Tag Archives: Geoff Wilbur

Album Review: Jason Charles Miller – Cards on the Table

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photo courtesy of BJF Media

Album Review of Jason Charles Miller: Cards on the Table (Golden Robot Records)

Jason Charles Miller‘s eighth solo studio album, Cards on the Table, should be an instant classic. It’s hard-rocking, powerful, and catchy. On this disc, Jason combines the angry swamp rock intensity I’ve referenced when reviewing Kristian Montgomery and the Winterkill Band with the sidewinding hard rock power of bands like Love and a .38.

Cards on the Table hits hard from the very opening with kind-of-ominous power rocker “The River” and revs up the energy on persistent, hard-charging “Reckless.” Yet, Jason Charles Miller shows the ability to slow things down effortlessly, too, on the power rock ballad “Day After Day.”

Southern-flavored, explosive rocker “Losing My Way” – my recommendation for the second song to check out on this album, by the way – twists, twangs, and soars, all driven by an incessant straight-ahead rhythmic beat. The first song you should check out? Well, that’s “You’re About To,” a song so filled with attitude you’ll be screaming along with the lyric “If you don’t know by now, you’re about to!” before the end of your first listen.

image courtesy of BJF Media

As much as I love those two songs, though, the first single I’d have released from the album, if I were Miller’s label (and rock radio still ruled the airwaves) would be “Chasing the Sun” (featuring Austin Hanks). It has a twangy Southern rock flair, a sunshine-bright warmth, and some the way-too-cool opening lyrics: “I’m from one of those towns where you leave the windows down, truck’s unlocked outside your place, where the born-to-runs are gone by twenty-one, and the stick-arounds get stuck in their ways.” The perfect song for cruising down the highway with your windows down. And a lot of us grew up in “one of those towns.”

There’s really not a weak song in this collection – even though I’ve skipped a few in my review – but I’d be remiss in not finishing with a mention of the album-ender, Jason’s heartfelt, soft country-rock, by-now (because I’ve taken so long to review the album) critically-acclaimed (and rightfully so!) cover of Iron Maiden’s “Wasted Years.” It’s a mellow-rockin’ friggin’ work of art.

This is probably one of my favorite albums of the last few years. I’ve placed 8 of the 11 tracks on my phone, making them potential selections for my #PhoneOnShuffle playlist. (Twitter/X followers will be familiar with this, a recurring post I’m trying to occasionally feature on Threads too, for variety, though I’m still getting a lot more engagement with it on X. 1,600+ of my favorite songs on shuffle; the phone decides which ones I hear.) So yeah, I think this is a helluva record, and if you’re a rocker, too, I bet you’ll agree.

More Recently

Cards on the Table was a 2023 release. Jason has since released Knives in the Dark, which I’ve only just sampled a few songs from on Spotify. Seems like an excellent ninth release, so after you’ve checked out Cards on the Table (and after it’s become on of your all-time favorite albums), you can join me in looking forward to exploring Knives in the Dark.

Album Review: Zanov – Lost in the Future

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photo courtesy of Zanov

Album Review of Zanov: Lost in the Future

Lost in the Future is French electronic music innovator Zanov‘s follow-up to his 2020 release Chaos Islands, which contributor Eric Harabadian reviewed here at the blog three years ago. A synth wizard since the 1970s, Zanov knows his way around a composition and delivers an enjoyable, engaging musical journey with Lost in the Future.

image courtesy of Zanov

As some of you may recall, I’ve discovered how useful it is to have instrumental music on my playlist, as I typically listen to my review queue while I work, and certain portions of my work lend themselves better to playing lyricless music while I work. Bland music is boring, but there’s a sweet spot instrumental collections can hit that make them well-suited for a brain-work soundtrack, with varied, interesting, engaging tempos, rhythms, and movements but without lots of attention-disrupting aural assaults. Lost in the Future hits such a sweet spot, with some of the interesting musical patterns perhaps even enhancing my ability to do quality analytical work.

