Tag Archives: Geoff Wilbur

Album Review: Floor Space – Maybe This Is It

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Floor Space

photo by @redhatjessy; photo courtesy of Big Picture Media

Album Review of Floor Space: Maybe This Is It

Every once in a while, there’s a new punk-influenced record that captures my attention, something with a freshness – a je ne sais quoi – that places it a notch above other good punk-based offerings. Floor Space‘s Maybe This Is It is a pop-sensible, hook-laden disc that does just that. Stylistically, it brings to mind Green Day and Good Charlotte on various songs, with a hint of chartable alt-rock (Jimmy Eat World?) in there, too. Yeah, this album recalls all your ’00s favorites but with a fresh, updated sound. The sound is aggressive and the lyrics are often complaining, but the songs aren’t plaintive; instead, there’s an energetic enthusiasm throughout the disc that’s infectious.

I hear a lot of pop-punk acts (I mean, I used to hear more several years ago, obviously), and it’s rare one piques my interest the way Floor Space does. There’s not a lot of separation among the very good bands in this genre, and when one stands out, it’s sometimes hard to put your finger on exactly why because it’s usually a combination of a lot of little things. Such is the case for me with Floor Space. This band is special, and I’ll do my best to articulate why as I progress song-by-song through Maybe This Is It.

“Spine” opens up a heavy rhythm section, an aggressive but catchy guitar line, clever verses, and the tunefully shouted, repeated phrase “I wish that you had spine!” It’s a good song. Not my favorite on the album, but it’s a great album-opener, letting the listeners know exactly what they’re in for. “Replay Buttons” is a little more of a Good Charlotte-esque sing-songy pop punk, with a groove you’re sure to sway to.

Floor Space – Maybe This Is It

image courtesy of Big Picture Media

The frenetic pace resumes on “Easier,” which sports the memorable lyrics “I don’t like you, but I don’t like me more” and “it’s real life, oh f*ck, it’s real life.” That second one maybe won’t stick with you as long after the song has ended, but you will sing along to it during the song, so, um, maybe don’t listen to this track at work.

Following, I like the stop-and-go guitar hooks in energetic “Ricochet” and the only slightly less frenetic “Smile While It’s Ending,” but the next track that blows me away is “Aren’t You Sick?”

“Aren’t You Sick?” has a slower, more deliberate pace, but the lyrics about being a band trying to get noticed are a great listen: “Aren’t you sick of the same damn routine? This whole machine. The same ten bands that run the scene, and the gatekeepers that don’t like me. Punk rock politics. Killing yourself to get more clicks…” The vocal rhythm is ideally paced and varied. There’s just enough blank space to draw attention. And the song is well designed to climax at the end with one final “aren’t you sick?” and a distorted guitar chord fade-out.

“Dibs” is the first mellow, melancholic song on the record, and it doesn’t appear until song seven out of ten. I suppose this is the song that’d be the big hit in the ’00s, since this is how bands like Simple Plan and New Found Glory scored their biggest crossover/breakthrough hits. What do I like best about “Dibs”? Gotta be the sax. I’m a big believer that there’s not enough saxophone in rock music anymore, so it’s especially cool to hear it on a pop punk album like this where it particularly unexpected.

“This Again” is an energetic, engaging song about getting over someone – rock song-topic gold, in other words. But it’s the following song, “Self-Destruct” that’ll be the next one to really jump off the disc at you. A different vocal cadence and funky rock rhythm will grab your attention, and a late-song, classic rockin’-almost guitar bridge will help hold it to the end.

The album ends with “Glass Dreams,” driven by a steady, prominent bass line, a playful, tuneful guitar line, and the ultimate singalong vocal line “I’m shitty I admit it when I am wrong.” “Glass Dreams” has the sort of rockin’ guitar-driven power you’ll find on pop-punk songs with staying power and crossover appeal.

Beginning to end, Maybe This Is It a great listen. A fun ride. A good album to get energized to when you’re feeling too mellow. A good record to work off some rage to. You know, whatever you need, as long as energetic music will get the job done. My picks for individual listens would be “Easier,” “Aren’t You Sick?,” “Dibs,” “This Again,” and “Glass Dreams.” OK, so that’s half the album, and I almost also added “Self-Destruct.” Like I said, it’s a really good album.

Looking Ahead

It looks like you’ll be able to catch Floor Space live in the Midwest, on tour with Goalkeeper this spring, starting March 28 at the Hoosier Dome in Indianapolis, running through April 6 at Mahall’s Apartment in Lakewood, Ohio. (Hey, when I used to attend Undercurrents Music Conference in the ’90s, the weekend shows were on Detroit Ave. in the blocks around West 117th in Lakewood. That’s a cool little Cleveland suburb. Shoutout to Lakewood!) In-between, the tour hits Minneapolis, Chicago, Tulsa, St. Louis, Nashville, Columbus, OH, and Pontiac, MI. Dates and venues are listed here on this Instagram post. Of course, check with your local venue for tickets and start times.

Single Review: Evick – “To Whom It May Concern”

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image courtesy of Head First Entertainment

Single Review of Evick: “To Whom It May Concern”

Pete Evick was the guitarist for Some Odd Reason, a band that released the album To Whom It May Concern on Sol 3 Records in 1998. Later, as lead singer of Evick, Pete began to reimagine and rerecord some of the material he had written for Some Odd Reason, including, in 2002, “To Whom It May Concern.” A hard drive crash seemingly lost those re-recordings, but 21 years later, the song has been resurrected and released. Pete chose to use the raw, stripped-down vocals from that original recording for this 2023 single release.

