Tag Archives: Single Review

Single Review: The James Clark Institute – “Reluctantly in Love”

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image courtesy of Cameron Carpenter

Single Review of The James Clark Institute: “Reluctantly in Love”

The James Clark Institute is a Canadian pop-rock group fronted by singer-songwriter James Clark. The band is comprised of Clark (lead vocals, electric and acoustic guitars, harmonica), Tom Gibson (electric lead guitars), Tim Gall (bass), Greg Condie (keyboards), and Dean Carl Glover (drums and harmony vocals).

James Clark; photo by Sean Ryan; photo courtesy of Cameron Carpenter

The band’s single “Reluctantly in Love” sports a great big, rockin’, power pop sound and catchy guitar groove the make it a fast favorite. The jangly guitars at the beginning of the song call to mind first The Cars, then Green Day, and when the song eventually reaches its chorus, I can’t help but think of Counting Crows’ “Accidentally in Love.” The whole song is a smorgasbord of favorite sounds, comfort food for the ears. Buzzy guitars, an organ solo, ’50s-style old-school rock hooks. All wrapped in a catchy package with a singalong chorus. And then it delivers a hard-stop end, something you typically heard at least once on a record in albums’ heyday, varying of course by bands’ preferences.

Bottom line: Listen to this song. It has very broad appeal and is likely to become a regular on your personal playlist. for a while once you’ve heard it.

Also, notably, “Reluctantly in Love” was released just in time for Valentine’s Day earlier this year. So if you’ve not heard it yet, you have some new music for Valentine’s Day 2027, right? But maybe first make sure your valentine is OK with the inclusion of the word “reluctantly” in the sentiment.

More Recently

Since “Reluctantly in Love” came out, The James Clark Institute has released another song, “A Donkey,” as part of a split single with Rob Moss and Skin-Tight Skin, where each band performs a song written by the other. “A Donkey,” then, was penned by Rob Moss and Skin-Tight Skin, who performed the James Clark Institute-penned “Bettie Page Rides A Donkey.”

Single Reviews: Smitt E. Smitty & The Fezztones – “Big Ass American Car” and “Motor City Yankee”

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photo courtesy of Smitt E. Smitty & The Fezztones via Knyvet

Single Reviews of Smitt E. Smitty & The Fezztones: “Big Ass American Car” and “Motor City Yankee”

This year so far, the incorrigible Smitt E. Smitty & The Fezztones have released a pair of loud, fun, in-your-face, catchy garage rock singles, “Big Ass American Car” and “Motor City Yankee.”

Both songs resonate with me, and for the same reason. The first release, “Big Ass American Car,” is the sort of song a Michigander like me can fully appreciate, while “Motor City Yankee” chronicles Smitty’s move from Michigan to Massachusetts, something that mirrors my own life history. So why don’t I get down to reviewing the songs themselves. OK, sure, I was just getting to that.

image courtesy of Smitt E. Smitty & The Fezztones via Knyvet

But first, Smitt E. Smitty & The Fezztones, on these recordings, are Smitt E. Smitty (lead vocals), James Melanson (guitar), Eddie Nowik (guitar), Andrew Padua (bass), Jonathan LaMaster: (violin), Johnny Sestito (drums), and backing vocalists JoEllen Saunders Yannis, Linda Bean Pardee, and Heather Rice-Fahey.