Album opener “Quantum World” kicks things off with a little spacy energy before broadening the wall of sound and settling into a softly energetic mid-tempo progression whose insistent energy belies the song’s modest pace. It’s always a good call to start a record with a strong number, making “Quantum World” a wise introductory offering.

photo courtesy of Zanov

The following track, “Conscious Machines,” begins slow and sparse, gradually building in density and intensity before settling down again toward the end. For me, it’s an album track that sets up what follows.

What follows is “Brain to Brain,” which features a recurring sonic theme that becomes familiar and recognized with each additional listen. There’s a journey – from brain to brain, I suppose – as musical, synthesized synapses travel forth purposefully. I can’t quite tell if the song’s audio overtones are hopeful or foreboding; most likely, a little of both.

“Extended Life” opens with haunting, organic synthwork that reveals a meandering, exploratory musical canvas before reverting to its foreboding origins.

photo courtesy of Zanov

“Living With Robots” returns to the more tentative, explorative patterns from the middle of the preceding number, extending the musical theme into a richer, deeper sound throughout the track.

“Interstellar Travel” follows, initially with an echoing, church sanctuary-esque reverberation of the “Living With Robots” theme, then adding synth runs that seem to move through the composition, a movement that recalls and befits this song’s title.

The album closes with “Time Manipulation,” which pulls together the musical themes and sound sequences found elsewhere in Lost in the Future, providing a concise offramp for this well-crafted, synth-driven musical journey, reaching a moderately zippy tempo by its middle section, particularly when compared to the meandering nature of much of the rest of the collection.

In its entirety, Lost in the Future has, for the last several months, provided an enjoyable soundtrack to some of my analytical work. Now that I’ve written this review, I’m going to miss it. If your sector of the musical galaxy includes synth-driven instrumental music, Zanov’s Lost in the Future deserves a listen.

 

Album Review: D.C. Anderson – Sharing the Night with Darkness

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photo by Sam Pickart; photo courtesy of D.C. Anderson

Album Review: D.C. Anderson – Sharing the Night with Darkness

D.C. Anderson is an accomplished stage and screen actor and recording artist, with a delivery style very much of the stage. If you like Broadway cast albums – or if you like sincere, well-crafted singer-songwriter music – then D.C.’s albums of intimately sung, theatrically-styled offerings are likely to be right up your alley.

Sharing the Night with Darkness is a collection of songs many of which touch upon issues like aging and mortality. It’s an incredibly moving collection, meaning I have to pick my listening moments, reserving this album for times when I’m in the mood to be deeply moved and emotionally affected. For a glimpse into the topics and emotions behind each of the songs on this disc, I’d direct you to D.C.’s Facebook post where he discusses this album.

D.C. is joined by David Robison on piano for some songs, Luke Wygodny on guitar for others, and vocals-only with no accompaniment for still others. Other musicians chip in during one or two songs each: Audrey Q. Snyder (cello) on “Mail Order Annie” and “Such Fine Things” and Lem Jay Ignacio (piano) and Lemy Ignacio (guitar) on “You Do Something To Me.”

album art by Julia Mann; image courtesy of D.C. Anderson

D.C. opens his heart in the album’s opening song, “Again,” about falling love with his husband over and over again. As mentioned, D.C.’s delivery style is very theatrical, so a touching song like this brings to mind a solo performance on a stage, just the singer in a spotlight, delivering a heartfelt appeal at a crucial moment in the storyline. Or, perhaps, a closing monologue-type song, one that reflects on the play’s happy ending after a night of twists and turns on the stage. Regardless, it’s easy to place this song on Broadway, even though it’s not.

“Market Girl” is a song I enjoy for a very different reason. It’s plucky and playful. As is D.C.’s rendition of Cole Porter’s “You Do Something to Me.”

D.C.’s voice soars on songs like “A Tree” and Harry Chapin’s “Mail Order Annie.”

D.C. serves up serious, powerful stage vocals on tracks like “I Am Anger” and “I Am the Dream.”