“To Whom It May Concern” begins and ends with the phrase “I used to believe in God,” and it chronicles Pete’s struggles with faith, notably though not exclusively during times of war. Pete’s hoarse, gravelly vocals recall singers like Bret Michaels, with “To Whom…” being particularly reminiscent of Poison’s “Something to Believe In.”

Evick’s “To Whom It May Concern” is rawer than the Some Odd Reason original, enhancing the potency of the song’s emotion. The song begins with just vocals and piano from that 2002 demo, with musical support building and becoming more powerful as the song progresses. There’s also a nifty little guitar solo in a late-song bridge that’s worth noticing.

Pete’s role as the Bret Michaels Band’s guitarist is an interesting coincidence – I didn’t realize that connection when I originally compared Pete’s vocals on this song to Bret’s. Still, you can probably guess how you’ll feel about “To Whom It May Concern” based on your answer to the question “Do you like Poison’s ballads, like ‘Something to Believe In’?” If you do, then this song will be right up your alley.

To stay up-to-date on Pete Evick’s latest goings-on, be sure to follow him on Facebook or Instagram. Or you can visit evick.com, where Pete is selling his books, MTV Famous and The Moments That Make Us.

Album Review: Eddie Japan – Pop Fiction

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Eddie Japan

photo by Joshua Pickering; photo courtesy of Eddie Japan

Album Review of Eddie Japan: Pop Fiction

Eddie Japan is one of Boston’s top local rock bands. Stylistically, they’re a big stage-filling, theatrical rock act. At the same time, Eddie Japan is also simply a rock band, a very talented one with its own big style. The best comparison might be to Queen or Meat Loaf but more mid-tempo, closer to the middle than to the hard rock end of the rock spectrum. Eddie Japan is a band with a big personality, one you might dress a little nicer to go see in concert, even if half of the room is still dressed down.

The first five songs are a re-release of the band’s 2019 EP The Amorous Adventures of Edward Japan. But that’s not an EP I had heard before, so the songs are all new to me, and they’re impressive! Those first five songs from Pop Fiction could easily be the soundtrack album from a big Hollywood musical or a cast recording from a Broadway musical. A quirky musical, like The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Or, better yet, Little Shop of Horrors might be a better fit. The rest of the album is stylistically similar, and many of the songs seem thematically related, but they don’t fit quite as neatly and tightly as the first five. It’s just a slight disconnect that doesn’t affect the enjoyment of this beginning-to-end kickass rock album, not even a little, but once I discovered the EP, it made more sense.

So let’s talk about the music. Big songs, a theatrical delivery style for the most part, killer hooks that’ll have you singing the songs for weeks. Pop Fiction is an impressive release. It’s no wonder the band and album received some nominations during the 2023 awards season. At the 2023 New England Music Awards, for example, the band was nominated for Act of the Year. In addition, “Time Machine,” a song Eddie Japan recorded with The Cars’ Greg Hawkes on keyboard, was nominated for Song of the Year and Video of the Year, winning the Video of the Year category with this clever music video. Meanwhile, David Santos received a Vocalist of the Year nomination from the Boston Music Awards.

Eddie Japan is a big, dramatic rock band with an equally big line-up. Or, at least, many – seven! – band members: Eric Brosius (guitars), Emily Drohan (vocals), Chuck Ferreira (drums/percussion), Bart LoPiccolo (guitars) Charles Membrino (bass), Aaron Rosenthal (keyboards), and David Santos (vocals).

Eddie Japan – Pop Fiction

cover design by Todd Alcott; image courtesy of Eddie Japan

Greg Hawkes appears on a pair of the disc’s songs – “I Can’t Wait” and the award-nominated “Time Machine” – and has performed with Eddie Japan on occasion, including for performances of The Cars’ music. You can hear Hawkes’ progressive pop-friendly rock keyboardwork in those songs, but there’s a similar broad-appeal, quirky rock vibe on many of the other tracks, as well. I suppose that’s why the partnership works so well. Could Eddie Japan simply be The Cars but with a more prominent rhythm section and a pair of very different outstandingly talented vocalists? That may be stretching it a little, but they’d certainly have been an ideal pairing at a big arena concert.

The album itself begins with “Edward Descending,” kicking off with a relatively high-tempoed beat. This song leaves a strong first impression and brings to mind a movie musical dance number. Particularly at the end of the song, the vocals bring to mind – for me, at least – one of Meat Loaf’s more theatrical numbers. It’s also the sort of fun, concert-opening song that’ll get a concert hall onto its feet, dancing to the rock music if there’s room to dance. Probably even if there isn’t room.

“Summer Hair,” next, is a smooth, floating, soaring number that starts off innocuous enough but grows on you – as you discover the nuanced arrangement over the course of multiple listens – to become one of your favorites. The singalong lyric here would be: “Take my hand, the summer’s almost gone. I’d rather fall with you than stand on my own.”

It’s followed by an easy quick favorite, “If I Should Fall.” It’s musically and lyrically dynamic with an irresistible rhythm. And what’s creating that rhythmic, bouncy squeak? Is that a keyboard sound? Heck, it almost sounds like the theremin, which I’m only even familiar with because Sheldon had one on The Big Bang Theory. No, not exactly. Regardless, if I wanted to get myself pumped up for a night out or a big event or a competition or even if I was just looking for a song to crank up to fill the dancefloor, this would be my choice. And, let’s say, I wanted to dance around my house, with the shades drawn so none of my friends or neighbors could see me jumping around like a lunatic? Yes, this would be the song. (Not that I’ve ever done that, of course.)

