JD Eicher & The Goodnights - Into Place

JD Eicher & The Goodnights - Into Place
2013, Rock Ridge Music

You’re going to hear a lot of comparisons made in conversations about JD Eicher & The Goodnights.  Critics have tied the band to Coldplay, Keane, The Killers, Death Cab For Cutie and The Script.  These are great compliments in a game where name recognition is key, but none of these comparisons does the band justice.  JD Eicher is an original voice, both literally and figuratively. With a lyrical talent culled from the great tradition of American singer/songwriters, Eicher also brings the melodic sensibility of great British songwriters such as Paul McCartney and Elvis Costello.    JD Eicher & The Goodnights recently dropped their third album Into Place, the third part of a trilogy that began with The Shape Of Things and continued with Shifting.  Into Place is Eicher’s most accomplished writing to date.

Into Place launches with "Ode To The Underdog", a thematically and musically appealing lead track with a touch of identity crisis. The verses are edgy, the bridge is angst-filled, and the chorus is uplifting and bright. In spite of these apparent contradictions the piece works. By the time Eicher breaks into the 'D' section after the chorus you've bought in and willing to go along or the ride. "Give It Up" has the sort of simple, hook filled chorus of which hits are made. The positive vibe and message are without cliché, and Eicher sings it like the top notch front man he is. This has potential hit written all over it. "You've Got A Lot Of Growing Up To Do" finds Eicher calling out practically everyone, including himself, for misbehavior a great and small.   Once again the pop aesthetic is very much alive and well here, and Eicher sells the song like a pro. 

"People" is a contemplative look at expectations and people's tendency not to love up to them. This is a quiet moment of pragmatic melancholy that's beautiful in its simplicity. Jerry DePizzo of O.A.R.  sits in on "Lately Lady", while Joy Ike combines her rather in impressive voice with Eicher's in a rambunctious blues-influenced romp. "I'd Like To Get To Know You" is the sort of light hearted love song that occasionally takes of up the charts or gets selected for inclusion in a romantic comedy soundtrack. Things turn a little deeper on "The Last Love Song", a pensive love song that's more serious and serene, and full of the angst of an as yet unrequited love. 

"Edgar Green's Time Machine" is a brilliant story song with a gently rolling media that carries you along a tale of genius, madness and joy. "Aaron" is a brilliant story of man who can't escape his own demons, but who wrestles them over a piano after hours at a bar. This story/monologue is incredibly real, driven by an unforgettable honesty and a lyric fortitude that is surprising even for Eicher. "Oh My God" is a philosophical dissection of profundity and human imperfection set to a quiet but insistent piano-based arrangement. Eicher laments an inability to be perfect in light of basic human needs in a one-side recitative with the Almighty. "Into Place" is a song about growing up and finding yourself; the understanding of what's important that comes with finding your place in the world. There is a celebration in here that's complicated but full of joy. Eicher delivers are all of this In a four and a half minute performance to remember. The album closes with a brief reprisal of the final track that features just Eicher and his guitar. This ending seems appropriate for the story-based album, but is perhaps the only questionably conceived/executed moment on the album. The ending is simply too abrupt and too short to resonate, and does more to distract the listener from what came before than anything else. 

Into Place presents JD Eicher & The Goodnights as one of the finest new purveyors of the pop singer/songwriter tradition.  Make all the comparisons you want, but Eicher is an original.  Into Place will likely find itself crowd the top of many year-end lists, and is certainly worth of being a Wildy’s World Certified Desert Island Disc.

Rating: 5 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more at www.jdeicherandthegoodnights.com. 

YUCA - Rebuilding The Empire

YUCA - Rebuilding the Fallen Empire
2013, Rising Empire Records

Langley, British Columbia rockers YUCA don’t follow the typical formula for rock and roll success.  High minded and wide open arrangements are the order of the day on their second full-length album Rebuilding The Empire.  The band has a love for all things U2, or so you would gather from their sound, which is at times derivative but very commercial.  Rebuilding The Empire finds lead vocalist Matt Borck stretching his voice to the limits, while the rest of the band struggles to find a sound that includes their innate ethereality and a sense of vitality.

YUCA launches out of the gate with "Skeletal Desires", adding a touch of Latin jazz flair to a hard-driving melodic arrangement with a slinky horn section.  "Melt" is a big, wide open commercial rock song predicated on minimalist verses and a bland arena style chorus. The saving grace of the song is Matt Borck's voice. "Maybe We'll Riot" suffers from its own ambiguity.  An energetic, neo-disco arrangement surrounds lyrics that are more speculative than anything else. "Heavy As A Stone" keeps up the highly refined sound and the almost detached lyrical air that has been evident thus far. The chorus of the song is dressed up on gorgeous vocal triads, but there is a decided lack of conviction in the performance. 

"I'm Alive She Said" is a stadium churner done in the style of U2. Borck has the right sound, and the band presents the right approach, but the energy that turns this from ho hum to rattle and hum never materializes.   "Love" is a big skulking musical monster that tests the edges of Borck's voice. The song is all tension and no resolution, substituting drama for development.  YUCA gets personal on "Where Are My Soldiers At?"  The opening of the song is pretty and stripped down with a misty air, but this quickly resolves into a sort of cookie cutter adult rock arrangement. 

"Anthem Of Need" tries to shake off the distance with an insistent bass-driven rhythm, and YUCA partially succeeds with a memorable chorus. Unfortunately the cookie cutter feel of the songwriting never subsides. "Give Up My Ghost" amps up the energy, but the bland, post adult rock sound continues in what should be a dynamic rock track. YUCA closes with "Sparrow", which starts out as a stripped down, ethereal number. It stays there, bathing a song of support in emotional melancholy. 

YUCA mines the sound of bands such as U2 and Coldplay in trying to put forth their own band persona.  This ethereal, big rock sound is both enjoyable and frustrating as YUCA spends the time on Rebuilding The Empire making musical shadow animals when they should carving out their own niche.  The result is a well meant but hollow and derivative sound.  YUCA knows who they are trying to be, but it doesn’t seem like they know who they are yet.  That being said, there’s very solid musicianship here, and Matt Borck has a voice that can front a big time band. YUCA just needs to find that thing that makes the unique and bring it out in their music.

Rating: 2.5 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more at www.yuca.ca.  

Escape Directors - The Crowded Room

Escape Directors – The Crowded Room
2011, Escape Directors

Bergen County, New Jersey melodic alt-popsters Escape Directors  first showed up in Wildy’s World back in July of 2010 with their debut album Ladders.  With an understated musical sensibility and a penchant for great songwriting, the band was off to a great start.  Now, with the 2011 well under way, Escape Directors hit back with a new EP, The Crowded Room.  Escape Directors maintain their musical sensibilities on The Crowded Room, showing a penchant for big, arching melodies, but struggle a bit with consistency this time out.