The first of the two singles, “Big Ass American Car” is a thumping, raucous ode to the American auto industry and Americans’ love of driving. Note also the shoutout to Kalamazoo, a neat but oft-overlooked Michigan city. As for the song, it’s loud, shouty, and obnoxiously fun, with some aggressively fun guitar riffs. It’s a high-production-value garage rock-styled anthem. It feels a little over the top at times, but in a lovable way, exactly what you expect from Smitt E. Smitty & the Fezztones and why you need their music in your collection, because there will be specific times when this is exactly what you need.

image courtesy of Smitt E. Smitty & The Fezztones via Knyvet

“Motor City Yankee,” next, is just as rowdy and stylistically similar. I’m not from Detroit, but it’s the biggest city in my original home state (and I was a member of the Detroit Musicians Alliance for a few years before I moved away), so to me, this Detroit-to-Boston story mostly rings true. I think, also shoutouts to city-specific locations and bands (Alice Cooper, MC5, for example) will appeal to those with roots in one or both cities. I’d love to have seen the band work Boston Coolers into the lyrics, but it’s hard to get Vernors in Boston, anyway, so I can deal with its absence. Musically, the song’s energy starts at 10 on a 10 scale, ramps up to 11, and stays there. A universally fun romp. Combined with the band’s preceding release, “Big Ass American Car,” it just serves to drive home that we all need more Smitt E. Smitty & the Fezztones in our lives.

Now, just like a ’90s/’00s romantic comedy, I’m getting to the end but find myself in a situation that I don’t know how to wrap. So I’ll just jump to the conclusion: Smitt E. Smitty’s two latest singles are great fun. You should listen to them!

Single Review: Chastity Brown – “Year of Twenty-Six”

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photo by Elena Stanton and Joe Horton; image courtesy of September Gurl Music

Single Review of Chastity Brown: “Year of Twenty-Six”

This past winter in singer-songwriter Chastity Brown‘s neighborhood in Minneapolis, Renee Good was killed. In the days that followed, Brown channeled her emotional turmoil in the wake of that senseless event into a song, this song, “Year of Twenty-Six.”

Brown chose to write the song from the perspective of Good’s widow, with her powerful delivery and first-person approach adding incredible power. When Brown’s voice cracks, it hits especially hard for this very reason.

photo by Brad Ogbonna; photo courtesy of September Gurl Music

Brown’s sparse, deliberate pianowork marries with the cello and emotionally-delivered vocals to create a very mournful, touching, impactful work of art. You don’t need to know the story behind it to feel it in your heart. But, of course, we all know, and that just makes it hit harder… and more tragically.

If there’s one song that sums up 2026 so far, sadly this is it.

From a musical perspective – and I know this isn’t why she created this powerful piece – for those of us previously unfamiliar with Chastity Brown, this should cause us to want to explore more of her music, like her 2022 album Sing to the Walls.

As for the song itself, all proceeds from the song’s sale via this Bandcamp link are earmarked, per the press release and Bandcamp page, to go to “Minnesota-based Organizations that are working to help Minnesotans affected by the actions of ICE in their communities.”

Single Review: Eric Bibb – “Didn’t I Keep Runnin'”

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photo by Jan Malmstrom; photo courtesy of Mark Pucci Media

Single Review of Eric Bibb: “Didn’t I Keep Runnin'” (Repute Records)

Eric Bibb is a Grammy award-winning bluesman. “Didn’t I Keep Runnin'” was the third single released in advanced of Bibb’s winter album release, One Mississippi. Musically, the song is catchy, with a deeply engaging rhythmic groove, the uplifting of spring of frequent fiddle work bowing its way through and offering well-placed flourishes, Bibb’s occasionally emphatic banjo playing, and vocal depth lent by a the song’s backup singers. And, of course, Bibb’s vocals, tuneful even when often close to being spoken word.

image courtesy of Mark Pucci Media

Throughout, the song maintains a feeling of being off-balance, with the swift entrance and exit – over and over – of different instruments lending to the unpredictability, while still remaining tuneful and cohesive. All the while, the steady, relentless rhythm carries forward the feeling that there’s a pursuit in progress. And indeed, in the lyrics, there is a chase going on. Bibb summed up the story behind the song in his quote from the song’s press release. Said Bibb about the song, “This song was inspired by an old photograph, depicting a peg-footed banjo player, who was surely a slave who had tried to escape. Runaway slaves who were captured after unsuccessful attempts to flee, were often punished with the amputation of afoot to prevent further flight and to discourage other slaves from trying. As I see it, we’re all still on the road to freedom.” That’s some heavy subject matter for such an enjoyably engaging song.

