Tag Archives: Geoff Wilbur

Single Review: Eliza & the Delusionals – “You”

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Eliza & the Delusionals

photo by Kurt Skuse; photo courtesy of Reybee Inc.

Single Review of Eliza & the Delusionals: “You”

“You” is a terrific example of catchy, hooky, sunshine-drenched alt-pop well-suited to a summer day in the sun but versatile enough to serve the purpose of adding joy to a gloomy day.

From a songwriting perspective, it’s stylistically along the lines Taylor Swift, very much about the emotions of relatable romantic life issues. Sonically, it’s bright, shiny, cheerful, guitar-intstrumented vocal pop with an almost pop-punk vibe but more of a laid-back energy, kind of a mix of Paramore and Liz Phair’s more mainstream, crossover hits.

Eliza & the Delusionals - You

image courtesy of Reybee Inc.

Early this year, I wrote about the band’s fall 2020 single, “Sentimental.” Also this year, Eliza & the Delusionals released their current single, “Save Me,” and perhaps I should dig in and review that song, too, but “You” is the one in my review queue, and it’s a delicious bit of pop music, a pleasant addition to any playlist. (For the record, so is “Save Me,” with its slightly different, dreamier vibe and richer, more rock guitar-driven rhythm.)

Looking Ahead

Eliza & the Delusionals doesn’t have any remaining shows in 2021, but they have four January 2022 shows listed, all in Australia, in Sydney, Richmond, Brisbane, and Miami. You can find more information about those performances and others, as they’re added, on the “Tour” page of the band’s website.

Album Review: DarWin – DarWin 3: Unplugged

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DarWin

photo courtesy of Glass Onyon PR

Album Review of DarWin: DarWin 3: Unplugged

DarWin has followed critically acclaimed albums Origin of Species and DarWin 2: A Frozen War with this album, DarWin 3: Unplugged, a collection of orchestral and stripped back versions of songs from those first two discs.

Starting with album one, DarWin has been on the rich, powerful, orchestral side of progressive rock, but DarWin 3: Unplugged takes this a step beyond. As a result, listening to this album while doing other activities makes it seem as if your life has a surround sound movie soundtrack.

DarWin 3: Unplugged

image courtesy of Glass Onyon PR

This 8-song album contains five tracks listed as “orchestral,” two as “unplugged,” and one as “a capella,” so there are vocals and lyrics on three of the eight cuts.

The orchestral track that opens the disc, “Escape the Maze,” starts meanderingly, as if setting a scenescape within which one might imagine a stream running through the woods or maybe an eagle gliding, perhaps over the sort of frozen tundra depicted on the album cover. In the woods scene, it brings up visions of calmness at times and rapids and perhaps waterfalls at others. When focusing more on the song’s soaring aspects, I’d picture calm floating interspersed with conflict, perhaps the eagle hunting and swooping to attack or maybe trying to escape danger itself. Anyway, it is like all of the other orchestral tracks in that they are truly symphonic, largely string-heavy pieces that surge and sway powerfully as if telling a story. I’d gladly spend an evening at the local symphony to hear compositions of my favorite past-century classical composers and these DarWin songs, maybe with a sip of champagne during the intermission in-between.

The earlier of the “unplugged” songs in the album sequence, “Slowly Melting,” uses its light instrumentation to direct the focus to the intensely emotional vocals. The other, “One Horizon,” is driven by its rhythm, with the vocals and all of the instruments following along, supporting the thumping power.

The disc closes with the a capella track, “Another Year,” with smoky vocal verses leading up to vocal-heavy, rich, mainstream progressive rock choruses. This is the most radio-friendly song on DarWin 3: Unplugged and great way to end it.

I very nearly reviewed DarWin 2: A Frozen War, and I’m not entirely sure why I didn’t except that I was catching up on a laundry list of overdue reviews and trying to move to more recent albums at the time. DarWin 3: Unplugged is a great companion to DarWin’s earlier pieces, but it’s also presented so originally that I simply had to share it, even though I find myself again in catch-up mode. However, as cool as this album is, if you’re into top-shelf progressive rock and aren’t familiar with DarWin’s music, you’ll also want to check out his earlier albums.