The Crowded Room opens with "The War Outside", a gorgeous sonic experience steeped in strings.  The piece is mired in the same sort of maudlin musical heart that afflicts occasionally afflicts Coldplay and Radiohead, but soars at times in piques of harmonic joy as hope and drudgery intermingle and fuse.  After such a splendid start, "Set Fire To A Crowded Room" is something of a letdown.  Not bad in and of itself, the song simply doesn't fare well in the shadow of its predecessor.  "The Distant Past" is a fair effort, neither exciting nor boring, but holds down the middle of EP in solid form.  "Long Flights" begins an ascent for Escape Directors, blending a big guitar sound with ethereal pop to show flashes of what the band is capable of.  Escape Directors bookends The Crowded Room with "Money Changes Everyone", once again capturing the soaring grandeur and pure sonic essence they opened with.

The Crowded Room starts and ends with the sort of musical magic Escape Directors are capable of creating.  The middle of the EP is a bit soft, although "Long Flights" does surprise with a slightly edgier sound that is a welcome treat.  While The Crowded Room is a bit uneven, it certainly represents the potential that Escape Directors continue to build on in fine form.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Escape Directors at www.escapedirectors.com or www.myspace.com/escapedirectors.  The Crowded Room is available from Amazon.com as a CD or Download.  The album is also available via iTunes.

Brian Eno and the words of Rick Holland - Drums Between The Bells

Brian Eno and the words of Rick Holland - Drums Between The Bells

2011, Warped Records

Brian Eno has long been acknowledged as one of the founding fathers of ambient music.  His roots lie in the glam rock era, starting with the band Roxy Music.  As a soloist, his progressive tendencies grew from art rock to the early experimental days of Electronica.  Along the way Eno collaborated with such icons as Robert Fripp and Genesis, creating a body of work that is impressive in both its scope and quality.  As a producer, Eno has worked with acts such as U2, Coldplay, Depeche Mode, Paul Simon, Slowdive and Grace Jones.  Eno first discovered Rick Holland during a collaborative effort of the Royal College, the Guildhall School of Music, the Royal Academy of Music, the National Youth Orchestra (UK) and the English National Ballet entitled the Map-Making Project.  Eno first collaborated with Holland in 2003, and the two have worked together on and off since that time.  In 2011, Eno made the jump to Warped Records with the release of Small Craft on a Milk Sea.  Drums Between The Bells, featuring the words of Rick Holland, follows quickly on its heels, dropping on July 5, 2011.

Drums Between The Bells is an aural treat, with Eno drawing stylistically from his vast body of work to create musical backdrops that are esoteric in beauty and vital in their energy.  The album ranges from dance-oriented Electronica to avant garde, with stops at seemingly pastoral, cinematic and meditative musical spaces along the way.  "Glitch", the lead single, is a modernist obsession that will play well as a low-key club number, full of recursive synth and percussion and the robotized spoken word craft of Grazyna Goworek.  "Pour It Out" is a thing of pure beauty, from the Eno's seamless composition to the smooth soliloquy of Laura Spagnuolo.  "Fierce Aisles Of Light" features Rick Holland himself in his sole appearance on the album, offering his poetry in unaffected voice alongside Nick Robertson and Anastasia Afonina, to the ebb and flow of gentle industrial sounds.  There is a hopeless feel of automation here that is perhaps as much of a statement as the words themselves.

"A Title" has a space-age, cinematic feel to it that wraps around the listener like a shawl on a chilly night.  The school-marm voice of Caroline Wildi (we love the name) is both soothing and stern.  Eno gets percussive on the stimulating "Sounds Alien", a lesson in the power of rhythm in music.  Eno uses his own voice to create a sort of digital-age Gregorian Chant to the power of money and stock markets on "Dow".  "Cloud 4" sounds like the music of a child's demented wind-up toy, an answer, perhaps, to Pink Floyd's "Goodbye Blue Skies".  Drums Between The Bells settles in the shades of night with "Breath Of Crows", a musical landscape in oils, that mimics lonely madness on the edge of the periphery of darkness.  Holland's words reveal an utter loneliness bordering on insanity, delivered against a wonderfully bleak backdrop of sound that includes the machination of wind chimes and the ghosts of voices that only arrive to waking souls in the deepest hours of darkness.

There really is no tying Brian Eno down.  There is no one genre or style that you can attribute to the man, although much of modern Electronic music owes a debt of gratitude to his creativity and progressive musical nature.   The music on Drums Between The Bells vacillates between artful and creative to downright masterpieces of sound and vision.  Eno wraps up Rick Holland's poetic muse in clothing so well-fit it becomes impossible to separate the two.  Holland's work itself tends toward the pessimistic and bleak as often as not, and may be a tough read, but his words come to life across the soundscapes that Eno has created.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Brian Eno at www.brian-eno.net or www.warp.net/brian-eno.  Drums Between The Bells drops on July 5, 2011.  The album is available from Amazon.com as a CD, a Limited Edition CD, on Vinyl and as a Download.  

Escape Directors - Ladders

Escape Directors - Ladders
2010, Escape Directors

Wayne, New Jersey quartet Escape Directors walk the fine line between the Indie feel of Death Cab For Cutie and the more polished sound of bands such as The Killers, The Fray and even Radiohead. Taking a less in your face approach than most pop/rock outfits, Escape Directors will sneak up on you with songs that insinuate themselves into your mind and then won’t let you go. This tendency is very much in evidence on Escape Director’s debut album, Ladders.

Ladders opens with "Car Crash" a well-written song of regret that's delivered in a low-key fashion but with a lot of power. The song is incredibly tuneful, and Escape Directors come across sounding like a slightly more muscular version of Toad The Wet Sprocket. "Heart Defeats The Home" is an unglamorous look at adultery. Escape Directors craft strings around the base arrangement to build tension and bring resolution, while Steve Carter's vocals and the band's harmonies tell a story of love, betrayal and regret. "Fall Together" is a solid pop/rock effort with a melody that practically sings itself to you; the sort of song you'll be inclined to hit repeat on many times over.

Bravado rules the day on "When You're Gone", where the narrator tries to convince the one who cut him loose that he'll be alright. As the song progresses you realize that he's actually speaking years after the event when she has very much moved on, and it's clear he never has. "Chicago" is a song of unintended consequences and the beginning of a life on the run. It’s a fun listen with a dark underbelly that will draw you in. The centerpiece of the album, however, may just be "Mrs. Davenport", an incredibly catchy kiss-off song. Written in a compact and subdued arrangement, "Mrs. Davenport" is graced with a melody that screams for your attention. It's a brilliant bit of songwriting with a quiet pop flavor you can't ignore. "Margaret Marion" is a love ballad to someone who has passed on sonically inspired by Radiohead. The theme continues into "Take Me Back Home", where the narrator looks forward to a time when he will be reunited with his love in the afterlife. It's a beautiful sentiment wrapped up in a gorgeous arrangement consisting of acoustic guitar, piano and cello.