The musicianship plays a huge role in this song’s appeal, so it’s worth mentioning the performers. On “Didn’t I Keep Runnin’,” Eric Bibb (lead vocals, 6-string banjo) is joined by Robbie McIntosh (slide Angelus guitars), Zosha Warpeha (hardanger fiddle), Glen Scott (drums, percussion, bass, electric guitars, backing vocals, handclaps, string programming, keyboards), and Sara Bergkvist Scott and Shaneeka Simon (backing vocals, handclaps).

I’ve heard some of the other tracks that appear on One Mississippi. Great songs, too, but whew, I was really drawn to “Didn’t I Keep Runnin'” and wanted to give it its own review. (Also, I’ve simply listened to this song so many more times than the others that it’s the only one I can really do justice in a review.) Whatever draws you to this song – and there’s so much to appreciate – I suspect a broad swath of music fans will really enjoy it. And from the brief sampling I’ve done of the rest of the record, if “Didn’t I Keep Runnin'” piques your interest, you may want to check out the full album, where you’re likely to find other new favorites.

Single Review: Savvy Haze – “Hip Thrust”

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photo courtesy of Savvy Haze

Single Review of Savvy Haze: “Hip Thrust”

Nayla Savannah is a versatile creative force whose music, as she notes, combines hip-hop and grunge, as well as a variety of other influences for an original, edgy sound. Her talent is readily apparent to anyone who spends a lot of time with cutting-edge creative artists, as you can hear from her solo recordings Savy World and Be Free, as well as Savvy Haze Live, the latest full-length recording from her band Savvy Haze. “Hip Thrust” was shared with me this spring, as it was being released to popular streaming platforms, and I knew I was listening to something special.

image courtesy of Savvy Haze

Indeed, while a description of Nayla’s might make it sound as if it inhabits – and perhaps invents  a niche subgenre – Savvy Haze’s initial single release, “Hip Thrust,” is a broad appeal song you absolutely have to hear. The studio single, separate from Savvy Haze Live, is an aggressively catchy earworm. Not just casually catchy. I’m talking the kind of song you hear played at sports arenas during breaks in the action where everyone stands up and dances. Or maybe struts; that’s really more what I do when I listen to the song. It’s an awkward, weird strut, but I’ve got a great big ol’ smile on my face.

The song is primarily one big, long, hooky, plucky, funky groove. Add a thumpin’ rhythm section. And Nayla’s – er, Savvy’s – vocal stylings on top. There’s even some mid-song guitar shredding for guitar rock fans. But the rhythm is so memorable I always forget it’s even in there. The production is a little raw, but that’s all just part of this song’s appeal. Trust me, you’ve never heard anything quite like “Hip Thrust.” And it’ll be stuck in your head for days after each listen.

Not only will “Hip Thrust” appeal across most musical fanbases (anyone who likes unadulterated fun, really), but like any good hit single, it also gets the listener accustomed to the artist’s sound. Now, personally I’m not a fan of live albums, so I’m not likely to get past the external noisiness I heard upon a quick sample of Savvy Haze Live – that might appeal to you if want to capture the atmosphere of a live performance, though, so if that’s you, check it out – but Savvy Haze also has a second guitar-infused funky hip-hop studio single, “Section,” that I find more enjoyable with each listen, in part because I play it back-to-back with “Hip Thrust,” and it’s slowly becoming a favorite, too.  So think of “Hip Thrust” as a gateway song. Everyone’s gonna get hooked on it. So start with “Hip Thrust” and see where it leads you. You know you want to.

Single Review: David Myhr – “Summer Summer Summer”

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image courtesy of Earshot Media

Single Review of David Myhr: “Summer Summer Summer”

So, what am I doing sharing the sound of summer with you when summer’s over? Yeah, I don’t know. But hey, if there’s ever a song that could bring summer back, it’s David Myhr‘s “Summer Summer Summer”!