Next, “The Dandy of Suburbia” is a slower-paced number, melancholic, and lyrically clever. Then “Undertow” with its singalong phrase “do you want, do you want, do you want, do you want me now” follows, serving as a solid lead-in to the first post-Amorous EP track, “I Can’t Wait,” with its pulsing rhythm, palpable tension, and periodic musical eruptions, climaxing twice with the lyrics “Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh! I get away!” in the middle of the song, before calming down a bit, but returning again near the end.

Eddie Japan

photo by Jenny Bergman; photo courtesy of Eddie Japan

Next up, “Lost Weekend” is a fun, Eddie Japan-ified mid-tempo rocker, one of my faves on this disc, that’d be one of the more charismatic songs on most rock bands’ albums but is almost tame compared to some of the more theatrical songs in this collection.

“Walk Away” brings a bit more energy and power, though its style is still straightforward rock ‘n roll, with plenty of raucous guitar and drums but also some of those nifty pop-infused quirky keyboard rock sounds you might expect from a Beantown band with a clear Cars connection.

“Time Machine,” which is accompanied by this award-winning video, is a peppy classic pop-rock number. You can hear Greg Hawkes’ contribution here, though the hand-claps and the steady guitar riffs also contribute to the song’s very ’80s pop-rock hit flavor, resulting in another broad-appeal favorite from this album.

Penultimate track “The Pull of the Moon” is slow, airy, and eerily dramatic (also, lyrically dramatic: “I will not dance with your cold lunacy…”), with occasional builds to power, though still just a soft power. Very atmospheric and cool.

“Rented Rooms” concludes the disc with a song that ties things together very… well, as Eddie Japan might say, cinematically. The song has a big sound, a bouncy rhythm, and intriguing lyrics, such as “And now she stands before me as naked as a flower, and I’m searching for my higher self in a room rented by the hour.” Indeed, just like the preceding EP, this song itself is an amorous adventure. And, musically, a fun final song to an album that’s a party-on-a-disc from beginning to end.

Pop Fiction is an engagingly fun listen. It’s well-written, elaborately instrumented, potentially interesting to audiophiles and casual listeners alike. With its crossover appeal, it’s one of those albums that will have an honored place in music collections of fans spanning a broad range of pop and rock subgenres because, while it does have that broad appeal, Pop Fiction is unlikely to be like anything else in your collection. If you’ve not yet heard the album, give it a listen.

Looking Ahead

The “Shows” page on the band’s website lists a Saturday, May 11th gig in Plymouth, MA and a Saturday, September 28th show in Malden, MA. Eddie Japan also performs the music of The Cars with Greg Hawkes. You can find several upcoming dates listed on the “w/ Greg Hawkes” page of the website, with the next show on Friday, May 3rd in Old Saybrook, CT (as confirmed by this Instagram post). Additional dates listed include Friday, June 28th in Sellersville, PA, Saturday, June 29th in Annapolis, MD, Saturday, July 13th in Natick, MA, Saturday, July 20th in Toronto, and a Saturday, August 10th show listed simply as “TBA.” The band also announces upcoming gigs on Facebook and Instagram, so those are alternative sources for show information. These are definitely must-see shows if you’re local to one of those cities or if Eddie Japan adds a gig near you.

Single Review: Voodoo Circle – “Sweet Devotion”

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Voodoo Circle

photo courtesy of BJF Media

Single Review of Voodoo Circle: “Sweet Devotion” (AFM Records)

Voodoo Circle is Alex Beyrodt (guitars), David Readman (vocals), Mat Sinner (bass), and Markus Kullman (drums). In December, this rock band marked its 15th anniversary by releasing 15 Years of Voodoo, a “best of” collection that features past favorites plus two brand new tracks. One of two new songs, “Sweet Devotion”, was released as a single a few weeks before the album dropped.

“Sweet Devotion” is a twisting, sidewinder of a rock ‘n roll song, a bit reminiscent in the opening of Aerosmith’s “Sweet Emotion,” primarily the delivery of the “ee” in “sweet,” though the song overall falls into the soaring, screaming subcategory of classic hard rock, exhibiting much more than just a little Whitesnake vibe throughout, sometimes roaring but at other times slowing down and tunefully soaring.

“Sweet Devotion” is a tightly performed, heavy classic rocker, one you’ll definitely want to experience for yourself. For those who haven’t heard of Voodoo Circle, this song will be a great entry point. And for those who have heard the band’s previous albums, “Sweet Devotion” is likely to become a quick favorite.

Looking Ahead

The “tour” page of the band’s website doesn’t list any upcoming dates. Neither does the band’s Facebook page, though that looks a bit more active, so it might be a better way to follow the band.

EP Review: Summerlyn Powers – The Hive

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Summerlyn Powers smiles in this promo photo

photo by Mia Cervantes Photography; photo courtesy of Skye Media

EP Review of Summerlyn Powers: The Hive

Summerlyn Powers has a pure, emotional voice that’s ideally suited to the short collection of mostly folk-leaning storytelling country songs on her new EP The Hive. However, she’s an artist with a much broader musical palate to draw upon, as the variety on this 5-song EP showcases.

