Gaston Light – Peel
2011, Idol Records
2011, Idol Records
Dallas-born and based (by way of Los Angeles) Gaston Light
brings a musical melting pot on his debut album, Peel. Born Jason Corcoran,
Gaston Light blends a musical melting pot of roots rock, country, soul, blues
and folk, while showing a surprising lyrically subtlety for a twenty-two year
old singer/songwriter.
Peel opens in
provocative fashion with “Athens, TX”, giving the account of a murder in the
first person from the one who got away with it.
The song is not as disturbing as it probably should be. “Morning Fog” has a melancholy, sing-song air
that is aurally appealing, even if the vocal line is a bit flat
energy-wise. The arrangement is nicely
structured, and the guitar work lends a full sound to the composition. “Kiss The Hive” is intriguing; Gaston Light
uses an angular guitar sound to create an unsettled dynamic. It’s unclear whether this is intentional, but
it almost sounds as if he’s on to something sonically. “In A Casket” shines from the middle of the
album; it’s a great tune, albeit with an unusual premise. It’s a catchy, roots rock number with some
impressive pedal steel work going on in the background, and light gives a
surprising vocal turn that’s one of the highlights of the album.
Gaston Light works his way through numbers such as “Half
Awake”, “Close Your Good Eye” and “Crown”, while finding small moments in the
catchy fun of “Xanax Blues” and the sappy/sweet “I’ll Wait For You (Please Wait
For Me)”. Light’s voice is pleasant to
listen to, but there is a passive quality to his vocal style that can be
interpreted as a real lack of energy or conviction. It may just be Light mindfully working around
his own vocal limitations, but if so, it challenges him to raise the energy
level in the vocal lines in order to stay connected with listeners. Musically, Peel is above average. Light
shows a penchant for unusual sounds and construction while staying married to
traditional song forms. His ear is
excellent, as you’ll hear in the instrumental mixes woven into the seams of
each song on Peel. It’s safe to say that Gaston Light shows a
lot of promise, but is still figuring out where he fits musically. Peel,
however, is a solid start.
Rating: 3 Stars (Out
of 5)
CD MP3
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