War Poets - Searching For The American Dream

War Poets – Searching for the American Dream
2015, War Poets

Minnesota rockers War Poets have been busy in the last year.  Their most recent release, Searching for the American Dream, is the third in a cycle of three EPs the band has released in the past nine months.  The cycle is a series of rock and roll meditations on issues faced in modern American, as seen through the politically jaded eyes of the Occupy movement.  Searching for the American Dream is the cycle’s culmination, referencing issues of incarceration; income inequality; respect for prostitutes; and revolution.

The EP opens with “Day Dream”, a compact little rocker with smooth edges.  The song is mildly catchy and will appeal to fans of classic rock.  The lyrical content is awkward but consistent with issues addressed in the television show American Crime.  “Shadows” is a clumsy humanistic take on redemption.  It’s a great listen musically, but the disconnect between sound and lyric may be tough to take.  “On My Own” is a classic rock biograph of a homeless man who experienced child abuse; ran away and grew up on his own.  The song is well written, and the sound references Pink Floyd or perhaps post-DeYoung Styx.

“Sarah” is a song of affection for a prostitute that looks to remove the stigma of the world’s oldest profession.  It also works as an atypical love song if you’re not listening to the words too closely.  “Pay The Piper” is all about income inequality and revolution.  This is perhaps the standout track on the EP; featuring a tremendously catchy arrangement.  Searching for the American Dream winds down with “Hey There”, a middling rocker about the pursuit of happiness and love.

War Poets are musically competent on Searching for the American Dream.  The band is musically in sync and wears their progressive social management views on their collective sleeve.  The message, whatever you might think of it, is ineptly delivered more often than not.  This is a mixed bag that will have some regional appeal but just doesn’t have enough universal appeal to break big.

Rating: 2.5 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more at www.warpoets.net.  Purchase Searching for the American Dream from Amazon or iTunes.

Gena Perala - Exactly Nowhere

Gena Perala – Exactly Nowhere
2013, Gena Perala

Gena Perala is a modern renaissance woman.  Raised on the carnival circuit, she developed a keen insight into the human condition, and the artful storytelling style of a life-long performer.  Perala broke into music by way of her award winning poetry.  She has published three books to date and released two albums of original music.  Her debut album, This Ain’t Pretty, won Perala rave reviews. Her follow-up, Exactly Nowhere, finds Perala taking things to the next level.

Perala opens with “Living Proof”, bringing elements of classic 1960’s girl pop.  There’s a rock-a-bye feel to this tune, and while Perala is a bit verbose, the vocals are exceedingly easy on the ear.  “Fine” is an interesting take on a relationship where her partner makes her feel good about herself while spiraling downward himself.  There’s a sort of helpless fatalism here that’s palpable, and the song is gorgeous in its sadness.  “Hip Hop Cartoons” is rife irony.  The seeming anthem of living life on one’s own terms has a distinctive slacker element that’s more about simple existence than living or learning. 

“La Fin” is a dark waltz that is sung primarily in French with English interjections.  Perala is in her element here with a compelling mix of raw animus and madness.  It’s a moment that will haunt you into listening again and again.  “Exactly Nowhere” is theatrical in approach, sung seemingly in post-relationship shock.  Perala’s composition is masterful, right down to the string accents.  The lyrical caricature is as artful as the music, and in case you didn’t know it already, Perala is showing off some serious songwriting chops here.  “Superstar Nova” finds Perala in a more straight-forward pop approach, completed with elemental synth and a dance beat.  This is too busy as a relationship song and a bit too self-focused.  “Fat World” is a catchy garage/punk number that may be stuck in your noggin for days for its musical proclivities and for Perala’s enthralling voice.

"Hoopla" finds Perala lampooning women who fulfill themselves by digging for gold and living off the success if others. The campy atmosphere of the song, which alternates between reverb soaked simplicity and alt-rock excess, is reminiscent of Meryn Cadell. "On Second Thought" is a memorable piece of musical theater that tracks the internal ups and downs of a fickle minded suitor. Her writing is brilliant, incisive and funny yet somehow utterly mortal. The transitions from navel gazing pastiche to manic hope are perfectly conceived and executed.  "My Match" focuses on a repeat hookup offender who laments not finding permanence. It's a humorous and sad caricature that will likely remind you of someone.

"Life Is Hard" is a gorgeous, string-laced monologue from a character who is her own worst enemy. This worldview is dark and full of pessimism and yet utterly familiar from someone you know. Perala's light touch makes this more accessible and believable. "Tell It To The Stars" is an upbeat dialectic on seeking external guidance from the stars. Perala is eminently likeable here as she speaks from the heart in an upbeat, country flavored arrangement that will have you tapping your toes.

"See Myself" is a gently rolling piano ballad that's deftly orchestrated to build the emotive strength of the song while keeping Perala's superb vocals front and center. There's something of a secular sermon feel to this at times, with a distinctly inward focus built of insecurity as the concomitant strength it breeds. "Every Man" starts out in Perala's signature confessional style, but struggles to escape its own weight. She recovers nicely, closing with the brief, yet hopeful "Neverland".

