Review: Gary Lucas & Dean Bowman - Chase The Devil

Gary Lucas & Dean Bowman - Chase The Devil
2009, Knitting Factory Records

Gary Lucas has a reputation as one of the best guitarists alive, having played/recorded with Captain Beefheart, Jeff Buckley, John Cale, Nick Cave and Lou Reed over the years. His twenty solo albums have marked the development of his singular talent and creativity as a guitarist and composer. Gary Lucas' latest project, recorded with Jazz/Blues vocalist Dean Bowman, is entitled Chase The Devil. Available March 16, 2010, the album explores the roots of Gospel and the Blues, teaming two singular talents on an enthralling musical experience.

Chase The Devil opens with "Nobody's House", with Lucas displaying his highly rhythmic guitar style, and Bowman crooning in his earthy, soulful voice. "Nobody's House" is a song of praise and Thanksgiving offered amid the chaos of the everyday world. "God Is A Good God" is southern gospel at its finest. Bowman's vocal is inspired, and Lucas chips in with the complementary voice of his guitar, driving the background with an intensity that's nearly religious fervor. On "Twelve Gates To The City", Lucas and Bowman almost risk over-doing things a bit; letting stylistic runs in both voice and guitar overcome the essential melody and grace of the song. Both perform technically flawless, but the net effect is just too over-the-top.

"Hinay Ma T'ov" finds Lucas presiding over some delicious slide guitar work even as he adopts the darker tones of the Arabic scale before moving into the Bluesy "Children Of Zion". The developing trend at this point in the album is to offset Lucas' highly intricate guitar work with repetitive sung phrases from Dean Bowman. While the vocal lines are glorious given Bowman's voice, the stark repetition is oppressive. "Out On The Rolling Sea" may provide the most challenging guitar work on the album; a celebration before the solemn praise of "In Christ There Is No East Or West". "Let My People Go" is sung with all the yearning of a people who have suffered across generations, although in this case Lucas' guitar work, while technically proficient, seriously muddies the waters. Chase The Devil closes the Bluesy Gospel ala reverb of "Up Above My Head". The sound is interesting but borders on distraction.

Chase The Devil is a well-intended project that hits its mark in some ways and misses wildly in others. Gary Lucas is an exciting guitarist; highly creative in approach and with a level of technical skill in his instrument that puts him among the best at his craft. Dean Bowman has a voice that could start a revival wherever he sings. Two coming together of two such tremendous talents could be a glorious coalescence or an utter failure. Chase The Devil rides the continuum between the two; never tilting entirely to one pole or the other, but taking in a lot of the scenery in the middle. Neither performance suffers on technical points, but the two talents don't meld well. When they are together it almost feels like happenstance, as they are just as likely to perform on the edge of conflict with one another; like two virtuosos forced to share the same stage. Chase The Devil is good because of the talent level of the performers and the material chosen, but it could have; should have been great.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Gary Lucas and Dean Bowman at www.myspace.com/wechasethedevil. You can catch up with the individual artists at http://www.garylucas.com/ and http://www.deanbowman.net/. Chase The Devil drops on March 16, 2010. You can pre-order the CD from Amazon.com. Expect wide availability for both physical and virtual versions.

Review: Tommy Dempsey - 11:11

Tommy Dempsey - 11:11
2009, Tommy Dempsey

Tommy Dempsey is a product of the 1980’s power-pop machine that still seems to fuel a lot of what Rock N Roll is today. The Boston-based musician spent a number of years playing in bands (Sunshine Jive, In The Pink), but set out on his own in 2002. Dempsey’s latest album, 11:11 pays musical homage to his roots, but with eyes set firmly on the future.

11:11 opens with Gone Unanswered, a mid-tempo rocker that ponders the presence in our lives of those who have passed on. It's a powerful song with more questions than answers that plays on the edges of 1980's British New Wave with something of a Paul McCartney meets Jeff Buckley feel to it. Dempsey shows a great Pop sense on Everything At All, a tune that might have been a huge Pop hit in the early 1990's. Dempsey wends his way through Useless and Look Ma, No Machines, two pleasant sounding but essentially benign Pop/Rock tunes on his way to Keep Guard, a poignant look at the ways we protect ourselves in interacting with others. The melody here is somewhat tentative and is very memorable. The chorus in particularly is a beauty, the sort that will recur in your mind at odd times for days.

