Tag Archives: Geoff Wilbur

Album Review: Liz Bills and the Change – Liz Bills and the Change

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Liz Bills and the Change

photo by Andy Twyman Photography; photo courtesy of Liz Bills

Album Review of Liz Bills and the Change: Liz Bills and the Change

This is the eponymous debut album of Liz Bills and the Change. Blog readers may be familiar with Liz, who has been featured in these pages as Analog Heart’s vocalist and as a solo performer. Her latest act, Liz Bills and the Change, is toned down from her hard-rockin’ Analog Heart gig, but it’s still very much Liz Bills-styled music. And with this release, Liz is back in a band format, bouncing off of other talented artists who share the studio and the stage with her, so it has a cool energy. Always one to move forward and expand upon what she’s built before, this band and new release are a great next musical step for Liz; in fact, Liz Bills and the Change snagged the Pop Act of the Year award at the 2021 New England Music Awards.

This album is engaging from the very first listen, but it has so many layers and so much depth it gets better each time through, though with Liz Bills’ songwriting skills, that’s no surprise.

While Liz Bills’ music is frequently deep and introspective, it’s also, without a doubt, a lot of fun. Liz exudes a warm, enthusiastic, authentic energy during her live performances; it features prominently in her songwriting and in her recordings, too.

On brand, this album kicks things off with high energy. An energetic rhythm drives “The Train Song” in such a way you’ll not only bounce along to it, but you’ll find yourself screaming along with Liz’s vocal train whistle, “Whoo Ooh!” And yet, it’s not just a fun song. The train serves as a metaphor for life’s journey or, more specifically, life’s best – or at least more interesting – journey, and Liz sings tuneful encouragement.

Life’s journey continues with “Somebody Else,” as the verses chug along (because now you’ve caught the train, if I were to continue to train metaphor) interrupted by serious tempo and mood changes in the chorus and bridges (because your life may not always be on the track you expected).

Liz’s songwriting drifts home during the disc, notably in the next song, “Home,” and a couple songs later, on “Mama’s Song.” There’s a little melancholy in the slow-tempoed but flowing “Home,” but shrouded more in remembrance than sadness. “Mama’s Song,” meanwhile, is an ode – a very personal lyrical love letter – to a mother from a child who knows the mother did her best and appreciates all she’s done, even as the child is just slowly coming to this realization gradually with each passing year. This introspection seemingly culminates with the revelation that is this song, which acknowledges just what the mother has accomplished and, perhaps, sacrificed.

Nestled in-between those two tracks sits “When I’m With You,” a tuneful, folksy, strumming love song. Even a slow song like this moves along with a bit of a motor when performed by Liz Bills and the Change. Liz’s music never gets too mellow, even when her songs are chill.

“Wi-Hi” is a fun, funky, dynamic song about the psychological ill effects of being constantly connected. “Gasoline” is a playful song about playing with fire, mixing imagery with metaphor – mostly metaphor, but it makes for a clever, fun ditty. And “Come Back to Me” closes the album with a funky rock ‘n roll flair, a style we’ve come to know well from Liz through the years.

Once again, Liz Bills has assembled an album that’s a fun listen – I’d dare you to try not to smile while listening, but you might hurt yourself – while being thoughtful and introspective, causing listeners to examine their own preconceived notions. It’s a stellar debut for Liz’s newest band, Liz Bills and the Change.

Looking Ahead

There are a few upcoming shows listed on the “Tour Dates” page of Liz’s website. She’ll be at the Summer Soiree 2023 in West Sidney, ME on July 27th, at TroutStock 2023 in Rutland, MA on August 4th, at the Boston Harbor Distillery in Boston, MA on August 25th, and at Wormtown 2023 in Greenfield, MA on September 14th. Of course, keep checking back to see new dates at they’re added. Also, be sure to follow Liz’s Facebook and Instagram accounts for show and career announcements.

Single Review: John Lodge – “The Sun Will Shine”

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John Lodge – The Sun Will Shine

image courtesy of Glass Onyon PR

Single Review of John Lodge: “The Sun Will Shine”

“The Sun Will Shine” was released in the spring of 2021 by John Lodge, bass player, songwriter and vocalist of The Moody Blues. The song was recorded remotely by John and his 10,000 Light Years Band during to the pandemic and also features Jon Davison from Yes on background vocals.