Gena Perala’s musical and lyrical brilliance shines through on Exactly Nowhere.  There’s a theme of disaffection based on a mistrust of human intentions that runs through the album, but Perala also has a sense of humor.  In essence, Exactly Nowhere is something of a catalog of musical defense mechanisms that lead to the album’s title.  Perala deconstructs, perhaps, her own defenses with humor and grace and a fantastic sense of musical theater.  She takes tremendous risks and even when things don’t quite work out they’re certainly interesting.  Exactly Nowhere finds Gena Perala distinctly somewhere wonderful.

Rating: 4.5 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more at www.genaperala.com.  

Seth Glier - Things I Should Let You Know

Seth Glier - Things I Should Let You Know
2012, MPress Records

Two-time Independent Music Award winner and GRAMMY nominee (2011’s The Next Right Thing) Seth Glier is back with his most impressive work to date.  Things I Should Let You Know tackles adulthood; from the shoreline to wading in.  The 24-year old Glier shows a story-teller’s presence and sense of subtlety that speak of talent gilded longer than his tender years.

Glier sets sail with the eerie atmospherics of the title track. Glier's voice shares sonic real estate with former American Idol finalist Paul McDonald, but this opening track sets a pallid tone for the album. Glier finds a solid pop/rock groove on "The Man I Used To Be". The regretful depression of the story song is wonderfully at odds with the catchy arrangement and memorable melody.  A slow but solid beginning jumps into overdrive with "New World I See", a celebratory love song about a northern man who falls in love with a southern girl. Glier finds that personal, self-deprecating humor that drives the songwriting of folks such as Randy Newman and Lyle Lovett while weaving a story that engages you. All of this is done in a wonderfully salty New Orleans style arrangement that is full of life.

"Plastic Soldiers" is a heartbreaking story song that follows one man's journey from playing with plastic soldiers as a child to serving and being wounded in war to watching his son play with the same soldiers. Glier avoids preaching, rather allowing listeners to form their own ideas about the progression. Either way it’s a beautifully sad and moving moment. "The Stars And Glitter" is a cutting indictment to consumer culture and humanity's seeming willingness to enslave themselves for more stuff. The stark arrangement is compelling, and Glier's voice is amazing in this context.

"Down To The Wire" is an infectiously ambivalent rocker about falling in love. This leads into sonic resting space of "Interlude", a moment of quiet musical repose. Up next is "Good Man", which continues the love story from "Down To The Wire". Here the relationship is on, and he is surprised at the feelings in his heart. It's a mea culpa of sorts, an acknowledgement that he doesn't know what he is a doing with a promise to do right. Glier shifts gears with "Avery", a middle of the road pop rocker about a less than ideal friend. The story is well told here, but this track lacks the sort of spark Glier is capable of.

"Too Hard To Hold The Moon" is a touching love song with an unusual object. Glier mixes metaphors here, turning from the image to reality and back at irregular intervals. The song is touching and powerful and ultimately bathed in a sad beauty. "Poppies On The Table" explores a single moment that turns two worlds upside down. Glier offers a dynamic monologue in a catchy, vibrant arrangement while exploring long term mistakes and having the courage to change.  Glier gets contemplative while exploring truths about love and human imperfection on "Everything Beautiful". It's a beautiful, stripped down moment that is deep yet accessible. Glier closes with moral of the story in "I Am Only As Loved As I Am Open". The simple truth sweeps over him on his wedding day in the song, and it will connect with listeners who listen with their hearts.

Seth Glier shows that the sophomore slump is a myth with Things I Should Let You Know. Glier is a musical storyteller on a par with a young Randy Newman or Lyle Lovett. This cycle confirms that Glier's period Grammy nomination was no fluke. Don't be surprised if Glier hasn't shown us everything he's got. This guy just seems to be getting better as he goes.  Things I Should Let You Know is required listening, and a Wildy’s World Certified Desert Island Disc.

Rating: 5 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more at www.sethglier.com. 

Gaston Light - Peel

Gaston Light – Peel
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)

Learn more about Gaston Light at www.gastonlight.com or www.facebook.com/gastonlight. 

CD                              MP3              

        iTunes.

Please note that the Amazon.com prices listed above are as of the posting date, and may have changed.  Wildy's World is not responsible for price changes instituted by Amazon.com. 

Bill Toms - Memphis

Bill Toms - Memphis
2011, Terraplane Records

From 1987 until 2006, Bill Toms was the lead guitarist and backup vocalist for Joe Gruschecky and The Houserockers, a legendary Pittsburgh band that broke into the big time.      The band’s breakthrough effort, 1995’s American Babylon, was produced by no less than Bruce Springsteen himself.  Along the way, Tom had the opportunity to play with or open for the likes of Springsteen, Bob Dylan, The Band, Little Feat and Stevie Ray Vaughan.  As a solo performer, Tom’s is a refined street poet, mining the waters of rock and rhythm and blues for hope while growling from the heart of human mischance and sorrow.  Bill Toms’ eighth solo release, Memphis, is due on September 13, 2011.

Memphis opens with "I Won't Go To Memphis", a hard-core acoustic blues/rocker that excels on pure chutzpah.  Toms brings a big, gruff voice and likable demeanor, falling naturally into the role of entertainer.  "Colleen, Goodbye" is a Bruce Springsteen-style story song about two lovers doomed to be apart.  Toms creates a bleak atmosphere against either an honest reckoning of the future of a relationship, or the tried and true departure of a man who refuses to be tied down.  "Misery" is an appealing bit of acoustic blues cast in an enjoyable arrangement capped off by brilliant sax.  The sound gets a bit bland on "On The Road Of Freedom", a 60's style folk rocker with decent energy in the instruments but where the vocal just doesn't keep up. 