The Other Sock plays like a classic Pop/Rock song that would have been huge two or three decades ago. Dempsey has created a melody and feel that instantly ingratiates itself with the listener. Butterfly Cage has similar melodic qualities, but at nearly six-and-a-half minutes drags on a bit too long. The same can be said across the board for Underground. Dempsey closes with Hello Like Goodbye, an acoustic singer/songwriter tune that might just be the best work on 11:11.

Tommy Dempsey has an extremely pleasing voice to listen to, and seems to have more than a passing relationship with melody, song craft and a sense for writing distinctive Pop songs, but he gets a little lost in his own creativity at times on 11:11. The end result is a pleasant but undirected album that vacillates between shining moments and long, drawn out songs that become difficult to get through. Dempsey writes Jack Johnson style songs with a New Wave feel, giving him a calling card on the competition in the singer/songwriter market, and will achieve the most success where brevity wins out. In the mean time, 11:11 is a great start from a talented artist who is still refining his craft.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Tommy Dempsey at http://www.tommydempseymusic.com/ or www.myspace.com/tommydempsey. According to Dempsey’s website, 11:11 should be available “this fall”, but no online availability is noted. Keep checking his site for availability. (Photo credit: Kiva Hamerling; Photography By Kiva http://www.photographybykiva.com.)

Review: A Scribe Amidst The Lions - Sunken Cities

A Scribe Amidst The Lions - Sunken Cities
2008, Tubwater Music

San Diego’s A Scribe Admist The Lions takes Alternative Rock down harrowing and reward paths on Sunken Cities, their second album. Nominated for a 2008 San Diego Music Award as best alternative album; Sunken Cities explores the depths of experimental rock in occasionally discomfiting and generally rewarding dioramas of sound. Don’t expect to listen passively; you won’t get it unless you stay involved.

Sunken Cities opens with The Depth Commencing, a brief instrumental appetizer that leads into the explosive chaos of The Equator Swallowed The Boys. Imagine elements of Classic Rock and Melodic, Post-Punk Modern Rock wrapped into a highly compact yet ranging Rock N Roll experience and you'll get an idea of where A Scribe Admist The Lions starts out. Elements of Grunge come into play on Scripted Daydreams, which has a monotonous and less-than-elegant temperament. The vocal line reaches stratospheric heights in this song with notes that are pure imagination for most singers. A Scribe Amidst The Lions takes turns both Progressive and Psychedelic on songs like Wet Bird, Marble Czar and Light Sinks The Moon, balancing right on the edge of musical madness for much of the middle of the album. No Peace Found In Pieces continues the somewhat psychedelic aspect, but maintains a bit more constructive approach. After several listens I'd have to say that A Scribe Admist The Lions remind me most of Canadian rockers The Rheostatics but with less of a tendency to seek out the occasional bit of Pop sensibility. You'll want to make sure you seek out The Drift and Metropolyptika as well.

A Scribe Amidst The Lions is what you might call an acquired taste. Dark, urban soundscapes populated with psychedelic bordering on psychotic moments is the order of the day on Sunken Cities. This is an album that challenges the listener to dig deeper and find your own treasures. On balance, I can't say that I entirely enjoyed it, but Sunken Cities was an interesting experience. There are folks out there for whom this will click, starting with fans of The Rheostatics.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about A Scribe Amidst The Lions at http://www.ascribeamidstthelions.com/ or www.myspace.com/ascribeamidstthelions. You can purchase a copy of Sunken City at www.cdbaby.com/cd/asatl2, or you can download the album from iTunes.

