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. 

Steph Barrak - Words To Break Your Heart

Steph Barrak – Words To Break Your Heart
2013, Steph Barrak

Steph Barrak is a rare gem.  The Boston-based indie singer/songwriter blends a poetic stream of consciousness lyrical style with an artful melodic sensibility and a distinctive pop pulse.  While Barrak’s desire to write and sing began at a young age, it wasn’t until her college years when she really began to play in public.  Her open mic appearances quickly turned into headline shows.  Barrak spent two years working with producer Mike Davidson to craft her sonic visions into the album Words To Break Your Heart.  The end result is stunning, beautiful and raw, with a living heartbeat you cannot ignore.

Barrak sets sail with “Connecticut”, an engaging take on a failed relationship written in two distinct musical movements.  She manages to come across as articulate and authentic in dissecting her own heartbreak without falling into stereotypical bouts of vitriol.  The catchy folk/pop arrangement will have your toes tapping, and seems like it should have some real commercial punch.  “Painted Face” is a quiet monologue about waiting for the winds to change.  She recognizes the relationship is over, but is waiting around just in case.  Barrak’s chorus is near-perfect, although the song does drag a bit at the end due to repetition.  “Robot” carries with a mild melancholy, written from the perspective of an automaton.  This could be interpreted as commentary on a relationship drifter who engages but never commits or taken at face value.  Either away it’s highly entertaining and musical.

With “Hardwired”, Barrak digs into an ear-friendly bit of 1970’s singer/songwriter panache.  There’s a bit of the melancholy of Mazzy Starr here, but Steph Barrak is pragmatically hopeful in her approach.  The song plays like a lullaby, and Barrak’s warm alto is the perfect salve.  “Fossil Tears” is a post-breakup monologue on the healing process that retains a glint of hope for the hopeless.  This quietly catchy number will get stuck in your grille and stay there.  “Oh Lo Lo” is a bit more pointed in style, with a relentless post-pop sensibility that pulls at the listener.  Here Barrak is focused on her inability to shake her former love.  It’s a nice tune that feels a bit stuck instrumentally, but that’s sort of the point.

There’s a sense of breaking free evident in “Natural Progression”.  This uplifting folk/pop number has a vibrant energy and a memorable melody, as the focus shifts from decay to transformation.  “Drift With It” is a down-tempo take on the same theme, an acknowledgement that things are falling apart.  The go with the flow feel runs all through the arrangement, and Barrak’s dulcet tones frame it all perfectly.  Once again she shows a flair for infectiously hooky choruses that get caught between your ears.  “The Way You Make Me Smile” would seem to be a turning point.  She’s come to peace with the process of decay, understanding its necessary based on the two actors in this little play.  Nevertheless, she tries to wring one last gasp from what was lost.  The mournful country guitar is a nice touch in communicating the mix of heartbreak and wistful hope found in this moment.  She falls back into an utter unwillingness to let go by song’s end.  This parallel of decay creates one of the loveliest sonic moments on the album, with a chorus that you’ll be humming to yourself for ages.

It’s hard to know whether “Married To A Robber” is a continuation of the story line or a jump start, but the former is as plausible as the latter.  Steph Barrak creates a true musical moment here, crafting the beauty of tragedy into musical stone (or is it the other way around?)  In any case, this is a masterful piece of songwriter.  Barrak winds things down with “Watch For Me”, a declaration of civil war, if you will.  She has finally found the words to match the feelings in her heart, and she is ready to fight.  The song carries the power of simple truths, evocatively turned out in a sparse musical arrangement.  What’s most intriguing is Barrak never offers the payoff.  We come to the brink of the final confrontation, but that moment is never revealed. 

You can argue the end of Words To Break Your Heart all you want, but the takeaway is that this is a compelling musical work that is worth arguing over.  Barrak lays her heart bare across eleven songs that convey the ambivalence of needing to get away yet needing to stay.  It’s not the conclusion that is the focus here, however; that is left to the listener’s imagination.  The journey is the thing.  Barrak’s songs are compositionally never more or less than what they need to be to complement the complicated emotions she conveys.  A relationship’s decay plays out to the precipice without closure, but either way you see that the narrator has grown.  Whatever comes, she’ll be okay.  So while we are left to wonder what is next for Steph Barrak, most anyone who hears Words To Break Your Heart will be anxious for the sequel.

Rating:  4.5 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more at www.stephbarrak.com. 