EP Review: Public Library Commute – 1000 Summers

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Public Library Commute

photo courtesy of DRPR

EP Review of Public Library Commute: 1000 Summers

Public Library Commute is the professional nom de plume of singer/songwriter/producer Conrad Hsiang. His sound on 1000 Summers is that of warm, open, smooth indie pop. Light and airy like a California summer afternoon with the top down, the music is a little jazzy, a little dream poppy, and at times borrows from the pop radio end of hip-hop, particularly in its muted rhythmic vibe.

In fact, it’s this consistent, almost dreamy summer vibe that makes 1000 Summers a perfect beginning-to-end play. Its six songs total less than 18 minutes, but they’re a smooth, cool journey.

Public Library Commute – 1000 Summers

image courtesy of DRPR

“25 MPH” opens the collection exactly with that slow driving, groovy vibe, with the overlapping sounds providing the audio version of a grainy black and white movie atop a colorful mural, drawing your attention in multiple directions at once, yet still leaving you with an unstoppable grin. A cool summertime cruising tune.

“Summertime” continues the same laid-back, soak-up-the-summer vibe but focuses more on Public Library Commute’s vocals, ending with what seems like it might be going to be a dreamy bridge, but on an EP full of songs with short run-times, it’s more of a fadeout.

The songs keeping on getting catchier without sacrificing the EP’s consistent vibe. with the more prominent hip-hop rhythm of “City Love” providing a tempo more amenable to radio play.

“You Been On My Mind,” next, sports an almost pop boy band vibe. Something you might expect from Nick Jonas. The tempo picks up a bit more yet again, not enough to dance to it, exactly, but you’ll find yourself quite significantly bouncing and swaying.

“Moonlight” is the most obvious potential hit on the disc, taking that one more step toward pop, as 1000 Summers continues its trajectory of increasing hookiness and energy. Lyrically and stylistically, it’s the sort of tune you’d croon to your baby: “All that I say, all that I do, I’m over the moon thinking of you.” On this song, the groove isn’t the only thing that’s smooth.

And all-too-soon, you’ve reached the last track, the title track of 1000 Summers. I swear there’s almost a country-meets-the-beach quality to the sound bed, at least at the beginning of the song. Or maybe it’s just the relaxed, almost slack-key styled strumming of the guitar. The feeling presented by “1000 Summers” is one part sunset falling on the beach in the summer, one part slow drive off into the sunset in a convertible with the top down before it ends all too suddenly.

It’s a tough album to describe – and I’m sure I’ve done an insufficient job, but it’s music I just had to share with you. It’s a true original but still oh-so-familiar. You’ll find 1000 Summers a quick favorite, a great summertime EP (that I’ve taken too long to review that I missed the summer). I can’t wait to hear what Public Library Commute creates next.

Album Review: Judy Collins – White Bird

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Judy Collins – White Bird: Anthology of Favorites

image courtesy of Glass Onyon PR

Album Review of Judy Collins: White Bird – Anthology Of Favorites (Cleopatra Records)

Folk legend Judy Collins has released a disc right out of the sixties, White Bird. You know these songs. You love these songs. Your mother (or maybe your grandmother) loved these songs. Judy Collins was a voice from a certain time, but she’s also a timeless voice.

OK, you might not know all of these songs, but you know most of them. While White Bird includes longtime favorites, the title track (and first single) “White Bird” is a never-before-released cover of a 1969 song from the band It’s a Beautiful Day.

Beyond that, though, this collection is packed with most of Judy’s best, most memorable numbers. And, since she was before my time, though I know many of these songs from the radio, this is the first time they’ve been part of my music collection, and it’s the first time I’ve given them the repeated listens that allow me to truly appreciate the songs’ nuances and Judy’s amazing vocal talent.

