogs. I loved the sound of the words ‘black cat,’ and I felt it was in tune with the album.”

Looking Ahead

Zucchero is concluded the American portion of the tour earlier this spring, but he has dates throughout Europe steadily through September, with a South American tour scheduled for October. Check the “Black Cat World Tour” page of his website for details.

Album Review: Mike Sponza – Ergo Sum

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Album Review of Mike Sponza: Ergo Sum

Blues music based on ancient poetry and recorded at Abbey Road Studios. Seriously, for those reasons alone, this would be worth a few listens. But the performers are also top talents, the songs are engaging and well-arranged. And if you didn’t know anything about the works referenced, you might never know the inspiration for this music. You’d simply consider it very interesting, entertaining, original blues. An ambitious, original project from Italian bluesman Mike Sponza, Ergo Sum is a musically-artistic success.

Mike Sponza - Ergo Sum

image courtesy of Frank Roszak Promotions

The disc kicks off with “Modus in Rebus,” a song that’s basically one great big blues hook. Crunchy guitar and a gravelly, insistent blues growl power this catchy number. It’s followed by “Carpe Diem,” which launches with an energetic travellin’ guitar line and a restrained, hoarse vocal; it’s a song you’d play during a road trip or that you’d expect to see during an energetic movie montage scene. Matel Kuzel contributes some well-placed saxophone wail. “Carpe diem. Baby.”

“Penelope” changes the album’s tempo a bit. It’s a slower-paced, emotional, blues jam-flavored number punctuated by vocal fits. It’s followed by “The Thin Line,” Mike Sponza’s collaboration with Dana Gillespie – it’s the only song not co-written with Ian Siegal – that suits Dana’s much smoother vocal delivery, also featuring a psychedelic blues organ sound not found earlier in the collection, augmented by well-placed horns.

Mike Sponza

photo courtesy of Frank Roszak Promotions

The disc continues, exploring different blues styles as it works its way through more ancient poets. “See How the Man” is horn and groove-driven. “Poor Boy” is more of a romping swing. “Kiss Me” is a musically thumping and grinding, steadily-paced blues romp. And “Prisoner of Jealousy” closes the disc with a soulful ballad full of raw, heartwrenched emotion.

In sum, Ergo Sum is an ambitious effort, exceptionally well-executed by a cadre of talented purveyors of the blues. And if critiqued simply as a blues album, it’s an exceptional disc that touches all manner of subgenres and styles of the blues in an enjoyable fashion. In other words, it’s a success all fronts.

Looking Ahead

Per Mike’s website, he has some gigs around Europe this summer. Check back to his website to see if more shows are added, but at the moment his schedule is: June 23rd (Cittadella dei Giovani) in Aosta, Italy; June 24th (Blues Festival) in Correze, France; June 29th (Lent festival) in Maribor, Slovenia; July 7th in Parma, Italy; July 20th (SWR Festival) in Mainz, Germany; July 21st (Haus Am Walde) in Schwachhausen, Germany; August 4th (Blues Nacht) in Meppen, Germany; August 7th (Kastav Blues Festival) in Kastav, Croatia; August 25th (Rock Cafe) in Pula, Croatia; September 8th (Topos) in Leverkusen, Germany; and September 9th (Bischofsmühle) in Hildesheim, Germany.

I also hear there’s another Mike Sponza album in the works, so I look forward to that, as well.

 

EP Review: Caisy Falzone – Your Time

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Caisy Falzone

photo courtesy of Caisy Falzone

I reviewed one of Caisy’s gigs at Pianos in New York back in February. Now, I’d like to introduce you to her EP.

EP Review of Caisy Falzone: Your Time

Caisy Falzone‘s voice is a little raspy, a bit emotional, and relatively alt-rock, and she utilizes it to good effect in a singer-songwriter setting. Coming across sometimes as hoarse, other times as gravelly, and often kind of hoarsely haunting, Caisy’s delivery actually reminds me most, from among those I’ve reviewed in Blog, of Sophia Ward (of local Boston-area band TOS), just in more of a singer-songwriter format (rather than in TOS’s more raucous rock-band setting).

Caisy Falzone - Your Time

image courtesy of Caisy Falzone

The EP itself, Your Time, is a nice little collection. It’s stripped-down singer-songwriter fare, rough-hewn a bit, primarily just vocals and chord-strumming with the occasional background vocal track. It showcases Caisy’s pleasantly raspy voice and her lyric and melody writing skills. It doesn’t purport to be a big production album; rather, it’s a nice little EP. Pleasant, easy to listen to, and a good representation of Caisy’s fun live gigs. I do wonder what these songs would sound like with a full band and lush production. Quite different, I suspect, but they’d still be the same well-written songs powered by Caisy’s sweetly gravelly voice. As much as I’d love to hear that rendition of these four songs, Your Time really does remind me of Caisy’s live show. And with that goal in mind for this recording, I’d change nothing.

Caisy Falzone

photo courtesy of Caisy Falzone

Though none of the songs are fast-tempo, three of the four are mid-tempo. “Hold Me Down” is a bare-bones number, with Caisy’s voice showing vulnerability, in sync with the lyrics, her strumming gaining in intensity over the course of the song as the mood of the song ever-so-slowly builds in intensity, as well.