John Lodge

photo by Brian Aris; photo courtesy of Glass Onyon PR

Musically, “The Sun Will Shine” duplicates the rich harmonies of the Moody Blues, stylistically a potentially good pairing with The Moody Blues’ hit single “Your Wildest Dreams” from the band’s The Other Side of Life album. “The Sun Will Shine” has the same lush music bed, though perhaps a slightly more understated lushness – but only by comparison, of course. John’s voice remains full, smooth, and precise. Indeed, this song would seem to be a must-have for any fan of John Lodge or the band for which he’s famous.

In Addition

“The Sun Will Shine” was designed to be part of an On Reflection EP to be incorporated into John’s live album, The Royal Affair and After. However, neither John’s website listing nor the Amazon page for The Royal Affair and After mentions anything about an On Reflection EP, so your guess is as good as mine if one exists… unless you have a copy, of course. (Then please let me know in the comments.) However, you can find the song “The Sun Will Shine” available for purchase on John’s website. In addition, several other ways to purchase or stream the song are available at this link: https://lnk.to/TSWS.

Album Review: Lanterna – Hidden Drives

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Lanterna

photo by Theo Merritt; image courtesy of Howlin’ Wuelf Media

Album Review of Lanterna: Hidden Drives (Badman Recording Co.)

You know how sometimes the way an album hits you is more about a sound than it is about the individual songs? Well, Lanterna‘s Hidden Drives is one such record. Over the last year or two, this collection of instrumental tracks has resided near the top of my to-be-reviewed queue, providing a warm, rich music bed conducive to the thoughtful analysis required by my work. Though Hidden Drives is soft and unstartling – important to those who listen to music while they work – it also features musical hooks and flourishes that embed themselves into the listener’s brain, capable of reappearing unprompted in the mind days or even weeks after the most recent listen.

Lanterna – Hidden Drives

image courtesy of Howlin’ Wuelf Media

Musically, Lanterna’s songs float and flutter – the fluttering a result of adeptly-picked guitar strings – while similar rhythmic themes seem to reappear from song to song. The reappearance is, of course, more complete in the handful of songs that are reprised at the back-end of the disc. Hidden Drives contains 15 tracks. It kicks of with ten songs, then ends with reimagined versions of five of those ten. For example, the smooth strummed, warm motor of the second song on the album, title track “Hidden Drives,” reoccurs on track 11, “Hidden Drives (Thomaston).” You know, to be honest, the differences in the remixes are generally too subtle for me to realize when the songs cycle back around. However, it’s the repetition – both the similarities of different songs and the repeating of several songs at the end – that causes this album to quickly feel like an old friend.

Much of the album is quiet and mellow, but you’ll find bursts of energy. “Chagrin Boulevard,” “Aqueduct,” and “Nice” are a few songs that provide that modest tempo variance. But the mellower songs are the backbone of Hidden Drives. Favorites include “Cupola” and “Cupola (University Avenue),” “Redwood” and “Redwood (Sans),” and “Flag.”

In all, I have really enjoyed listening to the disc regularly for months and months and months. If you dig light but interesting instrumental soft rock, whether as a soundtrack to your workday or in any other locale, you owe it to yourself to give Lanterna’s Hidden Drives a test drive.

Looking Ahead

Though there are no upcoming shows listed, you can find performance dates, as they’re added, at the bottom of the main page of Lanterna’s website and on the “Events” tab of the band’s Facebook page.

Single Review: Jennifer Tefft – “A Little More”

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Jennifer Tefft

photo by Tim Rice; photo courtesy of Jennifer Tefft

Single Review of Jennifer Tefft: “A Little More”

Jennifer Tefft is one of Boston’s top rock ‘n roll voices, and she’s recognized for it. In 2021, she was recognized as the “Female Performer of the Year” by the New England Music Awards. “A Little More,” one of Jennifer’s 2021 singles, is a little bit of proof why.

Jennifer Tefft – "A Little More"

image courtesy of Jennifer Tefft

The song opens aggressively with a driving, slightly off-center guitar sound, supporting a kniving, edgy vocal akin to what you might have expected from Pat Benatar as she was rising to prominence decades ago – not the same sound, of course, but a similar vocal approach and attitude. It’s a timeless power that Jennifer maintains throughout the song, a power the song never relinquishes, even when her vocal isn’t present during late-song bridges that should feel less intense but don’t.

When the vocals aren’t aggressively edgy they’re still hauntingly so, while the guitar line and drums are practically incessant and unrelenting.