“Twenty Twenty Three” is styled more like a folk song, though D.C.’s vocals assert his position as an emphatically emotional troubadour when he plays that role.

Then there are other songs, like his ominous cover of Bob Dylan’s “Dark Eyes,” styled like a sad pub drinking song. Similarly styled, from a pub dirge perspective, is “Sully’s Pail,” an enthralling vocals-only cover of the Dick Gibbons-penned lyric that was put to music by Tom Paxton several decades ago. (You can hear Paxton’s version here.)

D.C. touches upon some heavy topics that can make for some rugged listening. “When I Get Quiet” is thoughtful and pensive. “I’ve Come Looking For You” is heart wrenching, as is “Night, June 1988,” a song with an interesting arrangement that’s split between interspersed spoken-word and musical delivery. “I Must Know You” is intensely delivered from the point of view of someone suffering memory loss. And “Epilogue,” while less difficult than the other songs I mention in this paragraph, is an Andrew Ratshin-penned song about a man looking back on his life from his funeral; it’s less difficult because it’s not anguished and the music is a bit more upbeat. Still, though, a heavy topic.

The penultimate song on Sharing the Night with Darkness is D.C.’s exquisitely voiced cover of “I’ll Never Find Another You.” D.C. notes, in that Facebook link I suggested you read above, that it’s his tribute to The Seekers’ Judith Durham. D.C.’s version is, of course, more melancholy than the original, which is further emphasized by his a capella delivery.

The album closes with “Such Fine Things,” with vocals about as close as you can find to crooning in this collection.

In all, with so many dark and/or heavy songs on this exceptionally crafted album, a particular frame of mind is required to choose to listen to Sharing the Night with Darkness. When that sort of introspection and depth of thought and emotion are what you seek, though, this album offers a well-designed vehicle for that experience.

image courtesy of D.C. Anderson

More Recently

On January 16th, D.C. released the single “Twenty Twenty Four,” planned to potentially be the title track of D.C.’s next album. Recorded with Luke Wygodny, who lent his guitar-playing to the single and shares songwriting credit for creation of the music to D.C.’s lyrics, “Twenty Twenty Four” places a strumming, folky guitar beneath D.C.’s vocals, moving from soft and thoughtful to loud, quivering, and somewhat angry, as it contemplates the power of love to bring an end to war, or at least its power to yearn for peace and its resolve not to stay silent. You can find a lyric video for “Twenty Twenty Four” via this link.

Looking Ahead

Well, there looks to be a new album on its way. Twenty Twenty Four. As of the eponymous single’s release a few months ago, a spring release date was targeted.

If you’d like to catch D.C. in person, he is scheduled to appear with Ritt Henn at noon on June 1st at the Upstream Gallery in Hastings on Hudson.

Beyond that, I’m not sure of the best way to remain abreast of D.C.’s latest goings-on, but a good place to start would be to follow him on social media: Facebook, Instagram, and X.

Single Review: Deaf Rat – “Say Your Lies”

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photo by Georgios Grigoriadis; photo courtesy of BJF Media

Single Review of Deaf Rat: “Say Your Lies” (AFM Records)

Sweden’s Deaf Rat are vocalist Frankie Rich and guitarists Pat Kramer and Max Lander. “Say Your Lies” is the band’s most recent single.

image courtesy of BJF Media

Upon first glance at the main lyric, you might think this is simply an updated, more tuneful, more verbose “Shout at the Devil,” and in a roundabout way it isn’t entirely not that, but Deaf Rat’s “Say Your Lies” has a touch more harmonies, tunefulness, and soaring power. And, of course, it’s catchy. You’ll find yourself singing along to “Say your lies before the devil,” but don’t sleep on the guitar hook, which is pretty cool, too. You can hear the classic hard rock influences in the song, elements from guitar-based, anthemic hard rock’s ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s heyday, replete with a pulsing rhythm sure to induce moderate-tempo headbanging and/or air guitar swaying – seriously, there’s some awesome guitar solo shredwork that’s perfect for air guitaring. But Deaf Rat avoids going full-on retro; the band’s style and crisp but heavy production tap into the soaring power of modern melodic hard rock, kind of like AFM Records labelmates Lansdowne but with a more old-school melodic vocal style.