Everclear - Return To Santa Monica

Everclear – Return To Santa Monica
2011, Cleopatra Records

Through it all, Art Alexakis just keeps going.  His band, Everclear is on its third lineup, with the only original remaining member being Alexakis himself.  The Portland, Oregon band, formed in 1992, were darlings of the alternative rock scene throughout the 1990’s, leaders of the pop-based rock response to the grunge sound coming out of Seattle.  There has been a trend in the last few years of bands re-recording their hits, as aging acts separate from the major label apparatus have found a way to regain control of their catalog for licensing.  Everclear jumps on the bandwagon today with Return To Santa Monica.

The up side to such a move is it improves a band’s ability to generate income; for fans it can be an opportunity to hear a fresher version of a favorite hit or three.  Everclear does right by the fans with Return To Santa Monica, offering up a nearly live sounding collection of reborn hits from their catalog.  “Santa Monica”, “I Will Buy You A New Life”, “Father Of Mine” and “AM Radio” are particularly vibrant.  “Unemployed Boyfriend” seems even better than it did the first time around, though whether this is due to a change in the rendition or a change in the times it uncertain.  Everclear rounds out the remakes with “Wonderful” and “Everything To Everyone”.

Perhaps the biggest treats for fans, however, are the cover songs spread throughout the album.  The remake of Tom Petty’s “I Won’t Back Down” is classic, and Steve Miller’s “The Joker” gets a new look.  Death Cab For Cuties “I Will Follow You Out Of The Dark” is among the highlights on the disc, as is the closing number, Van Morrison’s “Brown Eyed Girl”.  The only misfire on the entire album is a somewhat messy cover of The Police’s “Every Breath You Take”, which Alexakis muddles his way through on, showing neither the vocal range nor (here, at least) the sense of personality to pull this tune off.

These sorts of collections are as much for financial gain of the artist (as opposed to a label) as they are for fans.  Sometimes such collections can be ill-gotten nightmares, but Everclear manages to pull the whole thing off with a bit of panache.  The album plays like an intimate live show, with even the production values bending in that direction.  So instead of a boring retread of hits and covers you know, listeners get a quality, live-in-studio set of songs that will have you tapping your toes and remembering the 1990’s fondly.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)
Learn more about Everclear at www.everclearonline.com or on Facebook. 
           CD                        Download
                   iTunes.

J Minus - Devil Music

J Minus - Devil Music
2010, J Minus

Seattle quartet J Minus walks the wild edge of alternative music. Not Alternative understand, but an alternative to what we call Alternative. Formed in 2002, Dylan Fant, Trevor Wheetman, Chris Mongillo and Meyer Harrell work within the bounds of solid songwriting, dynamic harmonies and a refusal to tie themselves to one specific sound. You may hear flashes of bands such as Death Cab For Cutie, The Samples or Toad The Wet Sprocket in their sound, but J Minus takes these influences, mixes them with their own inherent talents and creates something new and unique. J Minus dropped their third album, Devil Music over the summer. It may be their best work to date.

Devil Music opens with "Congratulations, You Suck; a catchy tune that asks a troubling paramour to set him free rather than string him along. Buried in the emotional angst of the tune is a great pop arrangement that slowly unfurls as the song progresses. "When The Lights Go Out" is a song of reassurance written for a child who is afraid of the dark. Parents in particular will appreciate J Minus' effort here, a sweet and good-natured tune with an enjoyable melody. "Can I Count On You?" seeks assurance in a meandering pop arrangement. The song is very well written, featuring an off-center, needy protagonist in a needful quest.

J Minus explores dashed expectations on "Who We Were", looking at the hopes and dreams of children and the reality of their adulthood. It's a stark take on how negative thoughts and experiences impact or characters and personalities. Things get maudlin in the middle of Devil Music, with J Minus losing the energy that drove even the darker moments over the album's first few songs. "Swing Low" is the exception, a catchy rock tune with big harmonies in the chorus. This is a tune that sticks with you or recurs in your mind at odd times, and is a bright light in the middle of Devil Music. "While It Lasts" is a melancholic rumination on impermanence that features a solid melody but is a bit of a drag in emotion and energy. "Into The Dark" is tortured pop music that delves into a sense of failure and loss without clear boundaries; a singular effort that is both difficult and rewarding as a songwriter and as a listener. J Minus closes with "Episode 2", which opens in bland musical terms but turns into a vibrant pop song that counters J Minus' almost morose vocal style. It's a request to leap forward into the unknown of tomorrow, a fitting, yet bold end to the album.