Escape Directors might not grab your attention. They're not a flashy bunch, but the songwriting is quietly amazing. Crafting melodies in the irresistible tradition of British rock n roll, Escape Directors have created a first class pop/rock album in Ladders. The comparisons to Toad The Wet Sprocket and Radiohead are spot-on, as Escape Directors build song after song out of distinctive melodies and energetic but understated arrangements that get under your skin and whisper quietly into your mind. Don't miss this one.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Escape Directors at http://www.escapedirectors.com/ or www.myspace.com/escapedirectors.  Ladders is available as both CD and Download from Amazon.com.  The album is also available from iTunes.

Ross Riskin - Keep Moving

Ross Riskin - Keep Moving
2010, Ross Riskin

Ross Riskin is a 19-year old singer/songwriter from Orange, Connecticut with perfectionist tendencies and an ear for melody. Influenced by artists ranging from Third Eye Blind, Weezer and Death Cab For Cutie to Radiohead and Coldplay, Riskin's style is a melting pot of late 90's and early-oughts alternative rock as interpreted through a singer-songwriter motif. Riskin recently released his sophomore EP, Keep Moving, and is currently burning up the I-95 corridor promoting the EP and spreading his sound.

Keep Moving is a thematically complicated but musically simple breakup album. Riskin features a pleasantly imperfect voice in a nearly talk-sing style in unadorned arrangements throughout the album. Riskin starts off with a musical treatise on grief, with a musical prologue "In The Future" featuring the moment of separation and followed quickly by denial; "Get You Back" and justification "Something Better Than Me". Riskin promises his return on "With The Sound", although it’s unclear if his intended is listening; there's still a disconnect running through the narrative here that suggests that the narrator isn't dealing with the reality of moment.

"In Motion" is a declarative of the tendency to over-compensate after a loss, moving too fast or too far in order to simply not think "I'm in motion / I can't stop now / I don't know how to slow my speed down". The song is lyrically awkward but honest, showing more heart than art. "For You And Me" keeps things simple, and is the best pure songwriting on the album. Up until now Riskin has written in a young voice, whether intentional or not. Here there is an economy and sharpness to his songwriting that is a significant advance. "The Ghost" makes use of significant reverb to color the song in haunting ambience, but Riskin reverts to his young writing voice in a bout of over-simplification that simply goes on too long.

Riskin turns to hope on "Could You Be Mine", a song less of destiny than opportunity that is a mix of love and mild obsession. The song sounds well-intentioned, but there's a thread of inevitability that runs through Keep Moving that seems manufactured. "Shine" is a more mature outlook on a relationship that is as doomed as it was in the opening song; it's a negotiation with fate and human emotion that Riskin isn't about to win that expresses distinct hope but is colored in the same reverb of "The Ghost". Riskin closes with "In The Past", finally putting everything behind him, but still trying to justify the path he's walked.

Ross Riskin delivers a series of tunes as personal as journey entries done up in minimal instrumentation on "Keep Moving". The song is full of human emotion, frailty and self-delusion, but it's an honest sort of self-delusion that we all engage in from time-to-time. Riskin sticks to bare-bones instrumentation, letting the lyrics speak for themselves in a brave and measured relaying of the sort of mistakes we all make while learning the ropes of relationships. Musically, Riskin may benefit from collaboration, as several of the songs here would flourish with a slightly broader musical canvas, but the stark arrangements on Keep Moving work well in their own right and in their context. This album will leave you curious about what else Riskin has to offer.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Ross Riskin at http://www.rossriskin.com/ or www.myspace.com/rossriskin. Keep Moving is available as a digital EP from Amazon and iTunes.

Bend - The Helpless EP

Bend - The Helpless EP
2009, Yoav Erez

Bend was born in Tel Aviv, Israel; the brain child of songwriter/keyboardist/lead vocalist Yoav Erez. While all members past and present have contributed to the sound of Bend, it’s inarguable that Erez has been the prime mover behind Bend, from founding the band to moving it to New York City to its musical direction. Elements of English icons such as Queen, Coldplay and Radiohead can be heard, but Erez' banging piano style will draw as many comparisons to Ben Folds as anyone else. Current mainstays on the New York City Indie circuit, Bend have documented their sound on The Helpless EP.

The Helpless EP opens with "Unpredictable", a funky rock tune full of eclectic piano stylings (ala Ben Folds) and a sense of energy and purpose that are infectious. Vocalist Yoav Erez has quite the range and a pleasant enough voice to overlook the occasional messy run on the fast-paced vocal lines of the song. "Stronger Than Me" is a lyric Elton John-meets-Radiohead moment that's surprisingly appealing. "Helpless" has an abject beauty that blooms into quintessence on a chorus full of hope and grace. "Changing Of Tides" a six-minute ballad with ethereal, new-age sensibilities blended into a gentle pop arrangement that's part Ben Folds.

Bend gets in touch with their folksy side on "See It Clear", a mellow rock gem with real vibrancy woven into the seams. The song takes on a life of its own, with a deep-seated urgency that's almost palpable wrapped inside a pretty melody that sounds like something Paul McCartney might have doodled one rainy afternoon. The Helpless EP closes with "Do It With You", a sweet love song that seems like it should be destined for a whole lot of mix tapes. The vocal levels are a bit off in this recording, buried a bit too deep in the instrumentation, but that's the only complaint that seems evident. This is a tune that will get your head bobbing, a near-perfect little pop gem that will insinuate itself into your brain and stay there for days.

The Helpless EP is a pleasant surprise; the sort of recording you might tend to blather on to friends about until they check it out for themselves. Even if it's just to make you stop, don't be surprised if most of your friends find the charm of Bend's EP too much to resist. Pure pop melodies in reserved arrangements that allow the simple beauty of the songs free reign are the order of the day, and Bend serves them up with aplomb. Even the apparent over-use of vocal masking software can't overcome the simple, infectious beauty of the songs on The Helpless EP, although hopefully Bend will see their way past such tricks in the future.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Bend at http://www.bend-music.com/. The Helpless EP is is available as both CD and Download from Amazon.