“Say Your Lies” is accompanied by a cool animated lyric video that’s definitely worth checking out.

photo by Georgios Grigoriadis; photo courtesy of BJF Media

A Little Farther Back

In mid-2023, Deaf Rat released its prior single, “Schizophrenic Part of Me.” Melodic hard rock, full of power and wall of sound. Harmonies. Every bit as catchy as “Say Your Lies.” It’s been a while since the last full album from these guys. It’s been since 2019, when Deaf Rat released Ban the Light, and as kickass as the group’s sound was on that disc, judging from the pair of singles the band has released in the past year, Deaf Rat has leveled up. I’m psyched for a full-length album from these kick-ass rockers… soon, I hope?

 

 

Single Review: Wyn & the White Light – “Can the World Change”

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photo by Marion Earley; photo courtesy of Wyn Doran

Single Review of Wyn & the White Light: “Can the World Change”

Wyn & the White Light are 2023 New England Music Awards Female Performer of the Year nominee Wyn Doran and, presumably, the White Light: Lucia Jean (bass/vocals) and Heidi Tierney (drums/vocals). The day after Christmas, this trio dropped “Can the World Change,” a song about Wyn’s near-death experience in her twenties, an event that landed her in the hospital for a week and a half, starting the day after Christmas. (There you have the inspired connection to the December 26th release date.)

cover art by Wyn Doran and Lucia Jean; image courtesy of Wyn Doran

“Can the World Change” is a soaring, haunting, whirling cauldron of pop-rock energy. If done with just an acoustic guitar, it could be a haunting folk song, but the extra instrumentation turns the song into a cyclonic listening experience. The lyrics are minimalist but incisive, guided by a Ben Folds “six line” songwriting challenge, and exceptionally effective. This isn’t a song to sing along to. This isn’t a song to dance along to. It is a song to be felt and experienced. And with that as the goal, Wyn & the White Light have achieved it exceptionally well.

More Recently

As is so often the case, with my extensive review backlog right now, even though I received an advance copy of this single, I’m reviewing “Can the World Change” nearly three months after its release date, and Wyn & the White Light have released more music since then. “Statue” (featuring Josh Knowles, whose impressive talent I wrote about in my coverage of the “Behind the Songs 2” event a few years ago) dropped in late February. And on March 19, Wyn & the White Light released their first album, Luck, featuring “Can the World Change,” “Statue,” and eight more tracks.

Looking Ahead

You can catch Wyn & the White Light live on April 13th at The Overlook in Lowell, MA.

Album Review: Emma Wilson – Memphis Calling

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image courtesy of Frank Roszak Promotions

Album Review of Emma Wilson: Memphis Calling

What a voice! Emma Wilson‘s Memphis Calling is a powerful rhythm and blues record. While I’d primarily classify it as blues, it is a very soulful blues with some pop-friendly melodic playfulness. In any case, I can see why Emma’s press material refers to her as rhythm and blues rather than simply blues, and I’m convinced by this record that it’s an appropriate distinction.

But about that voice? Emma shows it off throughout the album, but she wastes no time getting the listeners’ attention, showcasing its texture, power, and versatility in the catchy “A Small Word,” with the singalong lyrics “Love is just a small word. Why is it so hard to say?” Ooh, yeah! “A Small Word” is one of the four songs (out of Memphis Calling‘s nine) on which Emma has a songwriter credit.

Mid-to-up-tempo “Water” follows, starting slow but quickly building to power, showcasing Emma’s soulful vocal power with playful blues instrumentation supporting her. It’s an update of singer/songwriter Eddie Floyd’s 1968 original. I gave the sixties original a listen, and it’s impressive how modern that original sounds; Emma didn’t have to update it much to make it sound fully modern, and she duplicates Eddie’s vocal power. Indeed, it was a perfect selection for her voice. The song’s playfulness is engaging, its recurring instrumentation hooky, and it will quickly become a favorite.

