Hannah & Maggie - Muscle and Bone

Hannah & Maggie – Muscle and Bone
2012, Hannah & Maggie

If you were to picture Hannah & Maggie as a sort of musical Thelma and Louise, barnstorming across the U.S. in an over-stuffed station wagon, you wouldn’t be too far from part of the truth.  The truth, that is, if Thelma and Louise harmonized liked Simon and Garfunkel, and wrote with the poignant flair of The Indigo Girls.  These words are, perhaps, big shoes to fill, but Hannah & Maggie fill them nicely.  Their recently released second album, Muscle And Bone, offers wonderfully image-filled songwriting, angelic harmonies and musical warmth that is difficult to describe but wonderful to experience.

Hannah &Maggie kick things off with “As You Wake”, a wonderfully vibrant still life in song about love worn angst.  In spite of the emotional cloudy skies portrayed here the song is catchy, and Hannah & Maggie's voices mix like magic.  “Keeping Calm The Lives We Know” is urgent and faced-paced, and sounds very much like a theoretical Paula Simon and Amy Garfunkel.  Musical aesthetics seems to be the purpose in “Burlington, Vermont”.  The attention to capture a place/moment is a bid muddled lyrically, but is a thing of pure beauty musically.  “Muscle and Bone” captures the musician yearning; the desire to capture moments, people and places in song for the sake of doing so.  The sense of transcendence here is amazing.  It’s like hearing the magic of nature unfurl before your very ears.

“City In Between” is a catchy folk number about coming to terms with the terminal dysfunction in a relationship.  This time the lyrical constructs are spot on, and the performance is as sharp as anything Hannah & Maggie have done.  Fans of Nerissa and Katryna Nields will find much to like here.  One of the most interesting songs on the album is “Ghost”, an ode to an emotional transient that is crafted in warm musical hues and stark imagery.  Hannah & Maggie create a sort of musical alchemy with their voices here in perhaps the most moving performance on the album.

Hannah & Maggie do a wonderful job of capturing a feeling of melancholy and emotional desolation on “Little Wind”.  The musical imagery matches the lyrics, and makes for a listen that’s aesthetically uncomfortably but artistically masterful.   The melancholy bleeds over into “Curfew”, breakout out into full hysterics that we never quite see but have described for us.  The song is a thing of utter beauty, a ‘Wow’ moment, with Hannah Hickock showing a tremendous sense of vulnerability and awareness in the process of coming to terms with things she knew about a relationship but didn’t recognize at the time.

“Brighton Beach” is a surprisingly literate take on someone circling their own psyche for understanding.  The lyrics here roll off the tongue like pure magic, with turns of phrase that make you stop in wonder.  The voices here are sublime.  “The Room Fiddler” is an interesting blend of melancholy and hope that is quietly catchy.  The sadness in this song is palpable, but there is also a sense that the singer is searching for redemption in loneliness, and intriguing conceptualization.  “The Quieting Down” maintains the desolate quality that pops up throughout Muscle and Bone, ensconced in a wonderful cadence.  Hannah & Maggie wind things down with “Four Post Bed”, a somewhat confusing take on the baser tendencies of human relationships.  It’s not entirely clear whether the singer is indicting someone else or herself for perceived imperfections.  Nevertheless, it’s a sonically beautiful closer you won’t want to miss.

Hannah & Maggie grab you right from the opening moments of Muscle and Bone with stark imagery, gorgeous arrangements and voices that wrap around you like a warm blanket on a cold winter’s night. Comparisons to Simon & Garfunkel, The Indigo Girls and The Nields are all very valid, but the overarching quality that runs through Muscle and Bone is an aching desolation like that which informed Roger Waters’ best work with Pink Floyd.  This desolation elocuted in such angelic voices sparks images that drive themselves into your mind and refuse to leave.  Muscle and Bone may have a couple of weak moments, but the magic that pervades here is too strong to ignore.

Rating: 4.5 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Hannah & Maggie at www.hannahandmaggie.com.

Karrin Allyson - Round Midnight

Karrin Allyson - Round Midnight
2011, Concord Jazz

Karrin Allyson gets back to the roots of vocal jazz on her latest album, Round Midnight, due out May 5, 2011.  Allyson offers up twelve intimate portraits in song in understated yet emotionally vibrant fashion, recalling an era where small jazz clubs flourished and a sense of refinement enveloped the stage.  Allyson sings from the blue heartbreak of the speakeasy, covering both classic jazz vocal selections and modern songs in what may be the three-time GRAMMY nominee's most personal work to date.

Round Midnight opens with Bill Evans' "Turn Out The Stars", offering up a melancholy and emotionally heavy reading that brings out the sad nuance of Gene Lees' lyrics.  Allyson slows things down significantly and allows the emotion pool in perfectly articulated lines with her fashionably understated vocal style.  Paul Simon's "April Comes She Will" might seem out of place on the track list, but both the memorial of the passage of time and the depth of the human heart and Allyson's handling of the song are spot on.  "Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most" is a great, bluesy number about being stuck in the shadow of a love lost.  Allyson is expressive and refined here in what may her best vocal performance on the album. 