Wildy's World - Sunday Singles - February 28, 2010

Katia - Girl Like Me
2010, Katia

Katia's first single, Girl Like Me is generic pop with a capital G. The song is a pleasant listen, consisting of a solid light dance beat and an affable melody, but the vocal line is a mess of computerized effects, from reverb so heavy at times it’s dizzying to electronic effects that might be corrective in nature. The mix of heavy vocal production and moderate production values may speak volumes either about Katia or about the producer. Either way, it's a pleasantly innocuous track that doesn’t make a strong impression.

Rating: 2.5 Stars (Out of 5)

www.myspace.com/katiamusic

Darlingside - Surround
2010, Darlingside

Surround plays a little bit to formula in a world where Radiohead and Coldplay influence a lot of artists. LV has a very pleasing tenor voice, and the strings offer interesting accents to the song. The melody is a bit predictable but not one you're likely to find yourself singing along to. The song is decent enough, particularly as part of a larger project, but doesn't have the chutzpah to be an attention-getting single.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

http://www.darlingside.com/ www.myspace.com/darlingside

Craymo - Passion For Fashion (PFF)/Happy Birthday (remix)
2010, Craymo

Craymo's Passion For Fashion (PFF) is a catchy dance tune. On a personal level I didn't enjoy it, but I can see how it might catch on in the club scene, particularly with the right remix. Happy Birthday is hokey and fun as well as danceable. This one sounds great for a kid's birthday party.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)
http://www.craymo.com/.

Review: Gills And Wings - Gills And Wings [EP]

Gills And Wings - Gills And Wings [EP]
2009, Gills And Wings

Gills And Wings was born in Miami Beach, Florida, from the songwriting partnership of Danny Reyes and Santiago de la Fuente. The pair moved to Virginia Beach to work with guitarist Alex McCallum (Jason Mraz) and added bassist Matt Hulcher and drummer Andrew Hackett in the process. Together, the quintet has gone to create music with the ethereal air of Radiohead or Coldplay and the glam of Bowie or Queen. Gills And Wings, the band's debut EP, serves as a throwing down of the gauntlet to the next generation of rock stars. Gills And Wings have arrived.

Breaking out of the gate with the sort of melodic glam Queen was known for, Gills And Wings breaks the glass with Rebirth Of A Nation. Guitarist Alex McCallum even captures some of Brian May's signature guitar sound, and vocalist Danny Reyes is a fair approximation for the vocal style of Freddie Mercury without being a sound-alike. Rebirth Of A Nation is about changes in the US and is delivered in sarcastic overtones, contending, perhaps, that the "rebirth" in this case may not be for the better. Catastrophe falls into the category of "mellow glam"; Reyes' voice drives this angst-filled number about letting your mouth get you into trouble. Solitude carries the same sort of heavy Baroque feel, but is perhaps a bit less accessible than the rest of the EP. On The Dealer, Gills And Wings offer up the viewpoint of a flawed man doing his best to show broken people love of a sort. The vocal performance is chilling, and the song is compelling for both its humanization of a social archetype and willingness to step outside of the politically charged conventional view. The song is amazing, showing a rare gift for capturing a person, place or moment in song. Gills And Wings closes with Circus, an infectious Pop/Glam number that will get stuck in your brain and stay there for days.

Gills And Wings have a sound with enough Prog and Glam in it to be considered Retro but are fresh enough to fly fans of Modern Rock and Pop. You'll hear Freddie Mercury comparisons regarding MLV, and they aren't unfounded, but Reyes lays himself out in his voice in a way that is highly personal and rarely found in a vocalist who is simply mimicking another. Gills And Wings have a very bright future. The self-titled EP is a great start.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Gills And Wings at www.myspace.com/gillsandwings or http://www.gillsandwings.com/. Gills And Wings [EP] can be downloaded from Amazon.com or iTunes.

Review: JD Eicher & The Goodnights - The Shape Of Things

JD Eicher & The Goodnights - The Shape Of Things
2009, JD Eicher Music

Hailing from Pittsburgh, PA and northeastern Ohio, JD Eicher & The Goodnights carry a rust belt Pop sensibility and a melodic touch that smacks of U2 or Coldplay. Together since 2006, JD Eicher & The Goodnights play like a band that's been together for decades, and the catalyst is 20-year old singer/songwriter JD Eicher, who writes and performs with an aplomb that far outstrips his scant two decades. The Shape Of Things, JD Eicher & The Goodnights' debut album, captures both the ingrained maturity and youthful energy of a band too good to be so young and too young to know better.

The Shape Of Things opens with the title track, subtitled Intro; a guitar and violin led romp that is bound to garner some Dave Matthews comparisons from those who aren't listening fully. The song is about perseverance and faith and not giving up on your dreams. Acoustic guitar and violin team to provide the vital rhythm of the song in contrast to Eicher's affectedly lyric vocal line. This Is Something could be the rebirth of an individual following a breakup. It's a hopeful song full of a blooming strength. There's anger and pain here but they fade even as the song progresses. Broken Wave brings delicious funk to a song where the narrator stands up for himself in a relationship that isn't balanced. It's a powerful song, evoking not so much anger as a new-found strength.

Not A Love Song is sweet and sentimental, driven by a gorgeous counter-melody from the violin. The song so thoroughly evades cliche that it nearly comes full circle in one of the more emotionally honest songs I've heard in the new year. Wanderer points out how the wisdom can sometimes overcome the hive mind in a touching tribute to individuality not in and of itself, but in pursuit of true freedom. Catching Stone is unusual; an apology for the over-reactions and hyper-sensitivities that sometimes arise in relationships. It's a powerful song with a tremendous chorus that will get stuck in your grill. Level Out is a personal favorite, utilizing a mildly percussive guitar as a plaintive counterpart to a soaring melody about hope. Eicher does a tremendous job of story-telling here in vignettes, and vocally it's the high point of the album as well. Wooden Shelves shows a similar propensity for story-telling and is nearly as good.

You Are is a delightfully upbeat song about doubt and wonder. Eicher is seeking answers and understanding from a world he's only begun to comprehend. The chorus is highly memorable; one that stays with you. Rain fits in with the general theme of finding your place and role in the world, using raindrops and their intentions as an initial parallel. The message, essentially, is that everyone has questions, but don't sit around wondering, get out and find out by doing and trying things. It's a vibrant bit of folk rock that's highly enjoyable. Calm represents a hopeful offer that is forsaken and leads to the closing track, Stopping Grounds. Stopping Grounds is all about making a stand for yourself; finding a place of strength to stand up to the world and say "no more". It is a song of quiet strength and really is a trip full circle from where Eicher started out, like a metaphorical trip of self discovery that winds up right where you started, but knowing that that, in fact, is the answer.