“Watching You Leave” is a good choice for a third track. After two such energetic numbers, it changes the pace a little. I mean, the horns quickly establish that it’s not a true ballad, but it is slower paced and smoother than the two more dynamic numbers preceding it. And Emma restrains the urge to showcase her vocal runs, mostly, sticking to remaining dynamic within the song structure. The following song, “I Still Love You,” is an even slower number, a true ballad.

“What Kind of Love” features Don Bryant as guest vocalist, and the pair’s vocals meld well in this funky, playful, moderately-paced blues strutter.

“I’ll See You in the Morning” is the first song to operate at the high end of Emma’s range, a raw, ragged, thin, emotional vocal that serves this song well. Even the early/mid-song guitar solo adds to the feeling of a weary day, a little emotionally strained to match Emma’s vocals. Oh, and I’ve gotta mention the cool organ coming in at the end adding that final touch.

“Drug” is a thicker-textured song, with some heavy horns and a funky beat, while “Hoochie Coochie Mama” is a full-on return to the blues, a gender-swapped update of the Willie Dixon-penned Muddy Waters standard, “Hoochie Coochie Man.”

Emma then ends Memphis Calling with her understated rendition of the slow, slow crooner “Since I Fell For You,” with the organ giving the song a bit of a Gospel blues feel.

Emma Wilson’s voice and versatility make Memphis Calling an exceptional blues recording, beginning to end. My favorites are the two energetic album-openers, “A Small Word” and “Water” – and, aside from the ballads of course, those are probably the two songs with the biggest crossover appeal beyond core blues fans – but if your stylistic tastes differ from mine, you may find your favorites elsewhere on this strong, solid record.

Looking Ahead

Emma has several concerts, all in the UK, currently listed on the “Shows” page of her website. Tonight, March 23rd, she’ll be performing at the
Beastie Fest Blues and Rock Festival at Boom in Leeds, with her next show scheduled for May 23rd in Sunderland. Check Emma’s website for more information about those shows and the others on her calendar.

Album Review: Video Age – Away from the Castle

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photo by Horatio Baltz; photo courtesy of Video Age and Throwin’ Bo’s

Album Review of Video Age: Away from the Castle

I found Video Age‘s album while diving down a Bandcamp rabbit hole. After far too many near-misses (and complete misses), I stumbled upon Video Age’s Away from the Castle, and it was not merely good but interesting and new enough that I reached out to the band to get a review copy. I am impressed Away from the Castle‘s funky, disco-influenced, laid-back, light, old-style pop smoothness, steeped in ’70s pop cheerfulness with perhaps a few ’60s harmonies and the occasional ’80s new wave synth thrown in for good measure. It’s groovy music that makes you feel good.

image courtesy of Video Age and Throwin’ Bo’s

“Ready to Stay,” the first song on the album, is a great introduction. Its instrumental opening reminds me a little bit of Human League, but then the vocals are more of a smooth, tuneful groove atop a lush music bed. And even though the song feels good from the first listen, enticing the listener to offer repeated listens, it’s not until after several listens that the chorus hook really starts to dig in, often the sign of a song with staying power.

“Better Than Ever” has a similar groove but more tempo and energy; a theme that recurs throughout the album is a cohesive sound but enough variance to keep things interesting.

Title track “Away from the Castle” is also catchy and fun with a few new wrinkles. Then “Adrian” shows a new side of Video Age, with a funky Prince-esque influence figuring prominently in the song’s catchy style.

The smooth, breezy, dreamy “In the Breaks” follows, with a rolling, swaying feeling, driven in part by Video Age’s lyrical phrasing choices.

photo by Horatio Baltz; photo courtesy of Video Age and Throwin’ Bo’s

Pretenses of other influences are dropped on “Just Think,” a pure, cool disco number that gets more fun with every single listen. The Bee Gees would be proud. Try not to bounce in your chair – or even get up and dance – to this number. I dare you.