Probably the most ubiquitous Judy Collins hit is “Both Sides Now,” her highest-charting song in the U.S. Judy has a subtle, sweet edge to her vocals, and they serve the melancholy tone of this song’s lyrics well, building to power at the end. But you know the song, so you already knew that.

The album also includes “Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There is a Season).” Before it was a hit for The Byrds, it was a Judy Collins tune, and she sings it beautifully.

Seemingly always my favorite song on the collection after most listens, “Chelsea Morning” is coolly energetic and warm, with Judy’s sweet high vocals serving as a cheerful call to greeting a beautiful day.

The never-before-released cover of “White Bird,” though, is also exceptionally impressive. It has that ’60s piano-organ sound and a kind of intense energy for such a sweetly sung song. It serves as a powerful first and title song to kick off this collection.

“I Think It’s Going to Rain Today” is another powerful number, despite its slow tempo and the fact that it really doesn’t build significantly in vocal volume. It’s more the tone of Judy’s voice and of the piano and some of the other instrumentation, as well as the song’s subject matter, that give it its gravitas.

There are a couple duets in the collection. The combination of Judy’s voice with Willie Nelson’s on the soaringly haunting “When I Go” is truly special. And she’s joined by Stephen Stills on “Last Thing On My Mind,” a pleasantly strummed song, and the vocal combo provides a slight – and I do mean slight – rock and roll-ish folk flavor.

The disc closes with “Send in the Clowns,” ending a largely cheerful disc with a powerful heaviness.

It seems odd to even review a Judy Collins album, packed with songs you already know so well. So I guess the message is that this album is available. And, though you know many of the songs, I can attest that this is a great assemblage of them, including at least one – the title track – that you’ve certainly not heard on a record before.

On the Road

Judy Collins is currently on tour. She has a couple November dates remaining in the Midwest – tonight in Chicago and tomorrow night in Three Oaks, Michigan, down near the Indiana border – but you can see her all over the U.S. during the next half-year or so. (December’s dates are in the Northeast, January’s in the Southeast, etc.) You can find dates and locations on the “Concerts” page of Judy’s website. In Europe, you’ll find a single November 5, 2022 show listed in Borgerhout, Belgium, but, of course, be sure to check Judy’s website periodically for more dates to be added, wherever you live.

Single Review: Lealiza – “We Americans”

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Lealiza

photo courtesy of Dog Ranch Music PR

Single Review of Lealiza: “We Americans”

Lealiza is a Michigan-based singer-songwriter with a soft, rich, sweet vocal delivery. In the case of “We Americans,” it was a song she felt compelled to write, expressing her disapproval at seeing the U.S. military leaving Afghanistan in a frantic, disorganized hurry. The song went live today, November 11, on Spotify.

The key lyric to the song is “We don’t leave our people behind. We’re Americans, that’s not what we do.” The story in the song begins twenty years earlier, with the event that sparked the war, then contrasts it with the images from earlier this year. You can hear Lealiza’s emotions in the sweet yet powerful vocals, tied tightly to the song’s lyrics: “Some day I’ll come for you sure as the sky is blue. We don’t leave anyone behind.”

Lealiza – We Americans

image courtesy of Dog Ranch Music PR

Poignant and topical, this is a powerful song from Lealiza, ably expressing the emotions she shares with so many fellow citizens as this past September’s withdrawal from Kabul unfolded. She talks of the feelings she felt that compelled her to write “We Americans” in this Facebook post. Beyond this song, if it leads you to explore more of Lealiza’s music – at her YouTube channel or on her website, for example – you’ll find her connection to singing Ladino songs, as well, and discover a multi-faceted singer who’s a sought-after performer.

Whatever Lealiza sings – from traditional-styled music to more current pop-styled songs, and in whatever language – her voice has the versatility and texture to capture your ear and hold on tight. So, while it’s worth giving “We Americans” a listen, don’t let your Lealiza journey end there. And if you’re in the Detroit area, watch for her shows. There’s nothing recent or forthcoming listed, but watch the “Events” tab of her Facebook page for listings of future performances as they’re scheduled.

