Andy Palmer – Hazard Of
The Die
2013, Andy Palmer
2013, Andy Palmer
Andy Palmer has been making music all of his adult
life. As front man of Colorado
folk/rockers Grub Street Wine and as a solo artist, Palmer has earned critical
and commercial accolades. Palmer was
named to Indie-Music.com’s Top-20 Independent Artists for 2011 and 2012. His debut album, Sometime Around, won a Best of Denver Award in 2011. This month the former Brooklyn public
defender returns with his sophomore effort, Hazard
Of The Die.
Palmer opens with “The Monk”, an intriguing story song with
heart-beat like rhythm and syncopated beats.
This arrhythmia lends interesting texture to a bit of observational
songwriting that is off the beaten track.
Palmer’s voice is enigmatic and full of muddy timbres that give him a
world-weary feel. It’s an effective
presentation that will stick with you. “Heart
Of Colfax” is a bluesy, angular rock tune with a bit of funk in its roots. It’s a fun tune with a bit of a twisted sense
of humor running through its veins. The
character perspective plays like an urban style Randy Newman, and the tune is
ultimately catchy. “Broke Down In
Bellevue” is a down-tempo ballad steeped in blues chords and a lightly swung
chanson style. Palmer is a disaffected
narrator here, laying out the pin points of desolation on a musical map for all
to see and hear.
“Good Son” finds Palmer opening up the arrangement into a
more pop-friendly rock sound. The
spoken-word vocal works well in the wide open sound of the song, with Palmer
surfing his way through the song on an enigmatic vocal performance. “Moreya” is a solid piece of balladeering
pop. It’s a bit bland and reserved
compared to what’s come before, but is a solid album track. Palmer goes bilingual (English/Spanish) on “Hay
Algo Muy Mal”. Palmer struggles here, as
the song is cut from the same low-energy cloth as “Moreya”. He recovers his energy and musical quirkiness
on “The Defendant”. The song is
understandable repetitive, but the repetition does become a bit much. At the same time, Palmer offers up some of
his best guitar work on the album her. Hazard Of The Die takes a bow with “Fancy
That”, an energetic and funky rocker that will have your toes tapping and your
hips grooving. Love becomes its own
economy of scale here, and the story is irresistible.
Andy Palmer won’t sit well with everyone. He’s voice is definitely off the beaten path,
but Palmer uses his instrument to best effect on the eight songs presented on Hazard Of The Die (Think Leonard Cohen
meets Tom Waits). Palmer continues to use stories and ideas
from his career as a public defender in his songs and the result are an
entertaining and eclectic collection of character based songs ala Randy
Newman. Palmer’s composition style jumps
around a bit, but the angular guitar work seems to be a trademark. Hazard
Of The Die will certainly catch your attention, and if you’re a listener of
lyrics and a fan of story-based songs, then Andy Palmer will be right up your
alley.
Rating: 3.5 Stars
(Out of 5)
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