Summerlyn Powers – The Hive album cover

image courtesy of Skye Media

Indeed, there’s plenty of variety on this record, including a more traditional country number, some acoustic, folky country numbers, and even a bluesy country rocker. Summerlyn’s bio mentions influences ranging from Southern rockers like Lynyrd Skynyrd to ’70s folk singer-songwriters like James Taylor – those influences and more are apparent on The Hive.

Though the entire disc is solid, well-written, and exceptionally performed, my favorites are the first two tracks, “The Hive” and “Always On My Mind.” Then again, I tend to drift toward uptempo numbers, so your preferences may differ.

“The Hive” is a super-catchy, very original, uptempo, traditional country storytelling song. Well, it’s not exactly a story, but whew, it energetically paints a picture. In parts, it recalls something Dolly Patron might have sung. Lyrically, the song directs the listener to a house for music and fun using landmarks like a beehive and a “beware of the bear” sign. But the song is more than just a series of helpful directions for when your map app loses signal; it’s a rollicking good time!

Summerlyn Powers stands on a riverbank in this promo photo

photo by Mia Cervantes Photography; photo courtesy of Skye Media

The second song, “Always On My Mind” has a late ’60s/early ’70s folky rock flair with a little Beatles-y “Here Comes the Sun” vibe, particularly in the opening. Summerlyn churns through a lot of lyrics, probably moreso than the ’70s folky pop-rock style the song conjures up with lyrics like “babe, you were crazy hard to find, but you were always on my mind.” Well, “crazy hard to find” isn’t a phrase you’d have heard in the ’70s, but I suppose that just makes the song all the more original and intriguing.

“Healing Like I Am” brings the room down musically, with its soft tone and slower tempo, and it covers a topic that could easily also depress the room’s mood. But it doesn’t; it’s a post-breakup song that’s thoughtful and kind. The tune bops along pleasantly, and the sentiment is much warmer than the subject matter would typically indicate, pleasantly discussing the pain, the healing, and the path ahead.

Summerlyn Powers stands in a river or creek in this promo photo

photo by Mia Cervantes Photography; photo courtesy of Skye Media

“Nana and Papa’s House” is a thoughtful, melancholic number that’s both sad and pleasantly reminiscent about missing one’s late grandparents. It’s lyrically well-crafted and nostalgic, with accompanying sweet, soft music, though it’s not so slow that it doesn’t move. Indeed, there’s a little more tempo than you might expect. It’s a sweet, pleasant song that’s likely to cause a few sniffles and tears in the audience, particularly if sung in an intimate setting. Or, you know, listening to the song on headphones by yourself… I’m not crying, you are!

The five-song collection ends with another change of pace for the diverse Ms. Powers; it’s a bluesy country/Southern rocker! On “Let’s Roll!” Summerlyn deploys a surprisingly gritty edge to her vocals, pulling off just the right delivery for this jammin’, wailin’ tune.

With the variety on this EP, Summerlyn Powers is definitely a young artist to watch, someone whose variety of musical influences will allow her to create interesting music that incorporates elements of a variety of genres. If she continues down her current path, she can build a rich and broad but cohesive musical catalog, appealing to a diverse fan base, perhaps centered within country music but extending well beyond.

 

Summerlyn Powers stands on a riverbank in this promo photo

photo by Mia Cervantes Photography; photo courtesy of Skye Media

Looking Ahead

The “Tour Dates” page of Summerlyn’s website list shows in Tennessee, Mississippi, and Alabama from this week through April, beginning and ending with Nashville shows on February 29th and April 29th. Check her website for details and circle back to remain aware of additional tour performances as they’re added.

Looking Way, Way Back

Here’s a neat tidbit: Summerlyn’s music career began in 2012 when she was 11 years old and released “Alabama Kinda Girl,” complete with this video, which features an appearance by Pam Tillis.

Single Review: Simon Scardanelli – “Without You – Live in Sanremo”

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Simon Scardanelli – "Without You – Live in Sanremo"

image courtesy of Simon Scardanelli

Single Review of Simon Scardanelli: “Without You – Live in Sanremo”

We’ve reviewed Simon Scardanelli‘s music many times here at the Blog; most recently I reviewed his “Fish Out of Water” single in September.

His newest single, “Without You – Live in Sanremo,” has a cool backstory. SanremoSenior is an international competition for “over 34” solo singers and singer-songwriters. Simon entered “Without You” into the 2023 competition. (You can hear a 2018 studio recording of the song here.) His entry was accepted, so he traveled to Sanremo, Italy in October 2023 for the competition. After a semifinal performance, Simon made it through to the “Grand World Final” where his performance earned him third place in the “over 60” singer-songwriter category at SanremoSenior. “Without You – Live in Sanremo” is a recording of his award-winning performance. (You can see a video of the performance here.)

Simon Scardanelli

photo courtesy of Simon Scardanelli

“Without You” is a song that you can quickly identify as one of Simon’s even if you’ve not heard it before. The live performance is relatively simple, a softly-picked guitar and an emotional voice that sings softly sometimes, cracks with power other times, and quivers just enough to imbue intense feeling into the song at opportune moments. The song has a flowing tempo and an effectively varying vocal pacing that should not be unfamiliar to those who’ve heard a lot of music from his catalog. But even though the music and vocals swoop in an ebb and flow, “Without You” doesn’t contain some of the seemingly ominous overtones that so often accompany the songs Simon delivers in this style – or, at least, those of his songs I associate with this style – resulting in a pleasant listen that’s not simultaneously a little disquieting for a change.