Jennifer Tefft

photo by Tim Rice; photo courtesy of Jennifer Tefft

If you don’t have this song on your playlist or in your collection, grab it now and make it a frequent listen. It has been a song I’ve looked forward to hearing during every trip through my review queue, even as I went through more than a year and a half without finding an opening in my daily schedule to pen a review. “A Little More” should be considered a staple of any music collection and can be expected to have staying power.

More from Jennifer

“Fade or Burn” and “Better Days” were also 2021 releases, and Jennifer’s website says to expect new music in 2023.

Live Shows

Check out the “Shows” tab of Jennifer’s website to see scheduled performances. There are a few shows already scheduled around Massachusetts this summer, so see if Jennifer will be performing near you and, of course, check the page again later to see new dates as they’re added.

Also follow Jennifer’s socials – her Instagram and Facebook accounts – to see schedule updates, such as this post about the recent storm-driven rescheduling of her Franklin Town Common, noting its make-up date of August 4th.

Album Review: Shawna Caspi – Hurricane Coming

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Shawna Caspi

photo by Roni Hoffman; photo courtesy of Shawna Caspi

Album Review of Shawna Caspi: Hurricane Coming

This isn’t the first time I’ve reviewed Shawna Caspi. She’s one of my favorite folk-based artists, with a pure and precise – yet emotional – folk voice that makes every song seem like it’s telling a story. It takes a special artist to stand apart in this crowded genre, and Shawna does, indeed. (If you read my live review of Shawna’s WICN performance a few years ago, you already knew this.) Today, I’m writing a long-overdue review of Shawna’s most recent album, Hurricane Coming.

One of my favorite things about Hurricane Coming is that Shawna flexes her musical muscles a bit on this disc, with compelling and varied songwriting and, perhaps more importantly, a stretch of Shawna’s vocal range and style, with occasional growling grit and some emotional reaching-for-notes thrown in to complement Shawna’s sweet, smooth vocal power.

Shawna Caspi – Hurricane Coming

image courtesy of Shawna Caspi

That variance doesn’t start with song one, though. Shawna kicks things off with a strong steady strum and her comfortably smooth voice, engagingly dancing through a fast favorite in her inimitable, classic style – folky, uptempo songwriter rock with a rich music bed, “Wait Love.” That’s followed by the plaintive, pleading “Leaving Ain’t Easy,” a memorable track that features a sad guitar wail and is sure to be a favorite of some, particularly those wallowing in heartbreak.

Next song, “Ghost Town,” is the one in which Shawna seems the most like a stripped-down rocker. Yes, one of my favorites. It’s uptempo, driven by an energetic rhythm line, intermixed with some distorted country-style strumming and, well, those lyrics. The lyric that hits closest to home for me comes when Shawna croons, “I feel like the worst kind of person most of the time, a big city bully when I’m stuck in line with the postal clerk who types too slow, and I make a sign like I’ve gotta go.” And yet it’s a song about being welcomed and accepted, especially when we travel with open hearts, even when we’re outside our comfort zones.

Shawna Caspi

photo by Roni Hoffman; photo courtesy of Shawna Caspi

“Echo” exudes the full emotions of a melancholy remembrance. “One More Chance,” too, showcases Shawna’s ability to turn a phrase well, with a steady rhythm keeping the song moving even as its guitar parts and vocal line seem to want to meander. And “Hope Lives” is softly powerful, painting vivid pictures of an abstract emotion.

Shawna picks up the tempo a little on “Lay Low Shadow,” with a hint of country twang, though it’s really more the instrumentation than her vocal that waxes country, even if it sometimes feels otherwise. But it’s a brief uptempo interlude, as the mellow, sweet, emotional “Running Start” provides a slower but commanding follow-up.

Penultimate track “Celebrate” is playful and uplifting, with guitar picking dancing playfully, emphasizing the light-hearted hopefulness of celebrating small victories.

Final track “Hold the Light” is more densely instrumented, delivering a satisfying ending to Hurricane Coming. Throughout, though it pulls no punches about life’s difficulties, this album is hopeful. And, of course, pleasant to listen to, well-suited to Shawna’s vocal talents.

Since the Release

Hurricane Coming was nominated for a 2023 Canadian Folk Music Award in the Contemporary Album of the Year category.