“Anything For You” slows things down again, with strong vocals and a rich sound bed.

“A Knight Shining With No Armor,” at just over a minute, is an electronic reminder of Video Age’s versatility, setting up its most ’80s new wave-meets-BritPop song on the album, “Is It Really Over?”

Finally, Video Age closes this exceptional, enjoyable, very original album with “Golden Sun,” kind of a synthy Alan Parsons Project-worthy number. The rhythm will have you swaying in your seat, enjoying the last few minutes of the album, feeling full of “golden” sunshine, perhaps ready to re-start the album from the beginning again.

Looking Ahead

You can catch Video Age on tour right now. According to the “Tour” page of the band’s website, tonight, March 22nd, they’re playing at the Treefort Music Fest in Boise, ID. West Coast and Mountain Time Zone shows follow, then a swing through Texas, leading to an April 13th show back home in New Orleans. Be sure to catch them on this tour if you can. This tour ran through Boston a couple weeks ago; I wasn’t paying attention, so I was completely unaware. Maybe I’ll catch the next Video Age tour.

Album Review: Lara Herscovitch – Highway Philosophers

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photo by Austin Fenn; photo courtesy of Lara Herscovitch

Album Review of Lara Herscovitch: Highway Philosophers

Lara Herscovitch is a folk singer-songwriter with a relatively straightforward top-shelf singer-songwriter delivery and damn fine songwriting skills. As a singer, you can feel the emotion in her vocals. As a songwriter, well, her songs are detailed and variety, comfortable and chance-taking. Her creativity flows throughout Highway Philosophers.

cover photo by Joy Bush Photography; image courtesy of Lara Herscovitch

I first listened to Lara’s music in the run-up to 2023 New England Music Awards, where she was nominated in both the Roots Act of the Year and Americana Act of the Year categories. (I make it a point to sample some music from every nominee before casting my NEMA ballot.) She has received numerous accolades over the course of her career. To me, I think the coolest was her 2-year stint as the Connecticut State Troubadour. That would be for the whole state of Connecticut… except for Stars Hollow because it already had a town troubadour. And, of course, because it’s a fictional town. Honestly, though, just scroll down to the bottom of Lara’s electronic press kit to see her impressive list of honors.

Lara kicks the album off with one of her best songs, a song with broad appeal, the song that answers the questions “When? Where? What?” Of course, I’m talking about “Now Here This.” Musically, every time the song settles down, it kicks back up again. Now, that’s a matter of perspective, as the tempo never gets particularly kicked-up, but the tempo changes, modest as they are, do amp things up slightly but impactfully.

You want tempo? You’ll find a bit more on “Angels.” This is simply a well-written song with spots where the lyrics become more emphatic, where the music sweeps upward in intensity. I can imagine it with a variety of different arrangements. On this disc, of course, the arrangement is folky singer-songwriter, in fitting with the delivery style Lara performs so well.

photo by Katie Settel; photo courtesy of Lara Herscovitch

“Highway Philosophers” has kind of a travelin’ song tempo. “Careful Porcelain Doll” is an empowering song about not fitting stereotypes. And “You USA” is nostalgic and hopeful, in a way.

“Sailing to Newfoundland” is an encouraging number that uses harmony vocals quite well, and there’s a tiny bit of well-placed meandering electric guitar in the mix that gives it a really cool sound that stands out, at least to the extent a few seconds in a mellow song are able to stand out. (Just listen for it, eh? I like it.) “Fault Lines,” next, carries a hint of discomfort through its sweet sound, hinting at but not straight-out mentioning the song’s real topic.

Next up is “Shine Sister Shine,” a catchy song with a singalong chorus and uplifting message. It comes with a storybook that’s purchasable here, though you can read in greater detail about the project here on the original kickstarter page. Also, the animated video is a must-see. I think we can all be relieved that the sun got her groove back.