A lot of care was taken to get a studio-quality sound from this festival performance – Simon discusses some of the recording and mixing details on the Bandcamp page for this song. The result is a great song with a bit of live-performance energy, distinguishing it from a studio recording.

Looking Ahead

The “Concerts” page of Simon’s website lists more than a dozen upcoming performances, all in France, beginning with a March 9th performance at Café de La Forge in Guillac and extending through an August 15th gig at Pap ‘Oyo in Plougasnou. You can find additional details at the website; be sure to check back periodically as new shows are added.

And, of course, as Simon never seems to take a break from being creative, he is currently working on a new album.

Album Review: Dokken – Heaven Comes Down

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Dokken – Heaven Comes Down

image courtesy of New Ocean Media

Album Review of Dokken: Heaven Comes Down (Silver Lining Music)

Have you been missing your Dokken fix? Heaven Comes Down is the band’s first release in more than a decade and – spoiler alert – it rocks! Musically, the album is akin to Tooth and Nail-era Dokken, a little rawer but just as melodic as the band’s biggest hit-era discs and a frequent fave among old-school Dokken fans. In that respect, Heaven Comes Down serves as a terrific introduction to the band for potentially brand-new fans, if this were to be their first encounter with the band.

The album kicks things off with high-energy rocker “Fugitive.” Guitarist Jon Levin, serving as Dokken’s lead guitarist for the fourth consecutive album dating back to 2004, absolutely shreds, propelling this song a mile a minute with the help of rhythm section Chris McCarvill (bass) and BJ Zamp (drums). Meanwhile, Don delivers an impassioned vocal performance, with the added bit of gravel in his vocals – when compared to early Dokken, at least – providing a little more rock grit on this song, in particular, and a bit of gravitas to the album in general. In the melodic hit era, “Fugitive” would be a certain top-ten hit. It’s my favorite song on the album, though others come close.

“Gypsy,” song two, maintains the energy level and pace of “Fugitive,” delivering a similarly-styled catchy tune. “Is It Me Or Is It You?” adds a sidewinding rhythm to the formula; it’s just as heavy as the first two tracks, but Don’s vocals soar a bit more, and Jon’s solo is a little more finesse-based and less aggressive.

“Just Like a Rose” is just as heavy as the preceding tracks, but the music flows more smoothly, in classic Dokken fashion, and the arrangement features a some open space, just slightly less densely packed with instrumentation.

“I’ll Never Give Up” is the disc’s power ballad. Fiercely emotional melodic hard rock vocals drive the song, and a nifty guitar solo matches the tone, fitting nice into the song as it drives things forward. As much as “Fugitive” would be a top-ten hit in melodic hard rock’s heyday, “I’ll Never Give Up” is the sort of ballad that might have reached number one.

“Saving Grace” is a stereotypically old-school Dokken-styled power rocker, mid-tempo, with the weightiness a result of its heavy rhythm rather than speed.

“Over the Mountain” picks up the tempo a little, but it isn’t as much faster as it seems; mostly it’s the nifty guitar hook in the verses and the crisp skinswork in the chorus that give the song its pace. Buried on the back half of the disc and not particularly ostentatious, “Over the Mountain” is a sneaky-good tune that’ll grow into a favorite.

“I Remember” is one of those slower-paced songs that’s still not a ballad, in part because the chorus picks up a little speed. I mean, yeah, this would be a slow dance song at a rock club, but it’s kinda pushing the limit of what works.

Penultimate track “Lost in You” is a guitar-driven slow-tempo heavy rocker not unlike “Saving Grace.” Yeah, the guitar hook is different, but the two songs always remind me of each other.

And finally, “Santa Fe” closes the disc with a cool, mid-tempo, acoustic guitar-driven western musical flavor. The light music bed highlights Don’s softly emotional, somewhat wistful vocals and lyrics. It’s a twangy song with lyrics about horses and whiskey and heading to Santa Fe. It’s one of my favorite tracks on the disc, a terrific way to end an album.

In the end, this is a classic Dokken-styled record with well-written songs, attention-grabbing axework, an often-soaring hard rock vocal delivery that’s a Don Dokken specialty, an overall heaviness with a variety of tempos that are often actually less fast than they seem, the requisite hit-caliber power ballad, and excellent musicianship throughout.

Looking Ahead

Dokken’s web site lists several tour dates (scroll down a little to see them), including three spring dates currently scheduled: March 1st in St. Charles, IL; March 2nd in Medina, MN; and April 6th at the Ground Zero Music Festival in Bandera, TX. Concert dates are also listed for an August European tour and a couple of September west coast dates (Nevada and California). Be sure to check the website for more details and for additional dates as they’re added.

Single Review: Rachel Stacy – “Empty Glass”

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Rachel Stacy – "Empty Glass"

image courtesy of Triumph Publicity

I’ve been listening to country fiddling phenom Rachel Stacy since before I started this blog.  An MP3 of her song “How’s It Gonna Feel” has been on my phone for more than a decade. (I’d share a link, but I can’t find it online anymore.) Recently, when I heard Rachel’s newest single “Empty Glass,” I immediately reached out to request to review it. So, yeah, I already dug this artist and this single before the song’s many spins in my review queue. With that as a backdrop, let’s get to the review.