Toms settles in to story-teller mode in the middle of album, running the gamut from folk to blues to rock nm roll.  Even gospel gets into the act on "Somebody Help Me" and "I'm Getting Closer".  "Lord Don't Take Me Now" is a periodically muscular blues rocker with big commercial appeal than transitions into the folksy balladeering of "Hold On".  The blues works its way into the song's roots here just as faith works its way into the lyrics.  Memphis winds down with the idealistic 1960's pop of "Let's Make A Better World".  The lyrical composition here is a bit awkward; a case where the message became more important than cogent construction, but the song is sonically appealing and carries a positive message.

Bill Toms uses charisma, charm and a sense of musical theatrics that's on the mark more often than not to make Memphis an appealing and enjoyable record.  The album is a bit uneven as it plays through, with Toms occasionally missing the bar here or there, but the overall effect is positive. Memphis is certainly worth making time for.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Bill Toms at www.billtoms.com or www.myspace.com/billtoms.  Memphis drops on September 13, 2011.  You can pre-order the CD from Amazon.com.  

David Serby - Poor Man's Poem

David Serby - Poor Man's Poem
2011, David Serby

David Serby spends his days as a Union Steward, representing workers and their interests in negotiations with employers.  When the working day is over, however, Serby picks up his guitar.  After spending three albums exploring 1960's style honky-tonk, Serby decided a different musical direction was in order.  Serby chose well, exploring a blend of Appalachia, folk and traditional country that fits perfectly to his story-teller's style.  With co-producer and guitarist Ed Tree (Spencer Davis Group), Serby has crafted his finest, most cogent work to date in the form of Poor Man's Poem. 

Serby's songwriting is rife with deep political thoughts, but the delivery is more that of a country bard.  Serby digs into stories steeped in U.S. history as a way of illuminating issues he sees as relevant to the present day.  The somewhat expansive country/folk arrangements he builds around his stories are subtle in nature and traditional in sound, coming across like the sort of personal folklore told on back porches throughout Appalachia rather than treatises on modern society.  Serby scores big with tunes like "Lay Down My Colt", a song that urges striving for peace, and the allegorical "Virginia Rail", which explores the life of a worker trying to make a living when large corporations control everything from where he works to the food he buys.

"Watch Over Her Baby" is a heartbreaker; the story of a young lady forced to give up her baby in the hope that he might have a better life, and her anguish watching from an alley as he sits upon steps where rich folks walk, hoping he'll be picked up and taken in.  "Wild West Show" explores the changes that have occurred over time for the First Nations of America.  "Evil Men" might just be the pick of the litter, however, comparing the rough and tumble behavior of the lawless on America's frontiers with that of those in boardrooms and state houses today. 

All of this is delivered in Serby's singularly plaintive voice.  He lulls you in with his delivery, and fills your head with images of times gone by while gently prodding you to think about today.  Poor Man's Poem walks the stilted streets of post-modern America trod by Bruce Springsteen and Bob Dylan, with a finesse and classic Americana/folk style that is compelling.  David Serby is the real deal.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about David Serby at www.davidserby.com or www.myspace.com/davidserby.  Poor Man’s Poem is available from Amazon.com as a CD or Download.  The album is also available via iTunes.

Brion Riborn - Mediocrity Is An Adequate Lover

Brion Riborn - Mediocrity Is An Adequate Lover
2011, Brion Riborn

Brion Riborn is a Michigan-based singer/songwriter whose muse is as cold and unrelenting as the Great Lakes waters of his home.  Traveling the darker waters of human existence, Riborn’s songs often play on loss, grief and the shortcomings of mankind, both individually and collectively.  His latest album, Mediocrity Is An Adequate Lover, is no exception.

Riborn is capable of singing with a gusto and pizzazz that makes you think of a big-time front man.  That charisma and urgent energy is there on the opening track, "Foursquare".  Riborn shows a lyric voice with some delightfully rough edges in this catchy, alt-Americana number.  "I Was A Lover" continues in a similar vein; Americana with something of a garage rock mystique.  But the album is about to be overtaken by a dark turn in emotive style and pace.  "Emergency Exit Routes" is stylish in approach, but falls quickly into a repetitive pattern that is tough to take.  The saving grace of the song is Riborn's voice, which soars in spite of getting stuck in a melodic rut.

"More Of Less" is an anthem for difficult times, and a reminder of the joy of simple things.  Riborn's poignant morality tale hits all the right notes, portraying a writing and storytelling style that's part Springsteen and part Marc Cohn.  Dark musical emotions swirl on "Such A Liar", while the song takes on a distinctively whiney tone that's bundled in pure Emo disaffection.  Riborn sinks further into the emotional muck and mire with "Walls & Wargames", a pain-riddled run-on sentence in song.  "Hold" sticks with this run-on, almost stream-of-conscious writing style, exploring the loss of losing a loved one, and the desire to hold onto the pain as a token of the past.  Lyrically well-written, Riborn simply maintains inertia for too long, both in this song and across the middle leg of the album.

"Times That We Forget" finds Riborn caught up in a melancholy reverie of memories and reflections.  There is an element of self-awareness that emerges from the mix of pain and wistful recollection that could be seen as the first green shoots of healing.  "The House On The Hill" opens with spooky organ music that quickly settles into hymn-like resolution.  This feeds into recollections of childhood and the paths that bring us together over time.  Riborn is in excellent voice in this pensive number, but his overly emotive vocal style once again takes on a whiney feel at times.   