Review: Metheus Bound - Stirring The Insides

Metheus Bound – Stirring The Insides
2008, Metheus Bound

Toronto Indie Rock quartet Metheus Bound bring social conscience and an intellectual approach to songwriting to both stage and studio, as evidence by their debut album, 2008’s Stirring The Insides. With a title inspired by Zeus’ punishment of Prometheus for showing man how to use fire, Metheus Bound has more than a little to say about the power that the political and economic elite use against everyday people, and the power of art to hold back the night, as it were. Combine these high ideals with a melodic style drawing on influences from Jazz to Funk to Rock to lyric balladry, Metheus Bound will make you stop and listen.

Vocalist James Everett has a bit of crooner in his soul, and Metheus Bound has a highly refined, smooth jazz sound. Stirring The Insides opens with What’s Been Done, a vaguely funky jazz fusion piece at home in the late-1970s. Capture is melodic and smooth with a great vocal/harmony mix. Think For Yourself is very well written musically, but shows the ultimate paradox of political correctness, berating those who have chosen a philosophical, religious or political system based on consideration of positions for not thinking for themselves. Metheus Bound pulls in some great Chicago-style horns on songs like Stir and Life.

Jilt is one of my two favorite songs on the disc; sounding a bit like early Paul Simon stylistically. There’s a real minimalist bent here, and it marks a very human turn on the CD. Jilt is the ninth track on Stirring The Insides. Up until that point there is this highly smooth, jazz feel throughout the disc that is so slick and highly produced that it loses its human element. Jilt is a major turning point. Compassion For Pride is another benchmark song. This wonderfully dark and textured ballad with minimalist arrangement is the best song on the disc. Other highlights include Prince Afka, Ronda’s Turkish Prison and Stef’s Song.

Metheus Bound is very slick and professional on the jazz fusion material, but when James Everett breaks things down and lets his inner singer/songwriter come out the results are fabulous. The two sides battle for prominence on Stirring The Insides, with the fusion side having a highly marketable sound but lacking a real human element, whereas the singer/songwriter material is much more compelling. Stirring The Insides is an interesting listen.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Metheus Bound at http://www.metheusbound.ca/ or www.myspace.com/metheusbound. You can purchase a copy of Stirring The Insides at www.cdbaby.com/cd/metheusbound.

Review: Gregory Douglass - Battler

Gregory Douglass – Battler
2009, Emote Records

Look up Indie Musician in the dictionary and you’ll find a picture of Gregory Douglass. Douglass has released seven albums on his own imprint, Emote Records, touring all over the US and winning accolades at almost every turn along the way. Compared favorably with artists such as Tori Amos, Rufus Wainwright, Jeff Buckley and Fiona Apple, Douglass has a unique sound and vocal style that you’ll be able to identify immediately once you’ve heard it. His latest CD, Battler, was inspired by serious soul searching and a Vermont winter shuttered in watching HBO’s Six Feet Under.

Douglass writes gloriously melodic and dark story-songs that give categorization a wide birth. Opening with Broken Through, Douglass builds on a minor-key piano riff into a dynamic and shadowy story. Day Of The Battler bring uniquely stilted rhythms into the mix, like something Kurt Weill might have written if he grew up in today’s musical environment. No Apology strips nearly all of the instrumentation away in a haunting vocal harmony peace you need to hear. Madeline is a lush harmonic rock song that sounds like it could have been co-written by Tori Amos and Lou Gramm. This Is My Life might be a signature song for Douglass as it perfectly captures the dark undercarriage that seems to be his unique musical cornerstone. Other highlights include Sadly (with Anais Mitchell), Ordinary Man (with the talented Grace Potter) and Harlequin.

Gregory Douglass walks, marches and sings to his own drummer. Listening to him sing and play is like hearing one half of his communication with another world. The results are dark, exciting and lovely, even when you know there’s a whole other part of the conversation you can’t hear. Douglass is a unique talent, and the music glimpses he’s offered to us here could be considered gifts. Battler is not a recording to pass up.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Gregory Douglass at www.myspace.com/gregorydouglass or http://www.gregorydouglass.com/. You can purchase a copy of Battler at www.cdbaby.com/cd/gdouglass9.