Single Review of Rachel Stacy: “Empty Glass”

Rachel Stacy

photo courtesy of Triumph Publicity

“Empty Glass” was penned by Dean Dillon and Gary Stewart in 1988. You can hear the original on Gary Stewart’s 1988 album Brand New. Rachel Stacy’s cover modernizes the song’s sound, removing some of the, with all due respect (because I enjoyed that era of country music), cheesy lounginess of the original by stepping up the tempo and singing it with a grittier edge. The strings class the song up, with the fiddle work playing the role of lead or rhythm guitar at times and completely carrying a bridge. Adding to the end-of-the-night, closing-the-bar-down flavor, Rachel’s voice has a grittiness, as if she has had a rough night and is, indeed, on her last cigarette, staring wearily into an empty whiskey glass. At the appropriate times, though, her vocals soar, occasionally with an anguished power – not exactly a wail, but somewhere in that neighborhood. All told, this arrangement of “Empty Glass” fully utilizes Rachel’s vocal and musical talents. You won’t soon forget her version of this classic song.

If updated, richly-textured, contemporary classic country were a radio staple these days, we’d be hearing this song all over the airwaves already. It’s nice to see the song is charting, apparently reaching some audience; indeed, it deserves to be even more widely heard. If you’re a country music fan who hasn’t yet discovered Rachel Stacy’s music, this song would make a great introduction, after which you’ll certainly want to sample more songs from Rachel’s catalog.

Looking Ahead

You can find Rachel’s various social media accounts and latest links via her linktree.

To be aware of Rachel’s upcoming live performances, periodically check the “Upcoming Shows” page of her website. The site currently lists several shows in and around Dallas from February 29th through March 17th.

The “Events” tab of Rachel’s Facebook page also lists a June 22nd performance at the In The Music Room Studio & Listening Room in Waxahachie, TX. This looks like the sort of small, intimate performance space that would be an ideal place to catch a talented artist.

Those looking for more new music from Rachel will be pleased to learn that her next single, “Three Words,” is scheduled for a March 29th release.

Album Review: Craig Bickhardt – Outpourings

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Craig Bickhardt

photo courtesy of Trespass Music

Album Review of Craig Bickhardt: Outpourings

Craig Bickhardt is a singer-songwriter who sings folk songs, sprinkled with a hint of Americana, with a rich, resonant, just slightly raspy voice and a penchant for connecting with his listeners as if he’s telling stories we’ve all heard a million times before, but perhaps with different details and not previously told quite so well. Craig is a songwriter whose songs have been recorded by a lot of major country music artists and a few from other genres, too, as you can see from the discography page on his website. As is sometimes the case with great songwriters, Craig is a talented recording artist in his own right, his musical talents providing voice and accompaniment to his own-penned musical creations.

Craig Bickhardt – Outpourings

image courtesy of Trespass Music

Outpourings is a 13-song trip with Craig’s heartfelt voice as the guide. On this record, I’d place him squarely on the folk side of Americana, though perhaps renditions that were more electric and less acoustic would raise the hint of country to greater prominence in the mix.

Opening track, “Breaking the Bread,” immediately caught my attention. Fast-picking, a warm, rough-edged vocal, and a welcoming message – “so glad you’re here, breaking the bread” – provide a welcoming entrée to the album. I hear hints (just hints) of Jim Croce in Craig’s voice, mostly in the delivery, but it’s a surefire attention-grabber.

In “Ancient Lullabies,” I hear a tone that’s more in line with the delivery soft rock piano-man Joshua Kadison used on his mellowest songs. By the end of the disc, you really just hear Craig Bickhardt, but early on you notice the presence elements you appreciate in some other great vocalists, and it helps you appreciate Craig’s vocal talent. Of course, the man’s an accomplished songwriter, so the song structure and lyrics are consistently top-shelf.

Throughout the record, Craig chooses topics that will evoke emotion, and then he paints detailed pictures with his lyrics and the emotion in his voice. There are a few songs that stand out for me; you may or may not have the same favorites.

Craig Bickhardt

photo courtesy of Trespass Music

In “England Or Me,” Craig sings an emotionally power-packed tale of finding love during World War II. It’s a powerful song that’ll leave a lump in your throat, even though neither Craig nor we (most of us) were around for that period of world history. The song and the story it tells, however, are timeless.

“She Won’t Be Yours Alone” is another standout track that will stick with you. It’s an uptempo song that lilts and lifts and dances its way around and through some nifty, thoughtful, clever lyrics.

“Fire in the Spirit” introduces harmony vocals from Aislinn Bickhardt Landolt that blend well with Craig’s voice to offer a new, intriguing vocal line.

“Steal Home (Letter to Curt Flood)” won’t just resonate with baseball fans who understand the importance of Curt Flood in the history of major league baseball free agency. The song soars with melancholy, particularly when the lyrics circle back to introspection.

When Craig adds some tempo to his songs, as he does in spots on “Hills of Geronimo,” another personal favorite, it adds nice variety to the album, probably the reason a song like this is memorable, though the heavy lyrics are there for anyone who chooses to listen closely.

Craig Bickhardt

photo courtesy of Trespass Music

“I Don’t Know About Love At All” is a pure acoustic country ballad, with Tom Hampton’s lap steel providing a lot of that country twang, though the lyrics and Craig’s delivery of them also recall open spaces, suggesting this as a song that might be poured out while sitting around a campfire if a cowboy – or a poet staying up late under the stars – were so inclined.

“If Holes Were Coins” is slow-tempo rockin’ Americana with a serious country edge. Fast picking, organ-like sound in the keywork, harmony vocals again from Aislinn Bickhart Landolt, and the odd lyrical image of “if holes were coins” combine with, probably, the song’s next-to-last position on the album to cause it to be one of those songs that stick with you after the album ends.