The Shape Of Things is one of the most gloriously subtle Pop albums of the past year, combining strong melodies full of beauty with story telling peppered with insight and a sort of awkward grace. JD Eicher And The Goodnights deserve every bit of attention they get for The Shape Of Things, and much more that won't come in a fractured and factionalized music business. The hints of awkwardness make this album distinctly human and wholly personal, like a late night phone call from an old friend full of the insecurities and vulnerabilities you only whisper to someone who knows your heart. JD Eicher treats all who will listen like his closest friend, and he connects. The Shape Of Things is unique and timeless; a Wildy's World Certified Desert Island Disc.

Rating: 5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about JD Eicher And The Goodnights at http://www.jdeicherandthegoodnights.com/. You can purchase The Shape Of Things on CD from JD Eicher And The Goodnights' Web Store, or you can download the album from iTunes.

Review: Like Trains & Taxis - Songs From A Revolving Door

Like Trains & Taxis - Songs From A Revolving Door
2010, Devil May Care Entertainment

New Brunswick, New Jersey’s Like Trains & Taxis have an unusual sound that plays like a modern dinner cabaret act; blending Jazz, Pop, R&B and show tunes in a fashion plays like a familiar record even when you haven't heard it before. It's both the charm and curse of Like Trains & Taxis' debut album, Songs From A Revolving Door, due out in January of 2010.

Like Trains & Taxis opens with the nouveau cabaret and soul of Their Eyes Were Watching God. It's an intriguing opener that sounds like it might segue into an off-Broadway musical. Chris Harris forms the core, with sparse instrumentation wrapped around for good measure on one of the more sonically interesting songs I've heard of late. Bullet In The Brain maintains the same mojo with a quirky melody and a streaming lyric style. Separate Lives is a lively tune, sticking with the rapid-fire lyrical style of a Jason Mraz in a gentle but energetic soul/pop arrangement. My favorite track on the CD is Charlie; it sounds a bit like something Ben Folds might come up with and takes on a life of its own as a song.

Emily opens with an Elton John feel before taking on the Alt-Cabaret feel of a Fiona Apple tune. The tell of Songs From A Revolving Door is in the listening; the more you hear the more you realize how derivative Like Trains & Taxis truly are. This is modern cabaret music, flattering styles and artists with twice-removed imitation in arrangements created out of the musical poetry of Chris Harris. Owen Susman and Mike Del Priore do a masterful job of filling in the musical blanks around Harris' poetry, but in the end the styles are drawn out of the thin air of popular music, bending and shaping styles to fit to Harris' muse like modeling clay. Cold Shoulder and Mirrors show similar tendencies, and Day Wrecker the patient of but the most dedicated of listeners. The song runs seven-and-a-half minutes with little change in tempo, sound or architecture.

Songs From A Revolving Door plays, in the end, like an extremely rich sweet. It's new and interesting at first and goes down like candy, but it isn't long before you've had more than enough. Once the rich sheen wears off the flaws become all too apparent. While Susman and Del Priore create all the magic they can around the base melodies, Harris' songwriting is unimaginative. He fills up a lot of space with lyrical content, but often more can be said with less. Like Trains & Taxis have a certain charm to them, and with some work on economy of songwriting they might have something powerful to share. As it is Songs From A Revolving Door is destined to play a lot of one night stands with listeners. What sounds great at 2:00 AM won't pmarches to the drummer of a Coldplay salad with Maroon 5 dressing. Like Trains & Taxis says goodnight with Epilogue, a jazzy piano-driven ballad likely to outlast lay so well in the light of day.

Rating: 2 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Like Trains & Taxis at http://www.liketrainsandtaxis.com/ or www.myspace.com/liketrainsandtaxis. We don’t have a definitive release date for Songs From A Revolving Door, but it is expected to drop sometime in January, 2010. Expect availability through CDBaby.com.

Review: The States - We Are The Erasers EP

The States - We Are The Erasers EP
2009, Groove Collective Records

Brooklyn’s The States is a power-trio with an ambient feel that may draw comparisons to Radiohead or even Coldplay, but The States never quite let go of their power chords. Singer/guitarist Chris Snyder, drummer Joe Stroll and bassist Pete Connors have grown up through their music. We covered The States sophomore release, The Path Of Least Resistance just last year, and found The States to be charming rockers with an ability to right choruses that soar through the air. In September, 2009, The States released their third album; an EP entitled We Are The Erasers. In the year that’s passed since we last visited with The States, a distinctive maturity has crept into their songwriting. The results are a pleasant surprise.

The States open with Our Time Is Up, a vibrant Rock N Roll tune that's a bit opaque in meaning but has the sort of urgent energy and sound that makes for a surefire Rock Radio hit. The Flight is a song about feeling lost in a world where dreams haven't panned out and responsibilities have taken over. There's a wistful feeling here, longing for the trappings of youth. The anger and frustration pops up on all the wrong places, "I'm running ragged again, I only turn on my temper for my best friends.” It's a strong song about the disaffecting quality of traversing the divide between immaturity and adulthood. Erasers takes to task a society that has learned to bend and shape itself through things like plastic surgery and drugs. As the prevalence of these things grows, what is to stop an eventual collective consciousness from making these decisions for others, and does it happen already? Erasers is both commentary and warning about the potential for the Jones to keep up with you. Bodies finds The States embarking through the lands of dramatic and heavy rock. It's not the strongest tune on the disc but is certainly an interesting listen. The States close with Brightstars, which seems to be about searching for meaning in the wake of a friend's suicide or death. It's a gorgeous and touching tune full of angst, fear and even hope. Chris Snyder serves up his best vocal performance on the disc as a closer.

The States continue to impress. We Are The Erasers shows the same grit as on The Path Of Least Resistance, but there's a more mature authorial voice coming through the songs. It's the sort of step forward you might expect from a band on its way to greatness.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about The States at http://www.thestatesonline.com/ or www.myspace.com/thestatesonline. You can download We Are The Erasers from iTunes. CD copies do exist, but don’t appear to be available online. Contact The States through their MySpace page if you simply have to have one!

Review: Zac Mac Band - Don't Look Down

Zac Mac Band - Don't Look Down
2009, Night Train Records

Boston-based quartet the Zac Mac Band knows a thing or two about stature. Maine-born lead vocalist Zac McIntyre towers over audiences at 6'10", wowing concertgoers with not only his size but his musical talent. The Zac Mac Band has been giving Beantown audiences their fill of ambient pop for the last couple of years. In 2008, Zac Mac Band released their debut EP, Under The Radar to positive reviews. For 2009, the Zac Mac Band looks to expand on it with the full-length Don't Look Down, which includes tracks from the EP plus six brand new tunes.