Shawna Caspi

photo by Eric Thom; photo courtesy of Shawna Caspi

On the Road

Shawna has several upcoming gigs already scheduled in the U.S. and Canada this year. On July 21, you can catch her at the Two Way Street Coffee House in Downers Grove, IL, and on July 23, she’ll be performing a Knight Road House Concerts show in Ann Arbor, MI. August features several shows in Ontario plus a mid-month gig in Manitoba. Beyond that, there are New Jersey and Ontario shows booked later in the year, and a Fort Myers, FL performance already scheduled for April 2024. Be sure to check the “Gigs” page of Shawna’s website for dates, times, and venues.

Album Review: Galactic Cowboy Orchestra – Flirting with Chaos

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Galactic Cowboy Orchestra

photo courtesy of Media Stew Public Relations

Album Review of Galactic Cowboy Orchestra: Flirting with Chaos

Galactic Cowboy Orchestra‘s Flirting with Chaos is an experimental progressive rock album that pushes around the edges of prog rock, producing a collection that stimulates the mind as the music takes you in unexpected directions.

The opening song, the title track, kicks off with a dissonant wall of noise that quickly descends – ascends? – into a blend of riffs and a repetitive almost-hook amid what’s still primarily cacophony to those of us without a significant progressive bent. Having reviewed a broad variety of music over the decades, though, I totally get what they’re doing, and I know it means there’s some pretty cool music on its way – and, indeed, that’s the case here. Meanwhile, I also realize edge-pushing, knowledgeable musicians will absolutely dig it, enjoying its residence pretty far on the experimental outskirts of the rock ‘n roll spectrum. Beyond the hints at what’s to come, if you take only one other thing from the disc-opening track, it’s that near-hook musical progression that appears continually throughout the album. It’s the glue that holds this collection together, no matter what directions the individual tracks take.

Galactic Cowboy Orchestra – Flirting with Chaos

image courtesy of Media Stew Public Relations

Next, indeed, as expected, “All for the Taking” settles into a stride more appealing to a broader listenership. That near-hook from “Flirting with Chaos” actually reappears here as if it were foreshadowed, but it’s mixed into an almost prog-Blondie vibe, with some shredding guitar during the bridges, and the line “It’s all for the asking, for the knowing, for the taking” playing a prominent role.

The fiddling on “Triple S” add an Irish folk song vibe to the heavily percussive soundbed, whose steadfast progress gives way to flights of fancy during a two minute long early-to-mid-song bridge, giving way to a more frantic musical section, only really returning to the heavy nature occasionally, as other musical structures weave in and out. I’m not really sure exactly what the three Ss are in “Triple S” – low S, high S, and middle S? – but there are three distinct elements in the track.

The meandering nature and the exploring adjacent riffs, related runs, and different structural patterns continue throughout the album, though individual songs feature different musical densities and heavier or lighter song structures. For example, “Unresolved Discrepancies” exhibits a lighter, airier feel than the preceding tracks, marking a bit of a change. “21st Century Schizoid Man,” meanwhile, incorporates classic rock riffs and a punk rock attitude.

You’ll continue to recognize the cohesive style throughout the rest of the album, with subtle differences. “Jazz Crimes” bips and bops (that’s jazz terminology, right?) sparsely throughout, except for its occasional exploration of richer, fuller tones. “Woodshread” leans heavily into the violin’s most violent high end but mellowing into a more classic rock-influenced bass and guitar rhythm.

Vocals return on the second-to-last track, “No Stranger to the Fall,” which adds Bowie-like musical and vocal elements to the vocals portions, with crunchy guitar distortion and bumble bee-like dream sequences rounding out the mix before is circularly spins to its conclusion.

And “Flirting with Oblivion” closes things with a sound that’s akin to classic guitar rock noodling atop a chirping wall of sound that seems like it could be from an orchestra or recorders, though I’m sure it’s not.

In all, Flirting with Chaos is an interesting mix of influences melded into a cohesive whole throughout the album by some exceptional musicians. So, if you dig some musical, almost jazzy experimentation in your prog rock, these cats produce some really interesting soundscapes on Flirting with Chaos that’ll definitely be to your liking. And regardless of your musical tastes, as long as you like rock ‘n roll in some form, while you’ll need to be in a “proggy mood” to fully appreciate the album, I get the feeling a Galactic Cowboy Orchestra concert will be an awesome, enjoyably exhausting musical feast for the senses.

Looking Ahead

Though there’s nothing currently listed, but you’ll find upcoming gigs on the “Tour” page of the Galactic Cowboy Orchestra’s website or on the “Events” tab of the band’s Facebook page.