Craig closes the disc with a song that returns to the folk side of the spectrum, extending over a bit to the soft rock/singer-songwriter lane, with dancing keys contributing to the light feeling of “I Live For This.” The lyrics, too, seem like something you might expect to be the life motto of a songwriting folk troubadour: “Some cry for more, some die for less. I live for this.”

And with that, the album ends. It’s a mostly folk album with a few other influences popping up in spots, including a more country-flavored section toward the end of the collection. If you like folk singing and appreciate a singer-songwriter who’s a master at his craft, you’ll enjoy Craig Bickhardt’s Outpourings. I’ve certainly enjoyed getting to know this disc.

Craig Bickhardt

photo courtesy of Trespass Music

More Recently

Outpourings was released in January 2023, more than a year ago, and is one of the albums I felt I needed to review as I circled back to see what I missed during my 19-month writing hiatus that ended last summer. In September, Craig re-released No Road Back: A Retrospective, a 2010 album that had long been out of print. The “News” page of Craig’s website also mentions a limited-edition 26-song edition of Outpourings, double the length of the album I just reviewed. The message containing that information is more than a year old, but if you’re a Craig Bickhardt fan, it might be worth reaching out to see if any of those are still available. Of course, if you stream, you can listen to the 26-song version of the album on Spotify.

Looking Ahead

The “Tour” page on Craig’s website lists several upcoming performances, starting March 9th in Ewing, New Jersey. Additional dates spanning the rest of the year are listed in Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Massachusetts. Check Craig’s website for dates, locations, and ticket information for those concerts, and be sure to circle back periodically for new dates as they’re added.

Album Review: Major Moment – The Pain That Makes Us Grow

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Major Moment

photo by Evan Middleton; photo courtesy of Major Moment

Album Review of Major Moment: The Pain That Makes Us Grow

Major Moment‘s sound will catch your ear immediately. They’re one of the best “pop metal bands” I’ve heard in recent years. Their music is synth-loaded, with rockin’ guitars, heavy rhythms, and vocals that range from smooth and soaring to grisly and metallic. If you don’t yet know about Major Moment, especially if you don’t actively seek out music outside the mainstream consciousness, think about some of the most rockin’ Imagine Dragons songs but with double the power. Among bands I’ve reviewed recently, I’d be most likely to pair Major Moment with Metalite. Among the “similar bands” Major Moment mentions on its website, I hear the strongest correlation with Starset; also, though, I hear strong similarities with Skillet, but with generally crisper vocals, and with Bad Omens, but with a willingness to take the vocals a little rougher when called-upon. I hear elements of the rest of the bands Major Moment self-compares to, but those are the strongest comparisons.

Although Boston-based Major Moment burst upon the scene in 2018 with its EP one small stEP, I first ran across the band while listening to music from the 2023 New England Music Awards nominees, as I always do before deciding who to vote for; Major Moment’s video for “Toxic” was nominated for Video of the Year.

Major Moment – The Pain That Makes Us Grow

image courtesy of Major Moment

The Pain That Makes Us Grow is a 14-song collection that Major Moment plans to release one single at a time, while the entire collection is available for purchase by fans with a tentative shipping date of March 2024, months before being available on streaming platforms, with special vinyl bundles being available, too. Starting with the 2020 release of “The Flood” and including the late 2023 release of “Losing Battles,” by my count, six of the fourteen tracks can currently be heard online. The seventh single, “Victim,” is scheduled for a February 23rd release. Personally, I think this is a cool way for musicians to make maximum use of streaming while offering something special to their biggest fans.

Sonically, Major Moment is a band with an identifiable sound that’s fun to listen to, in its deep, sometimes dark, often introspective way. Each song on its own is engaging and attention-grabbing. As a collection, they still are, though you if you prefer an immersive experience, the music is cohesive enough that you can let the songs begin to blend together and simply enjoy the ride, as you might when attending a Major Moment concert, with perhaps just your own two or three favorites briefly rising to more conscious awareness. If you choose this path, to listen less intently, the album provides an immersive adrenaline ride, one that seemingly ends all too soon. Surprising, since it’s a 14-song ride. But each song also deserves a more intentional listen, as the music is meticulously planned and so many of the lyrics are exceptionally well-crafted.

The album opens with “Toxic,” the very song that led me to further investigate this talented rock band. Aggressive rhythm combines with metal vocals that range from tuneful to shout-singing (and even some death growling), bringing life to lyrics like “So toxic, you never let me breathe. I’m losing sleep to give you everything. Oh I’m sick, and you refuse to see I owe you nothing, don’t owe you anything.” The song’s anger is, indeed, well-founded; abusers and gaslighters begone.

“Voices” has a bit more finesse, with rhythmically lighter verses that build to synth- and drum-driven climaxes and a bridge that utilizes the song’s most insistent pace during the transitional late-middle.

Major Moment

photo by Evan Middleton; photo courtesy of Major Moment

“You’ll Never Know,” after buzzing into existence, carries a steadier rhythm and, like most of this album, is driven by great lyrics. The lyrics that jump out most obviously in this song about ignorance breeding bigotry, the lyrics you’ll sing along with, are “You’re a fool. I’m the exception, you’re the rule.” However, I prefer the subtler: “Over and over, you talk over me with all the lies that you believe. Over and over, you walk over me. You dare to tell me I’m naïve.” The song is so engaging, you’ll have to remember to pay attention to all of the lyrics, not just the ones that jump out at you. But, as with almost every Major Moment song, the lyrics are as cool as the music.