J Minus intrigues with Devil Music, a collection that's unbalanced but which contains a few gems along the way. Fans of The Cure and The Smiths will find a lot to like here, but J Minus has enough pop sensibility to appeal to a wider constituency.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about J Minus at http://www.jminus.com/ or www.myspace.com/jminus.  Devil Music is available on CD through J Minus' webstore.  Digital copies are available via iTunes.

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.

Review: The Dimes - The King Can Drink The Harbor Dry

The Dimes - The King Can Drink The Harbor Dry
2009, Pet Marmoset Records

Last year I reviewed a recording from Canadian singer/songwriter Mike Ford, Canada Needs You, Volume 2. The album was essentially a lesson in Canadian history set to music. At the time I remember thinking that it would be great if somebody would do something similar with American History. And along come The Dimes. Their sophomore album, The King Can Drink The Harbor Dry, is due for release on December 1, 2009, and features amazingly polished songwriting, memorable melodies, divine harmonies, top-notch instrumentation and yes, a steady dose of obscure American history with Boston as the center of it all. Engineering for the album was handled by Jeff Stuart Saltzman (Death Cab For Cutie, Decemberists, Sleater-Kinney).

The Dimes open with Damrell's Fire, a tale about The Great Boston Fire of 1872. The Folk/Americana arrangement is perfect accompaniment to the autobiographical account of one fireman who would not survive. The song is artfully written and beautiful in melody and harmony. The Liberator recalls the abolitionist newspaper published by William Lloyd Garrison between 1831 and 1866. The Boston-based paper was very controversial, particularly in the South. The instrumentation provided by The Dimes wraps around the narrative like a comfortable cardigan; these guys can play. The Dimes pay tribute to Clara Barton, founder of The American Red Cross on Save Me, Clara. The missive is from a dying soldier. Make sure you listen to the lyrics on this one in particular. Aside from being a fine vocalist, Johnny Clay is pretty amazing as a word smith as well.

The inspiration for Celia's Garden came from a painting by Impressionist Childe Hassam of Celia Thaxter in her garden. The song is done in a glorious Pop/Americana arrangement with Crosby Stills & Nash-style vocal harmonies and a melody that attaches itself to your brain and won't let go. The Ballad Of Winslow Homer is a gorgeous Folk song where each verse is based on a painting of Homer's. This might be the best all-around songwriting on the album, and the vocal harmonies are exquisite.

Webster Thayer was written about the judge in the infamous Sacco And Vanzetti trials, accused of forcing the trial toward conviction. Critics at the time (and posthumously) decried Thayer's handling of the trial. This tune is a Folk/Rock offering that details one perspective on Thayer's state of mind during the trial. The tune is well-written; the ideas clearly communicated. Perhaps not as dynamic as the rest of the album, but a strong song nonetheless. Charles Street serves as something of an epilogue to Webster Thayer, a paean to the infamous Boston jail that held Sacco & Vanzetti and later, Malcolm X. This song has a straight-forward Folk/Rock feel with an intriguing chorus that's both upbeat and dark.

Lovely Mary Dyer gives a strong picture of one of the "Boston Martyrs. Mary Dyer was a Quaker living in Colonial Massachussets. Massachussets law forbid Quakers from living within its bounds. Dyer continued to do so in spite of a previous arrest and knowledge of what would happen to her if caught again. Dyer was hanged for beliefs, and became a symbol to remind the Puritans of the reason they had come to New World: religious freedom. The song is a loving tribute in a lush arrangement with simple but elegant harmonies. Abigail, Don't Be Long pays homage to Abigail Adams, wife of John Adams and mother of John Quincy Adams. This Beatles-esque ballad has an upbeat pleasant arrangement and is a great fit as the penultimate track. The Dimes close out with Boston (Trimountaine), a musical geography lesson of the city of Boston with attention paid to historical sites.

The Dimes take a risk by steeping their songwriting in so much history, but the risk pays off with a collection of songs that are beautifully written, artfully described lyrically and full of a love of both history and music that's hard not to catch. The King Can Drink The Harbor Dry is brilliant and inspired; a Wildy's World Certified Desert Island Disc. Don't miss it!