The first thing I noticed about Don't Look Down is that Zac Mac Band has pulled even more inward on their sound. The search for an Ambient Pop/Rock feel has run so deep that Zac Mac Band has nearly divorced themselves from the energy that made their sound work on Under The Radar. The tracks that appear both there and on Don't Look Down have been smoothed and glossed over since their original recordings to a point where they seem to lose their drive. MySpace Heartbreak and 15 Songs On The Radio are the most obvious examples; both songs were mellow but had this core of fun energy that lit them up like a Jack O' Lantern for listeners. Both songs in their current form are so polished and clean they've lost their essential liveliness.

Highest Level opens the album on a pleasantly mild pop note. It's a moderate opening that's fairly consistent with what's to come. Roll Me Over sticks with the mellow pop sound but comes to alive on the guitar solo. Ultimately, that guitar solo is the biggest sign of life on the disc. Stepping Stone is a decent melody that goes on too long given the overall energy level. Perhaps the best track on the disc is Darcie, a sweet love song that rests neatly in the womb of mellow Pop but exudes passion. Don't Look Down closes out with Trap; one of the better melodies on the disc that still suffers from a lack of real conviction.

The verdict on Don't Look Down is that it's ultimately pleasant but monochromatic and without a lot of life. There's absolutely nothing in the world wrong with ambient pop; groups like Coldplay and Radiohead have made big careers from different sides of the same virtual coin. The difference with those bands is the energy level and conviction that comes through the music. Zac Mac Band has the sound down, but they haven't figured out a way to channel real personality through the songs on CD. It might be a different experience in a live setting, but that energy just doesn't emerge on Don't Look Down.

Rating: 2.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about the Zac Mac Band at http://www.zacmacband.com/ or www.myspace.com/zacmacband. You can purchase a copy of Don’t Look Down from CDBaby.com.

Review: Graylit - The World’s Out Late

Graylit - The World’s Out Late
2009, Graylit

Graylit is an alt-rock quartet based in Nashville, Tennessee who met as college students in Florida. The band; Chris Yount, Mike Williamson, Lee Card and Jefferson Yount, all work 9-5 jobs while they keep plugging away at the music. Graylit is a perfectionist band, never really finishing a song, but taking it as far as they can before they have to lay it down. Graylit’s debut EP, The World’s Out Late, gives a first taste of the sound the band has been working so hard for.

The World’s Out Late opens with Prelude, a brief instrumental prologue that leads into Polite. Polite is majestic Power Pop ala U2 jamming with Coldplay. The radio potential on this track is off the charts, and Jefferson Yount and Mike Williamson have voices that simply melt into your ears. All The Lights is very much in the same vein, with a soaring chorus and serious commercial punch. Weather Report takes all of these qualities and magnifies them, creating almost a caricature of the sound heard on the first two songs. The arrangement is too lush and pretty, burying what ends up being a somewhat mediocre song in layers of sound. Unfortunately Stay, From The First Train and Tangled are much of the same school.

Graylit shows some real potential on The World’s Out Late. The first two tracks in particular establish them as a band that could go big places, but the sound here is too consistent, with over-production that serves to bury the lesser material in so many layers that they may sound more impressive than they really are the first time around. A willingness to expand the sound, or at least vary it some over the course of an album will keep things fresher for the listener and help to expand the musical horizons for Graylit. The World’s Out Late definitely has some strong points, but unless Graylit takes a few risks the sound will be too stagnant to hold listeners' attention for long.

Rating: 2.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Graylit at www.myspace.com/graylit or http://www.graylit.com/, where you can purchase The World’s Out Late in their storefront. Be warned, the website can be a bit confusing to navigate as it’s not necessarily set up to be user friendly.

Review: Entice - Let The Fire Come

Entice - Let The Fire Come
2009, Entice

Entice is three parts Orange County glam with a heaping helping of Rust Belt sensibility thrown in. Isaac Leland (vox/piano/guitar); Kevin Brunhofer (bass/backing vox) and Kevin Doyle (drums/backing vox/electronics) are all Southern California born and bred, while lead guitarist Tony Chopp made the trek all the way from Michigan, finding a musical home in Entice not long after landing in SoCal. It's a match made in Heaven for the quartet, whose smooth, heavy modern sound has been opening eyes locally and has started to generate some regional buzz. Entice's first full-length album, Let The Fire Come, mixes solid songwriting, a lot of technical skill and a slick commercial sense that's aided by producer Scott Silletta. Entice they will.

Entice kicks off the set with Take A Number, mixing Alt-Rock guitar and New Wave synth sounds to create a sonically pleasing and slightly out of the norm feel. Vocalist Leland adds an urgent air to the music, driving at each song with incessant energy and a sense that he's just holding onto the rails. Take A Number is a great Rock radio song with a chorus that will stick with you. Tell Me There's More is a big Rock ballad that shows shades of Freddie Mercury and Chris Martin; the song is great Pop-Radio ready material without a lot of long-term lasting power. Let's Just Go leads with piano once again, burnished by a melodic guitar lead that evolves into a mellow Pop/Rock arrangement. The energy isn't as high here as on other tracks and this wasn't really a personal favorite, but the melody is strong and still stick with some listeners on that basis alone.

My Kind Of Disaster is flat out a great Pop/Rock song. The melody and rhythm actively work to burn themselves in your mind, and Leland is the consummate Rock front man here. The Freddie Mercury comparisons are never more apropos than here, even the sound of his voice on the CD suggests at least of that sound is electronic. Let The Fire Come has an elegance about it that's a bit unusual in Rock N Roll, harking back to 1970's Progressive Rock with serious lyric overtones. The song is a thing of beauty, bolstered by some great falsetto vocal work by Leland. Soon brings an overtly dramatic sense to Let The Fire Come, doing a long, slow build in intensity that bespeaks of the intensity of emotion behind the song. This is the most moving composition on the album, driven by its own sense of inevitability. All This Is Free carries with it a similar sense of power, a slow-to-mid-tempo tune driven by a wall of guitar sound and enigmatic vocals before spiraling down into nothingness in its final seconds. Who's Got Your Money is an emotionally and sexually charged tune built on a driven guitar riff and a sense of anger that is palpable. Let The Fire Come closes out with You're Infected, a slightly stilted song that lives on the edge of sanity. The piano-driven arrangement is gorgeous with it's gothic feel and big harmonies.

Entice comes along in an era when they've never been less appreciated. This is the sort of Rock N Roll that's too esoteric to make Pop radio, too lyric to make it on Modern Rock Radio, and just too good to go unheard. In the late 1970's or early 1980's, Entice would have been superstars. Their sound today is better than a lot of major label artists, but it takes time and work to get the sort of attention Entice deserves. Let The Fire Come is a bit unfocused as an album, but the individual songs are great and there is a sort of vague cohesion that comes about along the way. I recommend Entice's Let The Fire Come as a great listen that holds a few surprises for those who listen carefully.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Entice at www.myspace.com/enticetheband. You can purchase a download of Let The Fire Come through iTunes, or you can name your price through Bandcamp. Contact Entice through their MySpace page for information regarding potential release on CD.