A steady pace and rhythm drive “No Fear.” It’s a steady, energetic rock song about ignorance and intolerance. I mean, each of these songs would stand out on its own – a great advantage to releasing them one at a time as singles rather than all at once, lest some gems get lost in the shuffle.

“Overcome” is one of those big songs that will overwhelm any playlist and jump out among the songs around it. A drip, drip, drip leads to a musical outburst, foreshadowing the contrast between the light openness of the verses and the denser, more energetic choruses. There’s a powerful metal-shouted, late-song bridge that transitions to one final quick chorus. In fact, it’s this late transition that helps “Overcome” flow so smoothly into the next song that you barely notice the end of “Overcome” and the beginning of “Victim” because it almost feels like just another transition. (Major kudos for this back-to-back song placement!)

“Victim,” then, carries a similar pace as its predecessor but a very different cadence. In fact, “Victim” is another one of those big standalone songs, the lead-in transition notwithstanding. The song, a warning about living in the past, contains the cool lyrics, “Stop looking back, breathing the air of the past. You’re the victim of your whole life passing by. No harm, no foul, nobody’s gonna cry.” The metal-styled vocal differs from “Overcome” in that it is a bit less harsh, at the end of the song, and shorter, but the two songs feel very structurally similar. Still, though, they’re different and individual enough, with slightly different vibes, that they’re hit-caliber songs in their own rights while proving to be an inspired back-to-back song placement on the album.

“Lunacy” is quite possibly my favorite song in this collection. It has a NSFW lyric that should be cautioned against if you’re listening around other people, especially since it’s probably the most singalongable lyric on the entire album. Seriously, be careful, especially while at work, not to shout along with “You must be f*cking kidding me! My ears are ringing from the laughable lies you claim. You propel the pain. It’s all frenetic. (It’s all frenetic.) You’re so pathetic.” Lyrically, the song is awesome throughout. It’s a full-on mock of conspiracy theorists. Yes, we are all shaking our heads in disbelief at your lunacy. “You’re so pathetic.”

Major Moment

photo by Evan Middleton; photo courtesy of Major Moment

The middle of the album is packed. Early releases of “The Flood” culminated in this ambitious, exceptionally well-produced video for the song three years ago. It’s a powerful Major Moment-styled hard rock song with a steady rhythm. “The Flood” meticulously maintains its restrained pace, only briefly and slightly picking up tempo leading into the chorus, then retreating. As a result, there are multiple climaxes to power within the song’s four-plus minute runtime. Lyrically, there are two or three related themes, notably but not exclusively including self-centeredness. Seriously, dudes, don’t forget to listen to the lyrics.

“What a Time” follows with a mid-paced tempo, a soaring metallic soundbed, and anguished vocals, followed by the more aggressive “All For None,” whose mid-late song bridge sounds, musically, almost like a military march. The lyrics tie oh-so-well to the music on these songs. Listen closely. And if you can’t place the Diomede reference, google it. I’m not judging – I couldn’t exactly place where I knew it from either.

“Losing Battles” is a song that adeptly changes tempo, effectively pausing before bursting forth on more than one occasion to regain the listener’s attention. Lyrically, it’s an interesting, psychologically introspective journey.

With a steady, heavy rockin’ beat, “Dead” is a buzzy, wall-of-noise based thought-provoker, suggesting that (metaphorically) “you’re already dead.”

“Staged” is another big standout for me. It has an energetic tempo and a chorus that jumps out from the verses, grabbing your attention. Are you living your life, or are you just acting? Do you know the part you’re playing? “Curtain call, will anybody know my name if all the world is a stage?”

Closing track “Married” also has a unique appeal. It’s slower with a more muted sound than most of the collection, almost balladically bringing the album to an end. If you want a happy ending, the lyrics won’t provide it, but the music sets you down softly for a sonically pleasant end to the disc, so there’s that.

Seriously, if this is your kind of music, consider grabbing the entire disc now. If you don’t think this is your kind of music, give it a listen, at least – it’s really good, likely to garner crossover listeners who might not gravitate toward most similar artists. When it’s publicly available, I would suggest starting with my personal NSFW favorite “Lunacy,” but it hasn’t been released as a single yet. Among songs that are currently available, “Toxic,” “Dead,” or “The Flood” would all be good “gateway drugs” to ease you into a Major Moment addiction. The lyrics even without music would be worth reading. But the powerful, soaring music and the fresh, original sound? Well, that’d make Major Moment a new fave even without the supporting lyrical prowess.

Major Moment

photo by Evan Middleton; photo courtesy of Major Moment

Looking Ahead

Major Moment continues to release one song at a time from the album. I find six of the fourteen on streaming services, which means there are currently eight unreleased songs on The Pain That Makes Us Grow. That eight will shrink to seven when “Victim,” which is scheduled for a February 23rd release, becomes available. In addition to finding Major Moment’s songs on Spotify and other streaming services, you can find links to all of the band’s videos (from the current album and before) on the “Videos” page of the Major Moment’s website. Or you can check out the band’s YouTube page. I also enjoy what Major Moment shares on TikTok, so give them a follow there for some cool content.

Major Moment doesn’t currently have any live shows scheduled, but keep an eye on the “Shows” page of the band’s website for future dates as they’re added.