"This Endless Sky" is a dreamy ballad with a classic theme; looking at the sky and dreaming that perhaps the other is looking at the same star.  Riborn's path is a bit darker here, as the other is perhaps looking from the other side of the veil.  Nevertheless, it's a gorgeous love ballad in spite of the darkness that hangs over it.  Riborn's poetry stands out here; written from the heart in deeply emotive terms, but retaining enough structure and style to stand on its own.  One might presume that suicide is the nexus of "On The Eve Of The Death Of A Beautiful Girl", but Riborn seems more concerned with others learning the power of words to change the course of ultimate decisions.  The sentiments here are wrought of pain but yield beauty in the end, over simplistic arrangement that works perfectly here.  Riborn sinks back into disaffection with "Weeds", sliding back into his struggle to understand mortality and the events that led to his particular heartbreak.  Riborn closes with "Futility", a post-modern glancing blow into Electronica that explores our inability to change the cycle of life and death, nor slow the passage of time.  The fatalistic turn here is a step forward in understanding, but definitely lacks the sort of resolution you might look for in a pop album.

Brian Riborn brings a disconnected sense to Mediocrity Is An Adequate Lover, treading heavily on the themes of death, grief and the unerring human capacity to fall short of perfection.  Riborn grieves a host of causes here, both present and future.  His emotive and dark songwriting is obsessed with the minutiae of the shortcomings of human existence.  The music itself is generally beside the point, merely serving as quasi-generic landscapes against which Riborn's stylistic tales of woe are told.  Mediocrity Is An Adequate Lover is ultimately intriguing, although there are moments in song that are perhaps as hard to get through as the events that inspired them.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Brion Riborn at http://www.brionriborn.com/ or www.myspace.com/brionriborn.  Mediocrity Is An Adequate Lover is available from Amazon.com as a CD or Download.  The album is also available via iTunes.

Spectacle: Elvis Costello With... Season 2

Spectacle: Elvis Costello with... - Season Two
2011, MVD Entertainment Group

Music fans unaware of Spectacle: Elvis Costello with... are missing out on one of the best music oriented shows on television.  Currently shown in Canada, Spectacle has consistently drawn big name artists to the small screen for sit down chats and memorable performances, both solo and with Elvis Costello and the Imposters.  MVD Entertainment Group recently released Season Two of Spectacle in the form of a 2-DVD set.  Season Two features interviews with and performances by such artists as Bono and The Edge, Sheryl Crow, Bruce Springsteen, Lyle Lovett, Richard Thompson, Nick Lowe, Ray LaMontagne, Neko Case and Mary-Louise Parker.

Spectacle has been honored with an EMMY nomination and a Gemini award as the Best Talk Series, and it's no surprise.  The artists who appear on Spectacle let down their guard speaking with Costello in a way that rarely happens on traditional talk television, and the musical performances are a real treat for fans.  Season Two features a special double episode Bruce Springsteen.  Special features include a special behind the scenes feature entitled Elvis Costello With... Inside Notes, and four bonus performances from Elvis Costello and his guests.  Costello is an engaging host throughout season two, keeping the format fresh with offbeat conversations and some truly wonderful musical moments.  Costello has managed to create a near-perfect television forum for music makers and music fans.  This is the rare television series you might find yourself actually watching again and again.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Spectacle at www.spectacletv.com.  Spectacle: Elvis Costello With...  Season 2 is available from Amazon.com on DVD and Blu-ray.

Alice Ripley - Daily Practice, Volume 1

Alice Ripley - Daily Practice, Volume 1
2011, Sh-K-Boom Records

TONY winner Alice Ripley has been acting on and off Broadway for twenty years, as well as recording albums and gigging with her band Ripley and creating works on canvas and in mixed media.  As an artist whose creative energies seem to have no end, Ripley often uses one art form to balance off another.  So it was in 2009, when Ripley played conjoined twin Diana in Next To Normal.  Aside from earning Ripley a TONY for best actress in a musical as well as a Helen Hayes award, Next To Normal left Ripley with another legacy.  Each night Ripley would return to her hotel room and recover from the emotional weight of her performance by singing some of her favorite songs while accompanying herself on acoustic guitar.   These impromptu therapy sessions were memorialized on the album Daily Practice, Volume 1, released earlier this year on Sh-K-Boom Records.

Daily Practice, Volume 1 is raw and unvarnished, featuring Alice Ripley in an almost manic performance state.  The result is unsettling at times, striking at others, and throughout is underscored by the emotional complexities and beauties of the human condition.  Ripley opens with Carole King's "It's Too Late".  This is one of the mellower offerings on the album, but Ripley's vocal performance is impassioned and full of emotion.   "Message In A Bottle" is halting and uncertain at times.  While the original version by the Police seems to focus more on the hope for salvation, Ripley's version seems more focused on the desolation and hopelessness of the narrator's position.  The performance is striking and raw, delivered in the uncomfortable tones of someone who doesn't know what to do next.