“Your Time” has a really cool tempo, with Caisy’s vocals carrying more emotion than their simplicity might otherwise suggest. On the whole, it’s a slow-things-down, thoughtful, melancholy number that’ll bring any room down emotionally… by design.

If I had to pick a favorite on this EP, it would be”Drift.” There are some cool lyrical elements; I’m oddly fond of her use of multiple “you (I) know”s as lyrical bridges; this track also has the best subtly catchy guitar-strum hook, used sparingly but just often enough.

Caisy Falzone

photo courtesy of Caisy Falzone

“Feel So Good,” the disc-ender, is Caisy’s ballad. It’s a nice tempo change. She sings with a more haunted tone, “bringing the room down” again with her melancholy delivery, not quite sad as much as simply exhausted.

As I mentioned at the beginning, Caisy’s Your Time EP is a good representation of her live performances. If you’ve seen her perform live, these songs will carry your memory back to the night of her show. If you haven’t, well, this is what she sounds like. I’d suggest snagging this four-song collection from Bandcamp, and I’d definitely recommend getting out to a Caisy Falzone gig. Bring friends. Drink. Enjoy. Make it a fun night.

Looking Ahead

The events page on Caisy’s Facebook page lists one upcoming gig, Jun 16th at Lovecraft in New York. If you check her Facebook page periodically, you can see other upcoming shows as she adds them.

Album Review: Jimmy Lee Morris – Gallery

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Jimmy Lee Morris

photo courtesy of Jimmy Lee Morris

Backstory

We’ve reviewed several of Jimmy Lee Morris‘ recordings in the past here at the Blog. After I initially reviewed Wilderness Wood last spring, Jimmy contacted the Blog about writing some reviews for us, and as he’s such a talented wordsmith, he has been a terrific reviewer for us, too. Of course, since then he has continued to release music, rather prolifically, and he remains one of our favorite folk musicians. I reviewed his two-sided single last summer, and contributor Eric Harabadian reviewed his recent Campervan EP, which was a February release. Jimmy’s newest full-length album, Gallery, reviewed here, dropped on June 2nd.

Album Review of Jimmy Lee Morris: Gallery

Jimmy Lee Morris - Gallery

image courtesy of Jimmy Lee Morris

Relatively light and cheery from beginning-to-end. That was my immediate reaction to Gallery. And how could it not be, as most of the songs feature the mandolin, a cheerful instrument if ever there was one. Gallery as a whole recalls for me Jimmy’s Wilderness Wood album in its upbeat, hopeful reminiscence and nostalgia. As usual, though the songs mostly reside within a tight range of singer-songwriter-folk, he explores all manners of style, energy, and influences, resulting in an album that engages and surprises (in small ways) around each corner of this 8-song collection.

Javier Forero

Javier Forero; photo courtesy of Jimmy Lee Morris

Jimmy again surrounds himself with exceptional talent. On this CD, Javier Forero provides percussion, cajon and drums and Tim Kent plays octave guitar. Gallery was recorded, mixed, and mastered by Simon Scardanelli, who also supplied glockenspiel on two tracks.

“Mandolin Dreams” kicks things off in enthusiastically folky fashion, a high-tempo romp about a “vintage eight-string mandolin.” Then “5 O Clock in the Morning” quickly brings the tempo down, with Jimmy’s emotional, precise vocals straddling the border between melancholy and reminiscent. It’s followed by “Take Me Home,” which, musically true to its lyrics, is a mid-tempo drinking song with a sea shanty flavor. See what I mean? Small surprises.

Tim Kent and Jimmy Lee Morris

JLM with Tim Kent; photo courtesy of Jimmy Lee Morris

One of the songs that grew on me slowly to became a now-favorite, the title track “Gallery” is particularly slow-tempoed; Jimmy’s soft, sentimental, thoughtful croon carries the tune throughout.

“Stargazing” immediately lightens things up, though, with its playful melody and lyrics, like a romp through a meadow on a sunny day, when everything’s in bloom. “You and Me (Clinging to a Song)” maintains that energy, the two songs providing a back-to-back sunshine infusion, the latter with a bit of seventies radio-friendly folk-pop sprinkled into the mix.

Jimmy Lee Morris

photo courtesy of Jimmy Lee Morris

Penultimate number “Looking Back” sports a rich guitar sound as it builds from super-mellow to merely mellow, a hopeful song in which Jimmy deploys a particular warmth in his vocals, emoting in such a way that the words sound particularly profound, whether or not they actually are.

The disc ends much too soon with the song that quickly became my personal favorite and remains my very favorite on the disc, “End of the Road (’69 Campervan)” an energetic ode, presumably, to Jimmy’s much-sung-about campervan. The song becomes a bit ’60s pop-rock during the chorus, melding well with the old-school radio-friendly folk verses and bridges. In all, a well-crafted song to end a superb eight-song disc.

As always, Jimmy Lee Morris writes well-designed songs, surrounds himself with talented musicians and a top-notch producer, and performs his songs earnestly with an overarching sense of folk-rock fun. As a result, Gallery is yet another Jimmy Lee Morris album worth checking out.