Single Review: Bridget Davis and the Viking Kings – “Highways”

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Bridget Davis & the Viking Kings – "Highways"

image courtesy of Bridget Davis

Single Review of Bridget Davis and the Viking Kings: “Highways”

We at the Blog are big fans of the unique, original, memorable style of Bridget Davis and the Viking Kings. They have an easily identifiable, pleasant, rolling, laid-back Americana style but with a constantly-present, persistent rhythm that varies from song to song yet makes even the most mellow song seem energized. Bridget Davis and the Viking Kings are the perpetual motion machine of Americana. And their songwriting and delivery style is such that, if you heard them on the radio, you’d say to yourself, “Self, it’s Bridget Davis and the Viking Kings.”

Well, it has been a while since BD and the VKs graced our headphones with something new, nearly five and a half years between I Wasn’t Planning on the End and the new single “Highways,” released earlier this year. In all that time, the band hasn’t missed a beat.

Bridget Davis & the Viking Kings

photo courtesy of Bridget Davis

Opening with a warm texture and bass-guitar interplay (cool to listen to on headphones, since they reside in different ears), “Highways” utilizes many of the ingenuities in the band’s familiar, favorite bag of tricks to support Bridget’s soft, sweet, yet surprisingly dynamic vocal style. Those familiar with the band’s previous work will find the tempo most similar to that of “Transient,” as “Highways” differs from much of the band’s song catalog in that it’s actually as slow-tempoed as its music makes it seem, though it’s sonically more kindred to the faster-paced “Elizabeth” or the slower-paced “I Wasn’t Planning on the End.”

In the end, “Highways” is a welcome reintroduction to Bridget Davis and the Vikings Kings’ easily recognizable, original, trademark sound. If you’re unfamiliar with the band, let this be your introduction. There’s a hint of folk styling and country-leaning Americana energy in Bridget Davis and the Viking Kings’ music, an energy built on and originality, tempo, detailed songwriting, and deliberate performance structure that will appeal to a broad swath of musical tastes. To the band: Welcome back to our playlists. We’ve missed you.

Looking Back

Those who have been with us here at the Blog from the beginning will remember our other two Bridget Davis and the Viking Kings reviews. First, I reviewed one of their live Rockwood Music Hall shows as item #8 in my 9-part “Road Back to Music Journalism” series, in which I chronicled events that led me back to writing – and starting this blog – after a dozen years away. A few weeks later, I reviewed their album I Wasn’t Planning on the End. So if my review of this song interests you, be sure to check out the other words I’ve written about this talented ensemble.

Looking Ahead

Bridget Davis and the Viking Kings hinted in this Facebook post this spring and confirmed with me just recently via e-mail that there is more music coming; “Highways” was just one of several songs recorded live at the Figure 8 Recording studio in Brooklyn. They’ll likely be released one at a time in advance of an eventual EP release. Whether the songs are released individually or all at once, we can’t wait to hear them!

Single Review: Lina Cooper – “What I Gave to You”

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Lina Cooper

photo by Joe Welkie; photo courtesy of Lina Cooper

Backstory

Lina Cooper initially reached out to me back in the summer of 2020 during a period when I wasn’t writing many reviews (and had a years-long backlog) in advance of the release of her single “This Time,” and I was blown away by her vocals and songwriting. It was a catchy, poppy, memorable song structured much like you’d expect from Taylor Swift, well-suited to Lina’s sweet, high vocals. Of course, I didn’t review that song, but when I was on a bit of a writing spree and was churning through my review backlog this spring, I reached out to inquire about what she was working on now (at the time). The answer was, of course, “What I Gave to You.”

Single Review of Lina Cooper: “What I Gave to You”

Lina Cooper – What I Gave to You

image courtesy of Lina Cooper

Lina’s exceptional talent shines again on “What I Gave to You.” Softer than the song that initially hooked me, “What I Gave to You” leans into Lina’s high, emotionally expressive voice. Storytelling verses serve as a tempo-changing, volume-varying canvas, all leading to “What you gonna do when all you have is what I gave to you.”

Simple guitar-picking and thin vocals open the song, with additional orchestration and a fuller music bed joining as the vocals and lyrics intensify. For the vocal structure, well-placed, emotionally cracking lead vocals are paired with full background harmonies as the music soars. The song is a musical journey with a key, memorable line for listeners to sing along with during the chorus. That’s the formula for a sneaky earworm of a song, one that’ll grow on you more and more with each successive listen.