Album Review: Dana Carmel – Little Red Heart

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Dana Carmel

photo by Alison Shopmeyer; photo courtesy of Dana Carmel

The Backstory

I first heard Dana Carmel perform live at Rockwood Music Hall in June 2019. I had an hour to kill in the late afternoon and had circled this gig as an event of interest before my trip to the City just in case. This was a case of checking out a new artist because of someone whose musical taste I trusted. Dana’s event had popped up on my Facebook timeline before my trip, and I noticed that Valerie Orth (who I’ve recently reviewed for the third time) had clicked “interested.” So, knowing one of the earth’s most talented artists was “interested” in Dana’s gig, I sampled some of Dana’s music online and made a note of her set time “just in case” it fit into my Sunday.

Still, even though I was enjoying live music, I wasn’t “on the clock” as a music journalist that day; this was a weekend trip to just hang out and enjoy the City. For example, just for kicks, I grabbed a beer at The Waylon on Waylon Jennings’ birthday. I hit up a couple diners for my #OmeletTour on Instagram. And, just before heading to Dana’s set, I stopped by the Rocketman exhibit at Dolby SOHO, where I got to “star” in this kickass trailer. So while watching Dana perform, I didn’t take notes. I didn’t review the show, though I did thoroughly enjoy it. And when Dana handed me a copy of Little Red Heart, I was so far behind on my review queue that I wasn’t planning to review it, either. However, the CD has lived in my car CD player ever since, occasionally shuffled out briefly for Martin Briley’s It Comes in Waves or Jack Russell’s Great White’s He Saw It Comin’, but I’ve primarily only listened to Dana’s CD in my car since mid-2019. Now, two years (and hundreds of spins in my car CD player) later, I just have to share this record and Dana’s talent with you.

Album Review of Dana Carmel: Little Red Heart

Little Red Heart is a collection of 11 catchy, well-written songs, ranging from pop to almost jazzy. The instrumentation is light, with lots of open space in the songs. Dana’s voice is piercing, clear, and frequently precise, with attitude and flourishes where necessary. The interesting thing about Dana’s voice is that I think it would be perfectly suited to being a must-hear pop-jazz chanteuse, and she has some great songs on this disc that fit her very well. Some of the catchiest tracks on here are full-on pop songs that are fun to hear in the more stripped-down arrangements on Little Red Heart but that might be enormous hits in fully-produced form. (I guess what I’m saying is “Pop divas, I’ve got your songwriter right here!”)

Obviously, if Little Red Heart has been my car CD for most of the last two-plus years, even with the minimal amount of driving I’ve done during the pandemic, I love this disc. It has a fun vibe, with clever lyrics that are fun to sing along with. It’s an ideal chillin’-and-drivin’ jam.

Dana Carmel – Little Red Heart

photo by Alison Shopmeyer; image courtesy of Dana Carmel

The album opens strong with “Not the One,” a syncopated pop number that grabs you from the get-go. It’s followed by “Castle,” which features a crack in Dana’s voice and a near-whisper that makes it seem very intimate and personal, including lyrics like “I don’t want to hurt, I don’t ever want to feel the pain of knowing you don’t feel the same.” The song is a terrific journey describing the art of hiding one’s heart away.

The title track, “Little Red Heart,” is moody, jazzy groove that showcases some of the sharp, piercing edges of Dana’s voice, almost like an intriguing huntress on the vocal prowl. When I mentioned “jazz singer,” it’s songs like this I was referring to. As much fun as her pop songs are, tracks like this show an edge to her voice that’s distinct and unmatchable.

After “Goodbye,” which continues in a similar vocal vein to “Little Red Heart,” “The End of Us” follows with an off-balance, jazzy vibe, tying it to the previous two tracks, but it adds a growlin’ rock ‘n roll bass line and – in the verses, at least – a poutier rock edge to Dana’s vocals.

My favorite song, probably lyrically at least, is “Baby Boy.” Dig the lyrics “I-I-I-I am not your mama. Don’t get it twisted, it’s me, your lover.” It’s a fun outing of a narcissistic man-child. And there’s a cool bridge in the middle of the song where the music just screams tiki bar.