Review: Cupéro - Cupéro

Cupéro - Cupéro
2009, Cupéro

Wow.

Warwick, NY native Clarissa Cupéro just bowled me over. Cupéro's self-titled 6-song EP is the sort of introduction that knocks a listener off their feet. Whether it's the distinctly mature tone of 19-year-old Cupéro's songwriting, the no-holds-barred emotional strength of her songs or the absolutely amazing instrument that is her voice, Cupéro is a purely unexpected and welcome surprise on the musical scene. The Siena College student has influences all over the music map, from KT Tunstall to various classic rock artists to Columbian rocker Juanes (17 Latin Grammys). Juanes has inspired Cupéro to be a bilingual artist, writing and singing in both English and Spanish. The EP, Cupéro, was produced by Patrick Ermlich and E-Shy Gazit, who brought Cupéro's songs to life in ways even she didn't suspect when she contacted them as a high school senior. Now, Cupéro is a college student trying to build her fan base in the Albany, NY and New York City markets who has her eyes on bigger stages down the road.

Those bigger stages shouldn't be a problem at all. Not since Marian Call came along with Vanilla have I been so utterly stilled by a debut album. Cupéro makes you want to just drop everything and listen, and she handles active rock tunes and ballads with equal aplomb. With a voice that falls somewhere on a line between Sarah McLachlan and Bonnie Tyler, Cupéro makes fans every time she opens her mouth to sing. Cupéro opens with I've Got Your Number, a song she wrote for a high school talent show that has become her signature song. I've Got Your Number could have been a hit anytime in the last 25 years, and with the right breaks would vie for radio spins even in today's fractured market. La Sombra is a Spanish language song, and while I can't comment on the lyrics (no habla), the song has a powerful, sensuous feel that borders on overwhelming. Cupéro rips the roof on this vibrant rocker.

I Thought I Knew Love is a commanding love song that's chart ready as you read this. It's a bit off the beaten love song track but ideal mix-tape material and the sort of song that lights up request/dedication lines. Life Is A Moment is a song about striving for dreams and never giving up. It's a powerful message delivered in a powerful vocal performance. The arrangement opens with Cupéro and piano, adding in cello and other instrumentation as the song progresses. There's a Paula Cole "I Don't Want To Wait" feel to this song that's unmistakable. Don't be surprised if Life Is A Moment ends up licensed, movies or even gets covered by big name artists down the road (by then Cupéro may be one herself). Quiero Tu Amor is the other Spanish language song on the EP, a gorgeous ballad that would sell a million copies in an English version. I have to say though that the Spanish language brings out a certain sensuality in Cupéro's voice that's more reserved in English, increasing her marketability in an increasingly multi-ethnic culture a hundred fold. Cupéro closes out with You'll Never Be There, an urgent acoustic rocker with Americana leanings that just about proves that she can do, play or sing almost anything.

Clarissa Cupéro has everything but the breaks. Talent and composure well beyond her nineteen years and a killer voice make it very possible that down the road the name Cupéro will be as familiar as names like Prince, Madonna and Beyonce. Yes, it's a grand statement, and practically everything in Cupéro's life and career would have to go just right for that to happen. But based on what I've heard on Cupéro, it's not out of the realm of imagination. Yes, she's that good. Find out for yourself. Cupéro is a Wildy's World Certified Desert Island Disc. Don't wait, get it now.

Rating: 5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Cupéro at http://www.myspace.com/cupero or http://www.cuperomusic.com/. You can download a copy of Cupéro through iTunes or through Amazon MP3. I don’t have any word on CD distribution at the time of publication, but will update with links when/if they become available.

Review: Matthew Kennedy - Avise La Fin

Matthew Kennedy - Avise La Fin
2009, Interleague Records

Matthew Kennedy, born in Zimbabwe and raised in South Africa, found his way to America as a member of Christian band Khanyisa. After touring the US, Europe, Africa and Asia the group disbanded and Kennedy relocated to Los Angeles. From this musical high Kennedy quickly descended a dark road into drug and alcohol addiction. After his debut solo CD, Makes Me Alright, Kennedy re-examined his life and re-connected with his faith. These personal changes bred others, with Kennedy regaining control over his life. Kennedy's sophomore CD, Avise La Fin, consists of eleven songs informed by faith and hope. The title, taken from the Kennedy family crest (Consider The End), informs the philosophy that runs throughout the album.

The first thing that struck me about Kennedy is how much he sounds like Bono at times; indeed, about half of the music on Avise La Fin sounds like it could have been drawn from mid-career U2 sessions of the 1990’s. The album opens with Sing, a dark and edgy pop tune full of a hopeful, almost joy emerging from darkness. Salvation In A Box starts the serious U2 references with a soaring rocker featuring the sort of big Chorus Bono and the gang are known for. Kennedy hits potential radio gold with You Are Beautiful, another big soaring rock song with the sort of hooks that keep a song on the air for months. Say may be the best balanced song on the album, full of a melancholy feel and an infectious pop hook. Pick Up has a mellow vibe but strives to be a big pop/rock tune. Kennedy manages to make it soar in spite of the very relaxed feel to the song.

Like many albums, Avise La Fin gets a bit thin in the late going; the last few tracks are pleasant and well-written but just not up to the level Kennedy hit on the first 2/3 of the album. Avise La Fin reflects a more mature artist in Matthew Kennedy; one who has grown from his past misadventures, overcome personal obstacles, and learned to look at life through his songwriting rather than using his songwriting as a means to see things. Avise La Fin is a wonderful mix of dark and light with strong songwriting and the tremendous vocal performances Kennedy gives while pouring his heart into each song. It’s a definite keeper.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Matthew Kennedy at www.myspace.com/matthewkennedy. You can purchase a copy of Avise La Fin at www.cdbaby.com/cd/matthewkennedy2, or you can download the album from iTunes.

Review: Zac Mac Band - Under The Radar

Zac Mac Band – Under The Radar [EP]
2009, Night Train Records

The Zac Mac Band has taken Boston, and now they’re ready to take on the world. Lead singer, songwriter, pianist and sometime guitar player Zac McIntyre was a finalist in 2008’s Great American Song Contest, and towers above the competition (he’s 6’10”). Inspired by bands such as Led Zeppelin, Coldplay, Chris Cornell, Collective Soul, The Killers and Snow Patrol. McIntyre writes intelligent and catchy mellow rock songs that get stuck in your head. The Hope, Maine native is a veteran of bands such as North Of Nowhere, The High End and Johnny Rainfield, but appears to have found a sound and style with the Zac Mac Band that is his own. ZMB’s latest release, Under The Radar, hit stores in March of 2009.