Rating: 5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about The Dimes at www.myspace.com/thedimes or http://www.thedimes.com/. The King Can Drink The Harbor Dry drops on December 1, 2009. Keep an eye on the Store section of The Dimes’ website for purchase information

Review: Cary Judd - Goodnight Human

Cary Judd – Goodnight Human
2009, Cary D Judd

Cary Judd is a native of Thousand Oaks, California who has found a home on the Wyoming/Idaho border in the shadow of the Teton Mountain Range. Judd uses this lifeline to nature as impetus and inspiration in his songwriting, drawing moments from his life into song. Judd’s third album, Goodnight Human, presents some of these moments in snapshot style, drawn in non-traditional pop instrumentation yet with a distinct pop sensibility.

Judd marches to the beat of his own drummer, and I can’t say I was able to follow the beat at every point on Goodnight Human, but the album has moments that are absolutely inspiring. Judd’s instrumentation and arrangement style could best be described as Americana/Pop. Goodnight Human has a distinctive sound that borders on Country, yet the pop hooks and infectious melodies will make you want to get up and dance. The opening song, Andromeda, will make you wonder just what you got yourself into, but then Judd launches into The Apocalyptic Love Song, a tongue-in-cheek declaration of true love forever (seriously). Angel With A Cigarette is highly catchy pop music that’s a bit bizarre but highly listenable.

My favorite song on the album is Valentine, a well-written Pop/Americana song. This is definite mix-tape material; it’s a bit quirky and has real commercial potential. Flicker is perhaps the biggest potential hit on Goodnight Human with lush harmonies, a great arrangement and a highly danceable nature. Stars is another song with a memorable melody and harmonies and a powerful pop arrangement. Other songs of note are Huang Shan (The Ah-Ha Song), Sarah, Kiss Comes To Shove and A Time To Lie.

Cary Judd carves out a musical niche that’s not well populated on Goodnight Human. Since the emergence of Americana as its own genre artists have been toying with it and stretching the boundaries, and many have taken it to the pop side, but perhaps no one has done it as well as Cary Judd. Goodnight Human is a mixed bag: just about half the tracks here are average, and there’s nothing here that will turn listeners away, but there are six tracks on this album that are golden. Flicker and Valentine could put Judd on the map; both songs could do well on commercial radio or licensed into TV or Films. The sound that Judd has crafted is, if not unique, rare. Cary Judd will turn heads and hearts with his music.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Cary Judd at http://www.caryjudd.com/. You can purchase a copy of Goodnight Human at www.cdbaby.com/cd/caryjudd3.

Review: This Blue Heaven - Quicksandglass

This Blue Heaven - Quicksandglass
2009, Green Door Six Music

Boston quintet This Blue Heaven has one foot in the 1980's golden era of pop/rock and the other in the neo-folk/rock of bands like Rilo Kiley and Death Cab For Cutie. With a new wave sensibility and a stack of melodies that just won't quit, This Blue Heaven grabs hold of the listener by the ears and won't let go. Their debut album, Quicksandglass is a throwback to a not-too-long-ago time when bands wrote albums, not just a series of disjointed singles for dissemination into the ether.

Quicksandglass opens with Bliss, hearkening back to a sound originated in the girl vocal groups of the 1960's and revived somewhat in the early 1980's. MacKenzie Outlund has an exceedingly warm and pleasant voice that is perfect for this material. The guitar work sounds like Brian May is sitting in, a credit to guitarist Stu Dietz. My Disgrace is a classic unrequited dysfunctional love song wrapped in a wonderful new wave arrangement and a sing-along vocal line. As Ever As Always continues in the New Wave vein with a slightly repressed rocker that would have been Top-40 material circa 1985. Any Other Way is another classic dysfunctional relationship pop song, wonderfully melodic and upbeat in spite of its somewhat dark lyrical nature.

But As Hard As You Try is a song that, released 25 years ago, would have been a monster hit. There's still strong commercial potential here, although obviously the musical mores of the day have change some in a quarter century. Think Corey Hart around 1985 and you have an idea of the sound here (with a female vocalist). Be sure to check out Insomnia, easily the darkest song on the album with a fuzzy soundscape that is memorable. Other highlights include This Time, Future World, When It Feels Like You've Never Been Gone and personal favorite Where The Living Starts.

This Blue Heaven has crafted a highly listenable and intriguing sound. Quicksandglass makes quite an impression, and there's every reason to think This Blue Heaven is here to stay. Make some time to check these guys out, it'll be worth it.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about This Blue Heaven at http://www.thisblueheaven.com/. You can get the digital download of Quicksandglass from Amazon MP3. You’ll have to contact the band directly if you’re looking for a CD as we were unable to find any online outlets.