Dana Carmel

photo by Alison Shopmeyer; photo courtesy of Dana Carmel

Another favorite is a true jazzy lounge number, “Blue to Gold,” as if straight out of a scene in James Bond movie, with Dana expressing insightful turns of phrase like “maybe if I start to let it go, then all my blues would turn into gold.”

I know I’ve skipped several songs – on some days, “Talking to Myself,” “The Great Escape,” or one of the other songs is a personal favorite, too – but I’ve captured above the essence of this album and, hopefully, have convinced you to take a listen to this talented artist.

Lastly, I’ll reiterate, an album does not remain in my car CD player for more than two years if it isn’t really cool.

Looking Ahead

Dana’s Facebook page doesn’t have an “events” tab, nor does her website, so I’m not sure how you’ll find out when and where catch her performing live. (My best guess, of course, would be to follow her on Facebook.) Her website does, however, offer singing telegrams, songwriting courses, and the opportunity to have a song commissioned for a special occasion, among other things, so it’s well worth perusing.

Album Review: Love Love – The Rhode Island Eepee

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Love Love – The Rhode Island EepeeEP Review of Love Love: The Rhode Island Eepee

Love Love is a fun, talented outfit that’s ideal if you like a healthy dose of twisted, quirky, intelligent, occasionally haunting and slightly demented whimsy with your alt-pop-rock. Their sound and approach are one-of-a-kind, making them a uniquely enjoyable, valuable addition to any local music scene and their recordings a must-have for any music collection.

A few years ago, I reviewed this band’s self-titled 2015 debut. The Rhode Island Eepee arrived in my mailbox in early 2019 toward the end of the period when wasn’t writing much, so I put the envelope in a pile of “important music mail” and rediscovered it two years later when reorganizing my office. Well, it’s just so cool, I have to tell you about it, especially since this is still Love Love’s most recent long-form recording; the band has only released one song since then, a single entitled “OK,” released in February 2020.

Love Love’s primary members are Jefferson Davis Riordan and Chris Toppin, and The Rhode Island Eepee is an ode to Toppin’s native Rhode Island.

“We Can’t Get Enough of the Was” kicks things off with a cheery, poppy ray of jangly pop sunshine. This catchy tune is not exactly a word salad, but you have to listen to realize it isn’t.

“The Garden,” next, has a hint of a Sgt. Pepper-era Beatles vibe, guided by a slightly psychedelic, distorted, buzzy, rock ‘n roll rhythm and Love Love’s trademark uniquely non-combining harmonies. This is probably the most mainstream song on the disc and the one I’d be most likely to drop into multi-artist playlists.

The EP shifts to a more haunting vibe on the next number, “Rhode Island Ghosts,” which carries a similar vibe to the song “Murderpedia” from Love Love’s self-titled debut EP. The content of “Rhode Island Ghosts” isn’t quite as shocking, but it is creepy enough, both lyrically and musically, to stand your hair on end while listening. This song is the only time on this EP during which Love Love grabs something from the scary side of its musical toolbox, but it’s done quite effectively.

“Blind in the Sunshine (Sunlove Mix)” has a serious watching the clouds while lying in a field of daisies, summer of love-styled vibe. No lyrics, but whooshing winds and a soaring, gliding psychedelic guitar sound. As song number four, this is also intermission music at the halfway point of the seven-song EP.

“Joan Anderman,” next, is a cheery ditty about “the night Joan Anderman got me high.” It sounds like it wasn’t a great experience, contrasting the whimsical music and song delivery. It’s worth noting, also, a secondary storyline in which Love Love is not pleased by the prospect of making music for free, and they’re quite graphic in suggesting what you should do if you suggest it.

“Great Day in Rhode Island” continues the upbeat nature of the prior song, telling the tale of Jefferson and Chris meeting. At this pivotal moment in their lives, represented here by spoken-word narration, the song’s thematic lyric shifts from “we all just want someone to love” to “it’s a great day in Rhode Island.” If that ain’t love, I don’t know what is. Indeed, it sounds like a banner day for the Ocean State.