"I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" is played straight to the letter, but misses the soaring feel of the original in a workman-like performance.  Alanis Morissette's "You Oughta Know" is slowed down a bit, with Alice Ripley all over the place vocally.  Ripley seems to relish the emotional outbursts of the song, articulating representatives of the FCC's seven deadly words with particular fervor.  "Essence" (Lucinda Williams) displays a particular vulnerability; the emotional charge in Ripley's voice is palpable and real. 

Ripley goes all out for Bruce Springsteen's "Thunder Road", capturing the gritty honesty of Springsteen's writing style perfectly.  The sense of hope and joy amidst a dreary world is compelling.  Nanci Griffith's "The Flyer" drips with the loneliness of the road, staying true to the original.  Ripley takes on The Eagles' "Take It Easy" in halting fashion.  It's a solid cover, but doesn't have the carefree feel of the original.  Ripley takes a fair shot at R.E.M.'s "Everybody Hurts", but sounds overwrought.  The whiney, self-involved nature of the song and the heaviness of Ripley's voice just don't make for a great mix.  Ripley closes on sound footing with a solid cover of Carly Simon's "Anticipation".

Cover albums are always fraught with difficulties for fans and critics alike, but Daily Practice, Volume 1 is not your typical cover album.  The ten songs collected here represent a daily process of catharsis that allowed Ripley to maintain her balance during one of the most trying roles of her career.  The unvarnished nature of the album will give some listeners pause.  This is Alice Ripley, warts and all.  Most artists would never have the audacity to release recording in such a raw state.  From a purely aesthetic standpoint, Daily Practice, Volume 1is raw and unsettling.  Put into perspective, it becomes a statement of freedom, and of that particular beauty that grows from human imperfection and perseverance.  Daily Practice, Volume 1 comes straight from the heart.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

 Alice Ripley's web presence is fleeting and hard to find.  Her blog, aliceripleylinkup.blogspot.com has not been updated in a while, but you can pick up some good information about her there.  The site for her band, Ripley, www.myspace.com/ripleytheband has also not been updated in a while.  Luckily, Daily Practice, Volume 1 is available from Amazon.com as a CD or Download.  The album is also available via iTunes.

Dropkick Murphys - Going Out In Style

Dropkick Murphys - Going Out In Style
2011, Born & Bred Records/ILG

Dropkick Murphys return in 2011 with their seventh studio album, Going Out In Style, playing once again on their trademark mix of Celtic punk and alternative rock that owes at least a nod to The Pogues.  The Boston-based septet goes to the wall again and again with great story-telling and vibrant arrangements born of working class struggle.  There's even a guest appearance by The Boss himself, Bruce Springsteen.

"Hang 'Em High" is a powerful and rambunctious opener full of warrior spirit.  It's easy to see this one becoming a concert favorite with its energy and musicality.  "Going Out In Style" is modern twist on the classic drinking tune, advocating facing the end with distilled dignity.  "The Hardest Mile" is a commemoration of hard working Irish immigrants who worked themselves into the ground to help build America.  Dropkick Murphys imbue this one with tremendous energy in a joyous celebration of shared history.  "Cruel" explores the things we can't take back in a story about a rebellious, angry childhood that turns into parental alienation.  The narrator looks back on it all now from a time when amends can no longer be made and regrets.  Things get a little bland on "Memorial Day", but the band recovers quickly.

"Climbing A Chair To Bed" is another drinking song, of sorts.  This one has it all: great picking, great pipes and energy galore.  It's danceable, drinkable and wild.  "Broken Hymns" comes back to earth in an ode to soldiers who fought they could never win (or even survive).  It's a heartfelt memorial that's dark, yet heartfelt and stirring.  "Take 'Em Down" sounds like a union anthem, full of a virulent anger and energy that you simply cannot ignore.  "Sunday Hardcore Matinee" is a tribute of another fashion, recalling the great rock and roll shows of youth and how they never really lose their allure.  This is great, high-energy rock and roll.

"1953" is a tribute of sorts, although the point is painted on opaque lens.  Dropkick Murphys paint an aural picture of a bright, snowy December Day and a love story but leaves the important details just out of reach.  Bruce Springsteen adds his vocal talents to "Peg 'O My Heart", an upbeat love song played with energy and panache.  Going Out In Style does, with a raucous tribute to a ship in the form of "The Irish Rover".  This one is full of tongue-in-cheek exaggeration and humor, and is a highly entertaining way to say goodnight.

Dropkick Murphys never fail to entertain with great songwriting/storytelling and high energy arrangements that get stuck in your noggin.  Going Out In Style is no different.  There are a couple of songs here that don't quite keep pace, but on the whole it's a very strong album worth sticking around for.  Dropkick Murphys bring everything they have, whether to the stage or the studio.  Even when a particular song misses (not that this happens often), the effort is worth tuning in for.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Dropkick Murphys at www.dropkickmurphys.com or www.myspace.com/dropkickmurphys.  Going Out In Style is available from Amazon.com as a CD or Download.  The album is also available from iTunes.

Mark Growden - Lose Me In The Sand

Mark Growden - Lose Me In The Sand
2011, Porto Franco Records

Mark Growden grew up in a logging town in the rural mountains of California.  His earliest musical memories are of the sort of American roots music cultivated through hard work, complex problems and simple pleasures.  Growden is a multi-instrumentalist, singer and songwriter who was shaped by this pioneering spirit and for his latest album has chosen to commemorate his roots.  Growden's Lost Me In The Sand features the banjo as the lead instrumental voice, recalling the essence of poverty, resilience and fortitude across ten songs that speak to heart of America's working class.