“Castle Walls” is a smooth, reminiscent tale that tells a story. But the next song, “The Tiger & I,” tells a tale, an enthralling, fun, clever one about a true friendship with a tiger who, one can only hope, is a better driver than Toonces. Yeah, it’s kinda silly, but the song is entertainingly detailed, the music is cheerful, and there’s gotta be a deeper message in there, right? Well, actually, there is, and it would a great theme song for an animated buddy movie (working title: Lara and the Tiger), but I’m focusing on the silliness.

Lara Herscovitch & the Highway Philosophers; photo by Alex Carpenter; photo courtesy of Lara Herscovitch

“Rise” has a foreboding tone to it, despite the song’s liveliness. It’s an emperor-has-no-clothes type of song, noting, though, that “the sun will rise again.”

“In Your Corner” is an uplifting song that includes the lyric “remember, you’re not in that ring alone.” It’s a really comforting, encouraging song, moreso after each successive listen. “Wingspan (Acoustic),” following, is another hopeful number.

Finally, “From a Dream” is the song I was referring to when I said Lara took chances. I really get the storytelling method of spoken-word over a music bed with background vocals. For me, it’s a miss, but it’s a technique that will find a 0% success rate with me, so that’s not fair. The technique seems effective, but when I listen to the CD in the car, I usually just skip this one and restart the disc after the end of “Wingspan.”

The songs on Highway Philosophers are mostly very deeply personal – or, at least, touch on subjects that are typically deeply personal. I’m sure that’s part of what will direct you to your personal favorites on this disc. And I’m sure you’ll have favorites.

Lara Herscovitch is a talented singer and storyteller, with the sort of emotive voice that defines the best folk-based singer-songwriters… or, I suppose you could call them, troubadours.

More Recently

Highway Philosophers was a 2020 release. Since then, Lara has released 2021 single “I’d Do Anything” and, just this past fall, “Italian Balconies.”

image courtesy of Lara Herscovitch

“Italian Balconies” is a song with a cool harmonic vibe, soaring vocals and an echo that somewhat recalls a church choir. Or perhaps the echoes of Italian streets, as this song was inspired by the story of Italians stepping out onto their balconies and singing together during the early days of their COVID-19 quarantine. (If you’ve forgotten this story, here’s a video to remind you.) Lara’s song, inspired by that occurrence in Italy, recalls that time and some of the positive lessons learned.

Looking Ahead

The “Tour” page of Lara’s website lists her next performance as Saturday afternoon, April 6th at the Cheshire Public Library in Cheshire, CT. After that, she has shows scheduled from April through December, ranging up and down the east coast from Maine to Georgia, including a December 7th stop in Bluffton, SC, where I always insist on having lunch at The Cottage Cafe whenever I’m in the area… which has been at least eight or nine years now, unfortunately. But I digress. In any case, be sure to check Lara’s website periodically to see if/when she’ll be playing near you and for new shows, as they’re added.

Single Review: Cascando – “Jimmy Boy”

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photo courtesy of Cobra Promotions

Single Review of Cascando: “Jimmy Boy”

Cascando is a Limerick, Ireland-based roots rock band. “Jimmy Boy” was the first single from Cascando’s EP In Absence of Trees. It was recorded in September 2023, just a couple months before its release.

The song opens with a catchy, twangy guitar hook, driving forward with a foreboding tone and rough harmonies. There’s a flute solo about a minute in that just adds to the song’s unique vibe. The rhythm is steady throughout, carrying an energy from beginning to end that is certain to keep nightclub audiences engaged. A hard ending with an organ chord, too, works well while adding another unique flavor to this musical recipe. “Jimmy Boy” has kind of an alt-rock vibe but with some unique instrumentation that shifts its categorization toward the roots rock category. Alt-roots, perhaps? I suppose you’d need to sample more of Cascando’s offerings to get a sense.

photo courtesy of Cobra Promotions

I would expect “Jimmy Boy” to be a crowd favorite at live gigs, and even just to hear a live performance of this original (since I’ve yet not delved deeper into Cascando’s catalog) would be enough to convince me to turn out for one of the band’s live performances.