Continuing with the disc’s state(d) theme, the EP closes with “Rhode Island,” a broad-reaching, soaring, floating, beach-styled epic that dispenses facts about the state of Rhode Island and Chris Toppin’s life. One of my favorite lines in the song is “I’m your Roger Williams, baby, and you’re my Providence.” It’s a catchy, soft-rockin’ tune. Very Love Love-styled. A solid conclusion to a unique, must-hear collection, especially – though not exclusively – for those of us with a connection to Little Rhody.

Looking Ahead

There are no upcoming shows currently listed, but when they are, you may be able to find them here on the “Events” tab of Love Love’s Facebook page.

You can also read a bit about the music group founded in 2018 by Jefferson and Chris, WitchWood Music, here.

Album Review: Sweet – Isolation Boulevard

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Sweet

photo courtesy of Glass Onyon PR

Album Review of Sweet: Isolation Boulevard (Prudential Music Group)

Sweet is one of the seventies’ iconic rock bands. Isolation Boulevard, recorded between UK lockdowns in the fall of 2020, is primarily, though not entirely, a reworking of many of the original tracks on the various editions of the band’s Desolation Boulevard album; it also features a few songs that can’t be found on any of Desolation Boulevard‘s releases. Led by guitarist Andy Scott, the only surviving member from the classic Sweet line-up, this version of Sweet carries on the band’s legacy with talent, skill, and hook-laden aplomb.

Sweet’s heyday was just barely before my time, so this is actually the first Sweet album I’ve ever owned. Sure, I know a lot of the songs from hearing them on the radio. And I know a couple of the songs thanks to cover versions by ’80s rock favorites Krokus (“Ballroom Blitz”) and Black ‘N Blue (“Action”). To be honest, I still prefer Krokus’ “Ballroom Blitz” to the very well-performed versions on this disc. (On “Action,” I like different things about each band’s rendition.) Indeed, I love this album. The entirety of Isolation Boulevard is raucous, hooky, memorable and fun, and it’s been an absolute pleasure to really get to know these songs with repeated listenings over the last few months.

Sweet – Isolation Boulevard

image courtesy of Glass Onyon PR

I love that the album begins with “Fox on the Run,” a song that sounds both classic and current at the same time. The explosiveness of Scott’s guitarwork and the sharp drum-driven tempo make “Fox on the Run” timeless. Sure, the harmonies and straight-ahead, powerful tempo give this away as a classic-era rock song, but it’s absolutely one worth maintaining on your personal playlist.

Another favorite of mine on this album is “New York Groove.” It’s a classic song that charted in the 1970s for both Hello and Ace Frehley. Its first appearance on a Sweet album was on 2012’s New York Connection. It has a bit of a funky rhythm and, to exceptionally cool effect, transitions in and out of Alicia Keys/Jay-Z’s “Empire State of Mind.” If you want to find a cool mash-up of classic and modern on Isolation Boulevard, “New York Groove” is your song, probably my very favorite on this record.

You know, this is Sweet, so I can’t really bash any of the songs on here, nor would I want to. Top to bottom, this is a kick-ass, newly recorded classic rock album. However, in addition to those I’ve already mentioned, there are some other tracks that stand out for me. I mean, you know these songs, so I’m not sure what my descriptions will add, but…

“Still Got the Rock”, the first single from Isolation Boulevard, has the cool syncopated drumming and rhythm in its bridge. “Love is Like Oxygen” has that soaring vocals, grounded by a crunchy guitar riff. “The Six Teens” is one of those cool, tense, storytelling rockers. The update of frantic, melodic speed rocker “Set Me Free” was also released as an Isolation Boulevard single; the fast-paced guitar noodling during its bridge is pretty cool. And “Teenage Rampage” is pure energetic, anthemic fun.

I’ve skipped a few songs that’ll, I’m sure, be someone else’s favorites. Seriously, this re-recording of Sweet faves doesn’t disappoint.