David released this song before the beginning of the summer, the first single of three pre-release singles from his album Everything Is All About You. Indeed, there’s plenty of good music on the album, but this single has been riding my playlist for months, so I’m just going to review it. Quick, while there’s maybe a warm day or two left for you to play the song while cruising the avenue with your windows rolled down.

photo courtesy of Earshot Media

Yes, “Summer Summer Summer” has that California beach/surf vibe. The Beach Boys, Jan & Dean. I’m not saying David Myhr sounds like them, but you can hear that influence, even if Myhr combines it with more straightforward fifties rock influences, as well. Myhr might be best known for fronting Swedish power-pop band The Merrymakers, but “Summer Summer Summer” is chock full of California melodic bubblegum pop-rock.

In any case, there’s only so much you can say to describe a sugary-sweet, sunshine-drenched, timeless pop-rock single like “Summer Summer Summer,” and I’ve run out of words. Indeed, though this fun song will now exit my review queue, I’ve added it to my personal playlist. And if this review has piqued your interest, you should definitely give it a listen on your streaming service of choice!

About the Album

Everything Is All About You, on which “Summer Summer Summer” appears, can be ordered on CD or vinyl now. You’ll have to wait until October 2nd for the album’s digital release.

Single Review: Crymwav – “Everything Turns Grey”

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photo courtesy of BJF PR

Single Review of Crymwav: “Everything Turns Grey”

Los Angeles-based power rockers Crymwav are Roger Deering (lead singer, rhythm guitar, bass), Lloyd Stuart Casson (lead guitar, vocals, bass), Pat Muzingo (drums), and Bruce Braddock (bass). Yeah, I know, that strikes me as far too many bass players, too, but that’s what their bio says. Regardless, the foursome recently released an inspired version of “Everything Turns Grey,” a energetically-performed track you’ve just gotta hear!

image courtesy of BJF PR

The song “Everything Turns Grey” is a cover of a 1981 Agent Orange release. As was true of that era’s punk rock, Agent Orange’s production was quite raw. Well, Crymwav beefs that up a bit in this rendition, which adheres pretty faithfully to the original while amping up the sound, providing a more tuneful vocal delivery, and more or less bringing the song forward into a more modern era.

As far as which fan based will most dig it, I’m not going to try to put this song into a box. Rather, I think a broad swath of rock ‘n roll fans are likely to enjoy this single. It’s raw enough for those who lean a little punk. Its energy is likely to appeal to those who like songs that promote physical movement, from a subtle head-nod to a full-on thrash-dancing seizure. The nifty guitar part shreds a little, albeit tunefully and with maybe even a hint of surf guitar. Bottom line: If you like rock ‘n roll of any stripe, this song is worth at least a few listens. If you’re anything like me, it’ll intrigue you at first and then grow on you with each subsequent spin.

Single Review: Randy C Moore – “Forget Me Not”

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photo by Linda Moore; photo courtesy of Margin Promo

Single Review: Randy C Moore – “Forget Me Not”

Texas country music singer Randy C Moore is back, this time with an exceptional original, the self-penned “Forget Me Not” released earlier this year. To be honest, when I reviewed Moore’s “Cat’s in the Cradle” cover, I was impressed, but this original is next-level outstanding. Clearly, if you’re not familiar with him (as I wasn’t until last year, though Texas country music fans seem to know him quite well), it’s time to discover Randy C Moore and add him to your personal playlists.

cover photo by Linda Moore; image courtesy of Margin Promo

This particular song, “Forget Me Not,” is an old-school, storytelling country & western strummer. Its beat is steady, moving progressively, consistently, inevitably forward, with the tempo seeming to build momentum, though it’s really just content and delivery of the story-song building upon itself, drawing the listener in. Moore’s deep, powerful vocals – very Johnny Cash-like in that they can simultaneously be matter-of-fact and convey emotion – are hypnotically rich, smooth, and deep. OK, not “Johnny Cash deep,” but still very cool and convincing. And did I say smooth? Yes, I did, but I’ll say it again because it’s a poised, composed smoothness that’ll make you want to hear more.