Review: The Private Life Of David Reed - Missteps And Miscommunications

The Private Life Of David Reed – Missteps And Miscommunications
2008, Chamberlain Music

David Reed has set out on his own. The Columbia, South Carolina resident set aside his band of four years, Closer, to be able to choose his own artistic direction. Writing and performing in the same vein as folks like Damien Rice, Bright Eyes, Jeff Buckley and David Grey, Reed goes for an acoustic flavor with whatever effects and embellishments he can lay his hands on. The resultant EP, Missteps and Miscommunications, is quite enjoyable.

Missteps And Miscommunications opens with 27, a quiet pleading song with some great dynamics. Lead vocalist David Reed rips his own heart out for you to see on this song. A Week And Seven Days is a delicious Modern Rock anthem that should have significant impact potential on something like radio’s The Edge. Gone continues the big guitar rock sound that seems to work so well for The Private Life Of David Reed. The song itself is a bit formulaic, but it works. I also particularly enjoyed Misery Loves Company, a quiet and introspective tune that is among the most poignant here. Let Go is a driven rocker guided by urgent yearning and some great harmonies. Other highlights include You Had It All, The Way That You Are and the acoustic version of Better Be Careful Now, which was more enjoyable than the electric version.

The Private Life Of David Reed is dynamic and buoyed by influences ranging from 1980’s Hair Metal to Modern Rock. Reed shows a flair for the sort of dramatic glam that wraps up a crowd. Missteps and Miscommunications displays little of either. It does dip into the well of “radio sound” a bit too often, but is distinctive enough to be worth listening to.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about The Private Life Of David Reed at www.myspace.com/theprivatelifeofdavidreed or http://www.chamberlainrecords.com/. You can download Missteps and Miscommunications through iTunes.

Review: Jessi Robertson - Who We Are, What We Have Done

Jessi Robertson - Who We Are, What We Have Done
2008, Jessi Robertson

New York City's Jessi Robertson is an alt-folk Renaissance Woman. In addition to her music career, Robertson is a contributor to Urban Folk Magazine; a co-founder for Local Correspondents Community of independent artists and a curator for September Concert, an organization that puts on a worldwide concert series to promote healing and a sense of community of September 11th. Compared to Tori Amos, Keith Buckley and PJ Harvey, Robertson is an enigmatic songwriter who focuses first and foremost of the art of the song, making each composition an adventure for the listener. Who We Are, What We Have Done is Robertson's latest release; finding Robertson in complete creative and production control.

Who We Are, What We Have Done opens with Geometry Of A Heavy Heart, a deliciously smart and poignant folker that is extremely memorable. The song has a classic melody, intelligent lyrics and a story-teller's flow. Vocally, Robertson sounds a bit like Bonnie Raitt, with a warm-but-rough timbre that fits perfectly with the arrangement. The Weather opens with a sound that could be a heartbeat slowed down and drawn out into a rhythmic marker. If so, it is a metaphor for the song, which has a lot of heart but never entirely gets out of its own way. Ethereal harmonies can't save this song from the lack of energy that comes through. Papers And Magazines mixes a bare rock arrangement with electronic beats to support Robertson's multi-colored voice. The arrangement here is almost a bit lo-fi at times and the energy level just isn't quite there.

Lighthouse Keeper is another story. While continuing in the melancholy, slow theme that creeps into Who We Are, What We Have Done with the second song, Lighthouse Keeper has an almost urgent intensity that sits just below the surface. The tension in this song is palpable. Other highlights include It Gives, Mayday and City/Country.

Jessi Robertson is a talented writer with an colorful voice who is fun to listen to. The energy level on Who We Are, What We Have Done is very low at times, but there are some real gems here as well. Geometry Of A Heavy Heart is worth the cost of the album alone. Robertson shows enough talent and panache to keep doing this in the long term. Who We Are, What We Have Done is definitely a worthwhile listen.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Jessi Robertson at www.myspace.com/jessirobertson or http://www.jessirobertson.com/. You can purchase a copy of Who We Are, What We Have Done at www.cdbaby.com/cd/jessirobertson.