Looking Ahead

You can catch Sweet live in the coming months. The band will be undertaking a rather extensive UK tour from November 25th through December 20th, and you’ll find a smattering of 2022 dates currently scheduled in Germany from May through November. For more information on these performances and others, as they’re added, see the “Dates” page on Sweet’s website.

Single Review: Susan Gibson – “Compassionate Combat”

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Susan Gibson – Compassionate Combat

image courtesy of Broken Jukebox Media

Single Review of Susan Gibson: “Compassionate Combat”

Susan Gibson released “Compassionate Combat” this past spring, in the middle of a spring surge of COVID-19. The single was released in conjunction with the Compassionate Combat website to help raise money and awareness to support nurses in thanks for their tremendous service during this pandemic.

I reviewed Susan’s last album, The Hard Stuff, here at the Blog last fall. As I discovered at the time, Susan is a celebrated songwriter with a deft touch at creating heartfelt, moving lyrics whose and a singer whose voice is exceptionally well-suited to delivering both the message and the emotion in her songs. “Compassionate Combat” is no exception. Musically, the song is softly instrumented, with soaring components supporting Susan’s heartfelt, emotional vocals.

Of course, Susan is an exceptional lyricist, and this ode to nurses during a time of crisis will warm hearts and jerk tears, from the verses to the chorus of “We ask so much of you. Leave your families and your homes for the work you gotta do. You are the miracle, the gift, pulling 18-hour shifts of compassionate combat. How do you thank someone for that?”

Whew! [sniff!] I’m not crying – you are.

“Compassionate Combat” was produced and engineered by Billy Crockett at his Blue Rock Studio in Wimberley, Texas. Billy is an exceptional singer/songwriter in his own right, widely revered for his talent as a musician, and his studio is a place where musicians and their talents are celebrated. Of course, regular Blog readers may recall a live Billy Crockett performance review and a review of Billy’s CD Rabbit Hole, both back in 2017.

Reflection

I received this single back in March, and once I began to fall behind on reviews, I assumed the topic would no longer be timely by the time I got around to writing the review. Vaccine rollout was well underway, and appointments were hard to come by, as millions of vaccines were being administered each day. I anticipated that by this summer our hospitals would no longer be overrun. And, though vaccination rates are high and hospitals are not in a state of crisis here where I live, that is not true everywhere. I hope the next surge we see is that of vaccinations, so serious illness rates will decline and, in the vein of this song, our valiant nurses and other healthcare workers whose emergency rooms are still under siege will soon get some relief from their… compassionate combat.

Looking Ahead

Susan has a few performances scheduled in Texas this month – tonight, Friday, November 5th in LaGrange and nightly performances November 17th-20th in Austin, Fredericksburg, Santa Fe and New Braunfels – in addition to a women’s writing workshop on November 6th and 7th in New Braunfels. You can find additional details about these events and a January 14th show scheduled in Austin (and others, as they’re added) on the “tour” page of Susan’s website.

Album Review: Valerie Orth – Rabbit Hole

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Valerie Orth

photo by Liz Maney; photo courtesy of Valerie Orth

Album Review of Valerie Orth: Rabbit Hole

Valerie Orth is one of our favorite music artists at the Blog. Longtime readers will already be familiar with Valerie’s talent from reading my review of her Fires and Overturned Cars anthology and my take on her subsequent Wake You EP.

Valerie Orth is a detail-oriented songwriter who pens memorable tunes. Her career has been a little genre-fluid, but I’d place her latest releases – the previous Wake You EP and the current Rabbit Hole LP – in the electronic pop category… with rock, R&B, and a plethora of other influences, in addition to life experience, serving as seasoning in her musical stew. On her website, Valerie describes herself as an “electro alt-pop singer, songwriter, producer, & feminist.” All clearly true. The press releases I’ve received for Rabbit Hole dub Valerie an “alt/cinematic dark pop songwriter,” and I suppose that fits her as well as any other description, especially in light of the music on her latest disc. The music on Rabbit Hole is memorable, complex, catchy, thoughtful, and often danceable.