So, country music fans, especially if you enjoy older-school country, you’re gonna love this song. Within just a few listens, “Forget Me Not” will quickly become an old favorite for you, as it has become for me.

More Recently

Since the release of “Forget Me Not,” Randy has released a newer single, the energetic “High Cost of Low Livin’,” a song that shows off yet another stylistic twist on country music, showcasing yet more musical real estate that Randy can capably perform.

Single Review: Michelle Held – “Another Jane”

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photo by Robert Sherrow; photo courtesy of Michelle Held

Single Review of Michelle Held: “Another Jane”

You’ve read here once before about Michelle Held, one of Michigan’s most revered and talented folk singer-songwriters. Well, she has released another single, “Another Jane,” and it’s every bit as cool as you’d expect.

Those familiar with Held know her trademark vocal warble that’s unlike anyone else’s, adding texture and layers to her performance that are uniquely Held. Her songwriting, too, is deep and insightful. On this particular song, she digs into the persona of Jane Goodall, with Held’s vocal warmth matching the thoughtful kindness of the lyrics praising Goodall, mentioning her admirable personality traits and praiseworthy approach to the world, as well as touching upon key points of Goodall’s bio, coming to the now-obvious conclusion at the end of each verse that “we could use another Jane.”

cover image by Christopher Bennett; image courtesy of Michelle Held

Of course, whether or not someone steps into the void left behind by Jane Goodall, we can all glad we have one Michelle Held. Folk music fans, songwriting fans, or I suppose fans of chimpanzees should all check out this most recent single from one of Metro Detroit’s most talented singer-songwriters.

Looking Ahead

At the moment, according to the “Concerts” page of Michelle Held’s website, she only has one upcoming show booked, as a special guest on the October 18th stop of The 50th Anniversary of the Last Waltz Tour at the Token Lounge in Westland, MI. If you’re in the Detroit area, catch her there. And/or, of course, check her website periodically as new performances are added.

Single Review: Memoira – “Ikigai (Memories)”

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photo by Soft Neon Audiovisualin/Jerkka Perälä; photo courtesy of Inverse Records

Single Review of Memoira – “Ikigai (Memories)” (Inverse Records)

It’s been a while since I’ve shared some good symphonic, progressive metal here at the blog. Well, I can be perhaps a little too picky when I choose what to review this genre, but I definitely have a good one for you tonight. Finnish soaring power-rockers Memoira serve up an engaging, catchy song with “Ikigai (Memories),” a song that mostly lives in the stratosphere but also features some crunch machine-gun-tempo guitarwork in a couple spots.

image courtesy of Inverse Records

Krista Astrid Schröter (vocals) delivers the sternly earnest yet tunefully booming vocals, while the song powers forward in a 4 1/2 minutes that just seems to fly by thanks to the musicianship of Lassi Nuolivaara (keyboards, piano), Serdar Ilter (guitars), Niko Laaksonen (bass), and Kimmo Puhakka (drums).

The song itself encourages the listeners to live their lives, with lyrics like “Let the rain wash away all your pain. Life can end in just one day. Make those memories, make those memories last” delivering its message a little abruptly – or, perhaps, directly – but with solid melodic power.

If you’re a fan of musical transitions, about a minute, there’s a nifty “ah, ah” vocal transition, and a little past the song’s midpoint, there’s a musical bridge where the keys and guitars break things down and recalibrate the song’s sound a bit before launching back into the chorus and the song’s closing stanzas.

If you’re a fan of symphonic, edgy, hard-rocking progressive metal, Memoira is a band you should hear. And “Ikigai (Memories)” is a fantastic place to start.