Growden opens with "You Ain't Never Been Loved", a song of bravado and vulnerability.  A man with a roving eye challenges his partner with the idea that she'll never leave him because the loving is so good, even if he doesn't treat her well.  It soon becomes clear that it's not confidence but fear that drives his challenge.  The song is very well written and performed, and picks at the complexity of human emotion in the midst of human imperfection with a deft eye for detail.  "Settle In A Little While" is a stuttering song is a silly bit of fun that picks at a social taboo without mean intent.  Growden handles the subject with enough panache to probably avoid the whip-lash-like reactions that often accompany such songs.

"Bones" is a dark, desolate, bluesy number that's dark and unsettled.  This is among the most intriguing songs on the album; don't be surprised if you hit repeat over and over again.  Growden's cover of Bruce Springsteen's "I'm On Fire" takes on a country flavor as he brings out the deep-seated, quiet need of the original.  "Killing Time" looks at time spent in a town where hope for the future is in short supply.  There is a sort of melancholy determination here that surprises, while Growden's instrumental work is good enough to cause a stir on its own.  "Lovin' Emma" is a song of unrequited love with a Celtic feel, and is among the best songwriting on the album.

"Takin' My Time" features bluesy guitar work in a classic call-and-response style number.  The cello is a nice touch, and Growden manages to bring out the urgent feel of the song amidst an unhurried and occasionally repetitive arrangement.    "John Hardy" is an old school song of murder and life on the run.  Growden's songwriting is stellar.  "Shady Grove" is a solid album track, revisiting the Celtic undertones Growden brought forth earlier.  Lose Me In The Sand winds down with "Star Spangled Benz", an interesting conglomeration of "Mercedes Benz" and "The Star Spangled Banner" that has to be heard to be believed.

Mark Growden delivers on his somewhat eclectic songwriting style and distinctive musicianship on Lose Me In The Sand.  As a songwriter he is esoteric and intriguing; capable of playing in practically any style or sound under the sun.  This falling away of borders invades Growden's other songwriting chores in sometimes unpredictable ways.  Even when you might not dig what he's got going on, you have to admire the attention to detail, hard work, and pure flashes of inspiration that Growden blends into an alchemy of song. Lose Me In The Sand may not bowl you over on first listen, but it will keep pulling you back for more.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

 Learn more about Mark Growden at http://www.markgrowden.org/ or www.myspace.com/markgrowden.  Lose Me In The Sand is available from Amazon.com as a CD or Download.  The album is also available from iTunes.

Asher Quinn - Songs Of Love And Chains

Asher Quinn - Songs Of Love And Chains

2008, Oreade Music

Asher Quinn is best known as a new-age/ambient composer, selling over half a million albums since his debut in 1987, but at heart he is something of a balladeer.  His 2007 album, Songs Of Love And Chains, covers several decades of musical history with a collection of cover songs done in the simple and clear style of a bard. Artists such as Leonard Cohen, The Righteous Brothers, Jimmy Webb and Jimi Hendrix get Asherized on the two-disc set, with varying degrees of success.

Quinn opens with an ethereal cover of Bruce Springsteen's "I'm On Fire".  Sung over a thin veil of undulating synth, Quinn's voice just seems out of place here.  It's a solid rendition, but something just doesn't quite work for Quinn here.  "Golden Brown" is pretty and watery and undulating in its feel, fading away in much the same rippling fashion as it plays.  Quinn paints The Righteous Brothers' "Unchained Melody" with a similar brush in a minimalist synth arrangement.  Quinn's distinctive vibrato plays about the melody in memorable fashion, although he struggles with the lower notes at times.  Quinn takes more of a folk-inspired approach on "Dona Dona Dona", sticking to guitar and harmonica in an energetic and inspired arrangement.  Ben E. King's "Stand By Me" gets softball treatment, setting it up as tortured piano ballad.  While Quinn's take is solid, it pales in the shadow of the original.

Quinn takes emotive turns in "Hang On To A Dream" and "Lift Me Up", the latter saccharine and drawn out to extreme, but recovers nicely in the tragic "Down In The Willow Garden".  Love goes violently wrong in this classic-style folk song, and Quinn gives it voice in a blend of denial and delusion mixed with love.  Quinn hits all the right notes on "Do What You Gotta Do", making the most of Jimmy Webb's creation in a touching performance that's full of emotion and nuance.  "Pastures Of Plenty" doesn't go quite as well, with Quinn setting the key too low for his own vocal comfort.  The low notes here have an unfortunate sound that simply doesn't work.  Leonard Cohen's "Suzanne" gets much better treatment, an almost wavelike feel that speaks of cycles within cycles.  Quinn is perfectly matched to this song, and it's one of the absolute highlights on the album.

Quinn's take on "The Highwayman" is solid if uninspiring.  He hits all the right notes in a technical perfect performance, but the heart of the piece just isn't there.  "Only You" goes a bit better, with Quinn capturing the heart and soul of the Erasure Song while using a surprisingly fitting harpsichord sound.  Quinn makes easy work of "Mr. Bojangles" in a solid performance that's filled with the quiet awe the song achieves in its best moments.  Quinn revisits Leonard Cohen with "Hallelujah", sticking very close to the feel of the original in a quietly moving performance. 