Valerie Orth – Rabbit Hole

image courtesy of Valerie Orth

Album-opener and the album’s first single, “Rabbit Hole” combines rhythm and electronic flurry-based hooks with static, spots of mostly-empty audio space, and a catchy chorus to grab the listener’s attention and hold it throughout. This is the song you’re most likely to be hearing in your head days and weeks later. Well, it’s the one I do, at least. (Now, what’s this about sex robots? Is that available from Hammacher Schlemmer or SkyMall?)

Rabbit Hole is a great album to listen to in its entirety from beginning to end. It flows well together, and there’s a surprise around each corner. “99 Cent Dreams” feels musically like a funhouse mirror-filled meandering through the protagonist’s thoughts, dreams, hopes, and fears.

The spoken track “El Censo” leads the listener thoughtfully with an open mind into the politically-charged, current events pop number “I Believe We Will Win,” a song whose musical jerks left and right draw attention to the lyrics, including the raw hopefulness of the title phrase. Though the video of “I Believe We Will Win” is a standalone video, I wouldn’t be surprised to hear the song presented sequentially with “El Censo” as the lead-in during an awards performance. Yes, I know, Valerie won’t be performing this on a televised awards show, but if I were choreographing such a show, that’s how I’d sequence it.

“Fight For Love” slows things down a bit, moving the album from a societal level to something very personal. The slow-build opening creates powerful tension, drawing us to its sequential, emotional story. If I were to direct a video for this, I’d blend the song’s military lyrical imagery (“fire one more weapon, shoot a bullet through my heart”) with a very intimate portrayal of a couple battling to work things out.

Valerie Orth

photo by Liz Maney; photo courtesy of Valerie Orth

“Done to Me” plunks along in a memorably catchy manner, using the space between the notes and the beats effectively to complement a vocal rhythm that stops, starts, and runs in a tense harmony with the beats, with occasional musical flourishes and a here-and-there dense static soundscape adding character.

“Gold to Dust” amps things up a bit, with a fun, uptempo chorus separating largely spoken-word verses. The back half of that catchy chorus – “maybe I could take a page from you; turn gold to dust the way you do; maybe then I’d be able to forget you, too” – tells you what this song’s about. And, yeah, you’ll be singing along within a couple listens.

“See Jane” is a short (0:53) between-song musically-backed spoken word bit featuring the words of Toni Morrison; it leads into “Limbo Love,” a beat-driven track using stutter-vocals, a vocal bridge that bounces back and forth in stereo, and catchy “everyone…” lyric sequences providing forward momentum and energy.

“Tourist in Nature” follows, a bit more of a standard-formatted song that would be one of the more radio-friendly songs on the album, one that would be just as engaging as a standalone number as within the context of Rabbit Hole. The beat churns along, ratcheting up the tension throughout this persistently-tempoed track. The song’s message? Yes, what you’d guess from its title. How did we get so separated from the outside, natural world?

The disc ends with Valerie’s original interpretation of Nina Simone’s “Sinnerman.” Valerie delivers a slow, deliberate version that creaks eerily and ominously, with a pulsing synth “heartbeat” thumping the song powerfully forward to its conclusion.

On her website, Valerie calls Rabbit Hole “the most experimental album I’ve ever written and produced,” and I’d posit that’s one of the things that makes Valerie such an elite artist. Bowie, Sting, Gaga. They take (or took) chances, try new things, experiment with sounds and styles. Those influences produce surprises, mostly (from an artistic perspective, at least) pleasant surprises. Musicians who are willing to push the envelope, trying new things, and grow present a life’s work that’s worth hearing beginning to end. Though she’s still quite young, with hopefully decades more of music-making in her future, I consider Valerie Orth to be one such artist, and I look forward to hearing what she creates next. I assume it won’t be what I expect, but I expect my life to be richer for having heard it. For now, I’m glad to have Rabbit Hole to tide me over until her next creation. I’d suggest you check it out yourself.