McIntyre has a very enjoyable voice. The songs on Under The Radar have a much laid back, nearly repressed mellow sound (think Barenaked Ladies’ Maybe You Should Drive album for comparison). McIntyre writes serious songs, but is not afraid to weave humor into the fabric of a song where appropriate. MySpace Heartbreak hits both serious and ironic notes in a New Wave/Pop tune about Post-relationship neurosis in a digital age. Highest Level is a treat for the ears; a modern mellow rock tune with a chorus worthy of Alan Parsons. Loaded Gun I didn’t connect with as well. Considering the subject matter the song is remarkably passive; the narrative and affect just don’t match at all. There is some Roy Orison inspired guitar work here and the song comes off sounding a bit like a John Mayer tune. 15 Songs On The Radio, on the other hand, is an inspired bit of writing. McIntyre takes us inside his head and the struggle to keep striving for your dreams when the possibilities are so limited (“So many other bands / they’ve got the same plans / and there’s only 15 songs on the radio.”) Anyone who has ever tried to make it in the music industry, or even stood in front of a mirror, air guitar in hand and wished will appreciate the sentiments here. Roll Me Over closes out the set in a somewhat generic Alt/Pop tune ala Dog’s Eye View or Matchbox 20.

The Zac Mac Band has a future. Under The Radar is a bit uneven but shows flashes of brilliance (MySpace Heartbreak, 15 Songs On The Radio). Don’t be surprised if these guys are household names down the line. For now, Under The Radar is a great way to get to know Zac Mac Band. Check it out!

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about the Zac Mac Band at http://www.zacmacband.com/ or www.myspace.com/zacmacband. You can purchase a copy of Under The Radar at www.cdbaby.com/cd/zacmacband.

Review: Max Morgan - Interrupting The Silence

Max Morgan - Interrupting The Silence
2009, Chime Entertainment

Max Morgan has already been heard all over American media outlets and his debut CD hasn't even been released yet. Placement on televisions shows such as Gray's Anatomy and Private Practice; on networks such as The NFL Network and ESPN; and on websites such as Seventeenmagazine.com, AOL Music and NYPost.com have made Morgan omnipresent of late. No one doubts Morgan has a good publicist, but a publicist just pries the door open. Morgan has garnered so much attention and press because he is an uncommonly talented and charismatic singer/songwriter/musician. The Liverpool, England native and Southern California resident brings a highly melodic and lyric vocal sound to a broad cross section of musical styles on his debut CD, Interrupting The Silence. Produced by Marc Tanner (Aerosmith, Madonna, The Calling), Interrupting The Silence is a bright comet currently circling the pop/rock scene; when it lands on March 31, 2009, the impact will be amazing.

Interrupting The Silence opens with the plaintive and melodic Loneliest Man In The World. As songs go this is up there in the Paul McCartney stratosphere of epic melodies. In another era this song would have been a multi-platinum single. Morgan has the sweet vocal essence of Chris Martin and the poise to deliver this song like an epitaph in waiting. Sold Out To The Scene brings a little 1980's pop/glam to the album in a crossover dance/rock package that is unforgettable before pulling on your heart strings with the gorgeously sad Wait For Me. Morgan follows up with the big time guitar rock anthem Suffer, which is a great deal more upbeat than the title may imply.

Morgan stomps and howls through hair rocker Ya Better Believe with all of the machismo and flamboyance that defined the more over-the-top front men of the 1980's. Having shown so many sides, Morgan settles next into the dramatic Nobody's Coming To My Rescue. Not since Freddie Mercury has any vocalist in Rock N Roll shown the breadth and stylistic vigor to tackle so many divergent styles and sounds and do them all successfully. Max Morgan has that kind of talent and appeal, and don't be surprised if this guy reaches the pinnacle of the rock world at some point in his career. Other highlights include Trouble, Don't Stop, the urgent rocker Fell and Prayer For No One.

Max Morgan is a rare, rare talent. It's impossible to say how things will pan out in the long run, but Morgan could be one of those once-in-a-generation talents who will transcend stardom to the point of attaining icon status. The musical and vocal talent is here, as is the charisma to reach out across the various voids that exist between artist and listener. Interrupting The Silence is a Wildy's World Certified Desert Island Disc, and is the sort of debut that can be very difficult to top. But something tells me Morgan can and will.

You can learn more about Max Morgan at http://www.maxmorgan.com/ or www.myspace.com/maxmorganband. Interrupting The Silence will be released on March 31, 2009. You can pre-order copies of the CD through Amazon.com.

Arcane Roots – Arcane Roots
2009, Arcane Roots

Surrey, England holds hidden Rock N Roll treasure (but not for long). Melodic rock trio Arcane Roots can’t stay hidden under a bushel forever, not with the magical sound heard on their self-titled, 3-song EP. Vocalist/guitarist Andrew Groves has the smooth, melodic vocal sensibilities of Chris Martin and an almost Andy Summers-ish sense of musical construction. Adam Burton (bass) and Daryl Atkins (drums) deliver a rockin’ rhythm section and some serious backing vocals to what may be some of the most gorgeous and aggressive melodic pop/rock heard on either side of the Atlantic.

Opening with Rouen, Arcane Roots sounds like a cross between Coldplay, Led Zeppelin and The Police. The divergent musical strands of heavy, melodic and punk rock is startlingly new sounding and very well done. Groves’ vocals soar over the song like a transcendent phoenix, falling into flames at the end. On the second track, Nylon, Groves cements his position as one of the more unique and memorable voices in Indie Rock. An Easy Smile turns quickly from a garage rocker into an art-rock monster full of melodic grace and fits of musical chaos. Laughing in the face of standard song construction, Arcane Roots piece together musical lines so disparate they have no choice but to work. The result is something on the level of musical genius.

Arcane Roots brings Progressive Rock back into the mainstream, mixed with elements of Punk, Alternative and Melodic Rock. The musicianship here is outstanding – it has to be. A lesser band couldn’t pull off the brave musical choices execised on Arcane Roots. Andrew Groves should be the next vocal superstar out of the UK. Arcane Roots is currently planning tours throughout Europe for the summer of 2009, but it’s only a matter of time before they look out across the Atlantic and see a market that hungers for a band like them. Outstanding.

Rating: 5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Arcane Roots at www.myspace.com/arcaneroots or http://www.arcaneroots.com/. It appears that Arcane Roots (EP) is either a demo or only locally available at this time. Bug them through MySpace and perhaps they'll sell you a copy. You won't be sorry.