Quinn fumbles a bit before stumbling into his wonderfully stripped down and lovely take on Willie Nelson's "You Were Always On My Mind".  Simplicity is the key here, allowing Nelson's classic melody and lyrics to speak for themselves.  Quinn likewise scores with a take on Sam Cooke's "Bring It On Home To Me", an understated but likeable interpretation to one of Cooke's finest songs.  "All Along The Watchtower" doesn't fare quite so well, lacking any of the intensity you might expect from the song.  "Not Dark Yet" has its own magic, a quiet penultimate track that finds Quinn raising his game at just the right time.  Songs Of Love And Chains closes with "Jah No Dead" in a flat an uninspired performance that is an unfortunate piece of punctuation on an up-and-down album that has more positives than negatives. 

Asher Quinn's expertise and talent as a composer is unquestionable, but as essentially a solo performer in the pop/folk realm he struggles at times.  Songs Of Love And Chains is aptly named both for the song selection and for extremes Quinn hits in his interpretation of classic songs that cross boundaries, genres and generations.  It's not entirely surprising that some of Quinn's best performances are covers of classic singer/songwriters of the 1960's, but the unevenness of the album may scare off some fans from dropping for a two-disc set.  There's enough here to make the album worth owning, but you couldn't be blamed for selecting your favorite fifteen tracks or so and sequencing your own Quinn album out of the lot.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

 Learn more about Asher Quinn at http://www.asherquinn.co.uk/.  Songs Of Love And Chains is available from Amazon.com as 2-CD Set or Download.  The album is also available via iTunes.

The Cringe - Play Thing

The Cringe - Play Thing
2010, Listen Records

Led by singer/songwriter John Cusimano, New York City quartet The Cringe have been breaking barriers as they’ve grown into their sound over the last several years. Influenced by bands such as the Foo Fighters and The Vines, The Cringe also recalls the pure punk energy of The Minutemen. The Cringe dropped their third album, Play Thing, earlier this year. It is the band’s most musically aggressive and creatively challenging work to date.

Play Thing opens with "Ride", a raucous rock n roll opener with all the chutzpah of a 1980's glam band. A big catchy chorus wrapped around a killer hook makes this serious pop/rock radio material without conforming fully to the mores of pre-programmed, payola-laden criteria used to craft commercial playlists these days. That distinctive pop sensibility continues with "Weary Me" in spite of a slightly darker feel. The Cringe gets existential on "In The End (We Are All The Same)", a dry but musical offering that serves as a contemplative change of pace. Vaulting back to the rafters, The Cringe launch into "Where It Hurts", a break-neck scramble full of dark harmonies and tight, complex interplay that breaks down into a calm temperate moment before launching itself against the wall once again. It's a highly entertaining listen and certain to be a fan favorite on stage.

The Cringe offer up a more traditional rock ballad on "No Control", aiming perhaps for a bit more popular exposure. The energy here just won't cut it however; The Cringe sound lessened here, like they've sacrificed their core vitality for a repetitive song without a lot of heart. Recovering nicely, "Hiding Space" bridges the gap between 1960's CSN-style rock and 1990's alt-rock as an eccentric-yet-likeable track. The Cringe offer up their frustration with the direction of the world, yearning to "Start Again" in a fairly prototypical alt-rock track. There's solid musicality to the song, but the energy is a bit flat. The band perks up on "Knee Deep", a classic/southern rock influenced song about the sort of love that consumes you. It's a decent rock track that will get your toes tapping.

Get your lighters ready for "When I Stay Home", the sort of rock tune that gets crowds on their feet and swaying en masse. This transitions into the stripped down "Poison", which begins as a manic waltz that accelerates with its own sense of urgency to a pace that dances on the edge of comfort within its incessant musical shell. There's an urgent quality to the song that walks the sharp edge between infatuation and obsession. The dark, heavy turn the song takes two minutes in would suggest that line is crossed. "Friends & Family" is pure punk, delivered in wonderfully dark harmonies; a gothic take on the style and energy of early Police singles. Play Thing bows with the big rock balladry of "Give And Take"; giving fair play to relationship troubles but in a song that lacks the courage, or at least the vitality of its convictions.

The Cringe has mixed success on Play Thing, showing great energy at times but coming off flat nearly as often. It's almost as if the band chose some songs they love to play, and some songs they thought might get them some love from popular radio formats. The difference is very noticeable; almost as if two bands with the same style are chronicled here. The Cringe sound good even on the flat material, but there's vitality to this band that explodes through the cracks when they're on their game. The glimpses of it on Play Thing make the album worth it. Hopefully they'll find more consistent outlets for that energy on their next effort.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about The Cringe at http://www.thecringe.com/ or www.myspace.com/thecringe. Play Thing is available on CD or as a Download from Amazon.com.

Melissa Etheridge - Fearless Love

Melissa Etheridge - Fearless Love
2010, Island Records

Future Rock N Roll Hall Of Famer Melissa Etheridge returned on April 27, 2010 with her eleventh album, Fearless Love. Fearless Love opens with the title track, a classic rock n roll love song seeking that perfect union. The song has a solid chorus that will bear it well on commercial radio. "The Wanting Of You" is a song about sometimes the heart takes side trips that our best intentions would never suffer. It's a great rock tune. I know Etheridge is a big Springsteen fan, and these first two songs have the same rough-and-tumble, every-person story-teller tone of The Boss' best work. "Company" may not sound too impressive on the first listen, but it has one of those sneaky choruses that keep popping up on you.