Lina Cooper

photo by Joe Welkie; photo courtesy of Lina Cooper

Other Singles

“What I Gave to You” was preceded by “Ethereal,” more stylistically similar to “This Time,” and the rather more disturbing, musically aggressive, almost noir-ish “If You Ever Leave Me” (which has an accompanying horror-style music video).

Other 2021 releases have been an acoustic version of Lina’s “Here to Stay” and the latest single, groovy, punkish, garage rockin’ “AFANASY.” You’ll find a long-form “short musical film” featuring/leading into “AFANASY” here on YouTube.

Lina’s a versatile talent. A good singer and songwriter whose range covers a lot of musical ground, tying it well to her very specific, mainstream radio-friendly voice. It’s time to climb aboard the Lina Cooper bandwagon now while there are still a few prime seats available.

Looking Ahead

There are currently no upcoming shows listed on the “Shows” page of Lina’s website, but check back periodically to find out when you can catch a live performance.

Album Review: Richard X. Heyman – Copious Notes

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Richard X. Heyman – Copious Notes

image courtesy of Howlin’ Wuelf Media

Album Review of Richard X. Heyman: Copious Notes

Richard X. Heyman is an American pop-rock songwriter. And, of course, a great performer of his own songs. I’ve reviewed Richard’s music a couple of times already here at the blog. I reviewed Incognito, a couple albums removed from his new release, and I reviewed the first single from Copious Notes, “Choices We Make.”

He starts the disc with the echoing angelic church-like harmonies that kick off “Nearly There,” a typically RXH uptempo, cheerful number steeped in timeless pop harmonies and hooks. Drawing from the fifties and sixties for his rock ‘n roll song base, Richard’s songs are melody-driven and fun to listen to.

The second song on Copious Notes is “Choices We Make,” which I previously reviewed, with its big hook in the chorus. It’s a hopeful song, released just ahead of the 2020 U.S. election, with its election theme apparent from the accompanying images in its YouTube video, though the underlying message could easily be applied across broad subject matter.

Richard X. Heyman

photo by Nancy Heyman; photo courtesy of Howlin’ Wuelf Media

You can tell a great pop song by the way it grabs you from the very first note, and the next track, “Tell Me When,” does just that. Very sixties-styled almost folk-influenced – or maybe in parts Irish folk song-like – in its stylings, the song is a cheerful, extra-uptempo number that’s fun to bounce along to.

Richard slows things down and mellows at times, too. The next song, “Cedarbrook Park,” for example, flows, floats, and soars, but it all feels a bit intentionally off-kilter, like a melancholically haunted memory.

“Sink or Swim” follows. It’s at least partially horn-powered and energetic, like you’d expect on an old-time dance party TV show, with the dancers doing a swim move during the chorus, at least.

Next up, “Oval” brings back the mellow, before “The Truth,” while still with a softer edge, is a rare Copious Notes song that pushes the tempo and level consistently throughout without catching its breath.

“But Our Love” is a soaring song as if a folk-styled, mellow number pulled straight from the early ’70s airwaves… or a love-in concert in the park from the same era.

“One and All” adds a psychedelic vibe that’s there throughout but most prominent in the bridge, while fun and catchy “Return to You” brings back the old-fashioned rock and roll bounce and harmonies, replete with background “oooohs” and “ahhhhhs.” I also dig the cool organ noodling at the end, leading to the fade-out.

Penultimate track “Ransom” sports that early ’70s rich, plush vibe and songwriting style, while ’50s/’60s-style, swingin’ rock horns open the timeless rock ‘n roll number “Greater Good” with its early ’70s message, melding three decades of rock ‘n roll influences to close the disc.

It’s sometimes hard to review a Richard X. Heyman album because there are only so many ways you can write “this is a catchy, timeless, song-driven pop-rock song,” but that description would fit virtually every song on Copious Notes, though different tempos, influences, and songwriting styles give each song an individual identity among this cohesive whole.

Richard X. Heyman is a consistently good songwriter who delivers dependably enjoyable, timeless pop-rock albums. So give Copious Notes a listen and then dig into some of his prior releases, which you’ll likely dig, as well.