Now, I don’t see mention of any upcoming gigs at the band’s linktree, but you might want to watch Cascando’s Instagram page for future show announcements.

Album Review: Thorslund – Thorslund

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photo by Will Cook; photo courtesy of Nothing’s Shocking Media

Album Review of Thorslund: Thorslund

Thorslund are brothers Jeff Thorslund (vocals, guitar, bass) and Tom Thorslund (drums, backing vocals), with Charles Horin handling live bass duties.

The band performs classic, timeless, guitar-driven hard rock music. You hear elements of ’70s rock, but with updated tone, riffs, and production values. In its bio, Thorslund notes the influence of the melodic elements of grunge on the band’s music. I’m not convinced that influence, necessarily, comes through in an obvious sense, but if it’s an influence, then the music is well-served by it. The band’s self-titled debut release was self-produced by Jeff and Tom and mixed by Nick DiDia (Stone Temple Pilots, Pearl Jam, Dirty Honey).

image courtesy of Nothing’s Shocking Media

The gritty, heavy, bluesy hard rock riffs that begin album-opener “Firecracker Man” establish Thorslund as a modern, classic-styled hard rock band that’s clearly first-tier. When assembling an album, especially as a new band, put your best song – especially your best song in your trademark style – right up front. Thorslund has done that here, and it works well. Within the first few seconds of “Firecracker Man,” I knew I’d like this album, and I knew I’d review it. Yes, this twisty, hooky, singalongable (“I’m the long-awaited… firecracker man!”) song is still my favorite, but, as expected, Thorslund is a strong album beginning to end.

“Hours to Go” also kicks off with a catchy guitar hook that leads to a fun, riff-laden, classic guitar rock song. It features enough hooks to be enjoyed by a rock ‘n roll fan, with enough impressive axework to be a musician’s favorite track, too.

“Wildfire” features a sidewinding hook, not completely unlike “Firecracker Man” but with a lighter classic rock feel. Something about one of the guitar flourishes reminds me of “Rocky Mountain Way,” and while the entire song doesn’t sound anything like it, I can see the two songs being seamlessly played side-by-side by a cover band somewhere because “Wildfire” really does have a bit of that ’70s vibe to it.

photo by Will Cook; photo courtesy of Nothing’s Shocking Media

“New Light” is a heavy rock thumper with a catchy, repetitive overriding rhythm and bluesy classic rock guitarwork plus the sort of psychedelic rock fade-out one might expect from Enuff Z’nuff or “Green Tinted Sixties Mind”-era Mr. Big.

Change-of-pace, lighter number “I Got Time” is an intense strummer that is lighter, fresher, and acoustic, eschewing drums until the very end.

“So It Goes” is more mid-range classic rock, still guitar-driven but more along the lines of what you might hear from Rick Springfield (but with a ’70s rather than an ’80s vibe) and ending with a seriously fun extended guitar solo.

And “Armageddon Tonight” is another AOR-era guitar rocker, this one with a cool recurring rhythm.

photo by Will Cook; photo courtesy of Nothing’s Shocking Media

Finally, to close, the rhythm of album-ender “Rocker” reminds me a little of Helix’s “Heavy Metal Love,” and it certainly has that modestly wild-yet-contained Helix vibe, though the vocal harmonies in some spots are reminiscent of the richer harmonies of other ’80s rock bands. Notably – and enjoyably – the axework that sits atop the beat is of the flamboyant shredding variety found on a variety of ’80s album rock tracks.

Guitar-based classic rock fans are sure to enjoy Thorslund’s self-titled debut LP. My favorites remain “Firecracker Man,” “Hours to Go,” and “Wildfire,” but yours may be different.

Looking Ahead

The “Live” page of Thorslund’s website doesn’t list any upcoming shows, but check back for dates as they’re added.