On "Miss California", Etheridge takes on former Miss California Carrie Prejean, Proposition 8 and the right to be who we are in a snarky blues-rock tune with guitar work reminiscent of Jimmy Page; there's even hints of an old belief about homophobia and its relationship to latent homosexuality. It's an entertaining number done up in big guitars, with a wink and a smile; the attacked responding from a place of self-assurance against a discomfited aggressor. "Drag Me Away" is lighter fare, a great rock n roll romp that's part Janis and part Bruce. Etheridge shows off her story-teller skills on "Indiana", a biographical sketch who’s born into a world that will never be hers but manages to make a place for herself. It's a great tune with a positive message.

Etheridge gets back to the raw roots of rock roll with "Nervous", a song about sexual tension and little else. It's Etheridge at her sexy best, reveling in the pure emotional high of the moment. "Heaven On Earth" captures the magic of a 1980's power ballad in a pure love song that's mostly altruistic. On "We Are The Ones", Etheridge draws from the Alice Walker (The Color Purple) poem a theme that was co-opted by Barak Obama's campaign in 2008. It's a solid tune. A bit repetitive perhaps, but with a positive message about the interconnectedness of all peoples and our ability to make each other’s lives better. Etheridge shows her softer side on "Only Love" and "To Be Loved"; two decent songs that just don't live up to the rest of "Fearless Love" but also do no harm. She's saved her best for last, however. "Gently We Row" is a song about finding meaning in the world, and the need for each of us to find our own way. Etheridge has always been at her best when she writes from the heart, and lyrical offerings of "Gently We Row" are among her best work to date: "I wrapped my round my own daughter / as she fell into her place in time / and as her mind creates her illusions / I won't complicate hers with mine".

After hearing some of Melissa Etheridge's more recent work, I wasn't really expecting a lot out of Fearless Love, but this album is something of a renaissance for Etheridge. Her songwriting hasn't sounded this crisp since her Yes I Am days. And if the brashness of youth has been replaced by the wisdom and assurance of maturity, Etheridge shows she can still mix it up on the sidelines with some serious rock n roll. Lyrically, Etheridge is doing her best work right now, and Fearless Love is proof that Etheridge belongs in the discussion of the best songwriters of her generation.

Rating: 4.5 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Melissa Etheridge at http://www.melissaetheridge.com/ or www.myspace.com/melissaetheridge. Fearless Love is available both on CD and digitally from Amazon.com. Digital copies are also available through iTunes.

Review: Rob Morsberger - The Chronicle Of A Literal Man

Rob Morsberger - The Chronicle Of A Literal Man
2010, Hieroglyph Records

Rob Morsberger is a classically trained pianist and composer based in New York City who not only scores television shows (NOVAscienceNOW) and session work with artists such as Marshall Crenshaw, Crash Test Dummies, Jules Shear and Loudon Wainwright III, but he also has three distinctive albums to his name. Writing from a musical depth that is rare in pop music, Morsberger crafts highly intellectual and occasionally twisted stories in song that are never dumbed down and always challenge the listener to think beyond their usual day-to-day considerations. Having found this style of writing works, Morsberger saw no need to change on his upcoming release, The Chronicle Of A Literal Man, due out May 11, 2010.

The Chronicle Of A Literal Man is based ostensibly on the life of Dalton Trumbo, one of the Hollywood Ten who were blacklisted from Hollywood due to their political beliefs in the days of Joe McCarthy and the Red Scare. The album opens with the title track, the unrepentant declaration of someone whose been beaten down, pushed around and generally chastised yet perseveres and perhaps even thrives in spite of it all. It’s a great rock tune with an energetic guitar solo and a solid kick-off for the album. “Stroke Of Insight” will call to mind thoughts of a Tom Petty/Bob Dylan hybrid. The song is highly literate and smart, with an unforgettable melody and solid arrangement to wrap it up tight. “Independent Movie” finds Morsberger stripping down the sound to acoustic guitar, percussion and voice. The musicianship here is top notch. “Modestino” has a pensive, perhaps even rueful feel; a classic 1970’s singer/songwriter vehicle. “When Everything Ended” is one of the more artful breakup songs you’ll come across. This retrospective on a romance gone bad has a gorgeous melody, and Morsberger crafts the story with a gentle but compelling touch. “Nebraska In Winter” could be an epilogue; marking how sometimes the escape we seek becomes the loneliness we run from. The story is told in a Springsteen-esque ballad (think The River) that will hold your attention. Morsberger closes out with the solid Americana arrangement of “You Don’t Get It”, a safe closer that moves back to the sonic middle of the road.

Rob Morsberger displays a keen but subtle wit on The Chronicle Of A Literal Man; not a humorist per se, but a fine story teller who sprinkles his stories with wit, charm and the occasional deep artistic reference that pretty much only Dennis Miller gets without reading the liner notes or press materials. Morsberger is an outstanding and in-demand side man, and his score work is impressive, but it’s in his singer/songwriter mode where Rob Morsberger shines brightest. The Chronicle Of A Literal Man is very much worth spending some time on.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Rob Morsberger at http://www.robmorsberger.com/ or www.myspace.com/robmorsberger. The Chronicle Of A Literal Man drops on May 11, 2010. Keep checking Morsberger's web page for availability.