 

Album Review: Jesse Terry – When We Wander

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Jesse Terry

photo by Alex Berger; photo courtesy of Michael J. Media Group

Album Review of Jesse Terry: When We Wander

His voice. His delivery. His lyrics. But oh, my god, that voice. With When We Wander, Jesse Terry has delivered a timeless, relatable, emotionally connecting album, varied in style, that’s an instant classic. At least, it’ll be an instant classic if you hear it, so give it a listen.

Jesse Terry – When We Wander

image courtesy of Michael J. Media Group

An appealing mix of folk, country, and rich, warm soft rock, When We Wander sits on the radio-friendly edge of singer-songwriter fare. And there’s something everyman about Jesse’s voice, at times recalling John Mellencamp, Tom Petty, perhaps a hint of Bob Dylan, and just about any other singer with a bit of hoarse gravel in his voice, though Jesse’s songwriting about the experiences of everyday life more often bring forth comparisons to Mellencamp.

The title track, “When We Wander,” kicks things off with a folky strum, but you’ll soon discover that’s just one of many influences, as this, like most of the album, are a meaty folk-rock-country mix, falling my onto the soft rock side of Americana. There’s a rich tone, a hint of scratch – not exactly gravel – and a time-worn knowing lilt to Jesse’s voice. There’s also an attention to detail – on this song and on the album throughout – that distinguish this as a major-league recording. Little guitar flourishes, weepy slides, the extra drum beat. Jesse Terry is big-time, with a voice and delivery expansive enough to fill a concert hall with intimate, reflective, storytelling songs.

Jesse Terry

photo by Alex Berger; photo courtesy of Michael J. Media Group

“Strangers in Our Town” is one of those mid-tempo numbers that brings on a strong Mellencamp comparison. Stylistically, Jesse has his own unique spin, leaning a little more country but still a solid hometown pride number that’ll reach you deep inside, right where you live, and make you feel good.

“Ghost Stories” follows, bringing the melancholy, with a sad tone of remembrance, fittingly haunting to this slow number.

The mood doesn’t stay low long, though, as “Hymn of a Summer Night” has a playfully energetic bounce. Like “Ghost Stories” before it, it’s a look back, but this is a tale wrapped around fondness, affection, and complicatedly warm memories of a hometown. One of the neater verses recalls “All of us met on the banks when we got older, figured it was time to get out. But one by one, we came crawling back. There’s something about this simple river town.” It’s a song that’ll make you remember where you’re from, whether you stayed, left and returned, or exited for good.

Jesse Terry

photo by Jess Terry; photo courtesy of Michael J. Media Group

Jesse weaves in and out of uptempo happiness, slow sadness, and melancholy in-between though tales of recollection and stories of times gone by and yet to come remain a familiar theme.

One of the other standouts on this album is “Little Fires,” a mid-tempo tune full of real-life strength and struggles: “There’s little fires outside my window, little fires out of the corner of my eyes, little fires beneath the surface. I can’t put out these little fires.” Of course that’s mid-song. There’s set-up before, and more noodling and a bit of resolution afterwards. Of course. That’s Jesse’s strength… and, maybe, burden. He’s a storyteller.

Jesse Terry

photo by Neilson Hubbard; photo courtesy of Michael J. Media Group

It’s followed by an uplifting number, one that’ll help the listener – and it seems to help Jess – appreciate life, with lyrics that culminate in the chorus’ key phrase: “I’ve got somebody who understands, and that’s a pretty good hand.” The song has a nice country rhythm, what I sometimes refer to as a “git-along beat,” just bouncing along throughout, keeping the mood up, signaling that the guitar-slide is more reminiscent than melancholy, one of my favorite little tricks in this sort of mid-tempo, country-flavored song.

Jesse gives the album a soft, sweet, warm landing with the thoughtful “Just Out of Your Sight,” a both the album and the listener sway the disc to a close.

The rest of the songs are also worthy of mention, but they’re all within the themes and styles I’ve discussed already, so I’d just be repeating myself. Throughout, though, When We Wander is stylistically cohesive yet varied enough and sequenced well, making for an enjoyable beginning-to-end listen.

Looking Ahead

You can catch Jesse live in the Northeast in December – in Plymouth, MA, Stroudsburg, PA, Cortlandt Manor, NY, and Stonington and Middletown, CT. He’ll be in Mobile, AL on January 6th before spending the next few weeks in Florida. He has dates spanning from coast to coast in 2022, and some European dates in October and November 2022. So be sure to check the “Tour Dates” page of Jesse’s website for dates, times, locations, and ticket links for performances near you.