Charlie Chaplin's "Smile" gets the royal treatment; heartfelt and warm and full of palpable emotion.  Allyson stays very much true to the spirit of the original.  "There's No Such Thing As Love" features a toughness in the delivery that's a perfect spoil to the vulnerability and heartbreak underneath.  Johnny Mandel's "The Shadow Of Your Smile" is delivered in much the same fashion.  The flute solo here almost steals the show.  Stephen Sondheim's "Send In The Clowns" is a wonderfully nuanced and blue mood piece.  While not as dynamic as some of the famous renditions of this song, Allyson's take captures the emotion of the piece from a place that's dark and reserved.  Allyson closes with the epitome of loneliness in song.  "Round Midnight" (Thelonious Monk) is presented here with just Allyson and an upright bass for accompaniment.  Allyson's subtle and understated vocalization mixes perfectly with an almost free-form style in the bass part to capture hope maintained in spite of the loss of same.  This is a 'wow' moment almost in spite of itself.

Karrin Allyson sings at soundtrack of atmosphere, to be partaken of over a glass of whatever the bartender is pouring on the outskirts of desolation.  The refined and classy beauty that Allyson brings to the dregs of human emotion is refreshing.  With a touch for phasing and a voice full of quiet beautiful, Karrin Allyson will remind listeners of a time when it wasn't so much the singer as the song that mattered.  While she is in front on Round Midnight, Allyson is often an equal part of the ensemble that simultaneously documents the tragedy of human suffering in song, while soothing the hearts of those who seek an oasis in spirit and song.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Karrin Allyson at www.karrin.com or www.facebook.com/karrinallyson.  Round Midnight drops on May 3, 2011.  You can pre-order the album from Amazon.com on CD or as a Download.

The Belle Brigade - The Belle Brigade

The Belle Brigade - The Belle Brigade
2011, Reprise Records

Brother and sister Ethan and Barbara Gruska are the heart of The Belle Brigade.  Releasing their self-titled debut today via Reprise Records, the pair have earned comparisons to Simon and Garfunkel and Fleetwood Mac.  The Belle Brigade displays a band with a distinct sense of melody, but moreover a pair of voices that blend in nearly supernatural fashion.  It’s no surprise, music runs in Ethan and Barbara Gruska’s genes.  Their father is composer Jay Gruska, and their father is non other than the incomparable film composer John Williams.

The Belle Brigade opens with "Sweet Louise", a catchy, low-key folk rocker with country accents.  The song is a simple declaration of love you won't be able to shake, full of great harmonies and driven by the exceedingly pleasant vocals of Ethan.   "Where Not To Look For Freedom" is a catchy rocker reminiscent of early Elton John in style and energy.  It's a vibrant, active tune that grabs your attention.  "Losers" shows off a notable skill at orchestration, but the incessantly repetitive chorus wears thin.  "Shirt" features Ethan and Barbara in a distinctive duet.  Barbara stands out for pure sound, but when the two voices combine they wrap around each other like lovers.  This blend is sonically appealing and helps build the song from into an urgent and edgy rocker.

"Lucky Guy" follows the series of lucky rolls that grow out of an inauspicious beginning of life.  The active folk/rock arrangement is appealing, and The Belle Brigade offers it up with great energy without going over the top.  You won't be able to sit/stand still through this song.  "Lonely Lonely" features the sort of great pop chorus that turns into chart gold.  The Belle Brigade changes things up with the moody and introspective "Punch Line", exploring feelings of being forgotten as a child.  Ethan delivers a highly emotive vocal here that drives the weight of the song home.  Barbara takes the mic on "Rusted Wheel" in a memorable performance aided by a brilliant melody line.  Listeners will want to hear more of her.  The Gruskas combine again on "My Goodness", blending their voices once again in a low key but ultimately accessible number that's likely to be a fan favorite.  The Belle Brigade bows with "Fasten You To Me".  Barbara brings listeners to the door with an exquisite performance in the surprisingly mellow closer.

The Belle Brigade is surprisingly subtle and nuanced on their eponymous debut.  Rock n roll, pop and folk music influences inform the songwriting on The Belle Brigade, driven by a distinctive ear for melody and interplay and the fine voices of Ethan and Barbara.  The Belle Brigade don't create the initial impression of a band who will catch fire right away, but rather an act that will warm up slowly and burn for a long, long time.  The intricacies of the songwriting process are very much alive on The Belle Brigade, but this is a band that is still figuring out just what they are capable of.  This is a great start.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about The Belle Brigade at www.thebellbrigade.com or www.myspace.com/thebellebrigade.  The Belle Brigade is available from Amazon.com as a CD, on Vinyl or as a Download.  The album is also available via iTunes.

Sufjan Stevens - All Delighted People EP

Sufjan Stevens – All Delight People EP
2010, Asthmatic Kitty Records

Look up the world eclectic in the dictionary and you’re likely to find a picture of Sufjan Stevens.  Stevens is truly a jack-of-all-trades musically; a multi-instrumentalist who is fearless in the face of changes in genre, meter and style.   Stevens’ musical output is prodigious, accounting for ten albums in eleven years as well as appearances on numerous compilations.  While working toward the release of his newest album The Age Of Adz, Stevens was moved by his muse to release the All Delighted People EP in 2010, an intriguing and elaborate musical sidebar that makes the label “dreamy folk-pop” obsolete.

All Delighted People opens with the title track, and eleven minute-plus concoction of dreamy post-pop with electronic orchestration.  Stevens writes in an incredibly complex rock symphony style while infusing lyrical references drawn directly from Simon & Garfunkel’s “The Sound Of Silence”.  “Enchanting Ghost” is eclectic, shoe-gaze dream folk.  There’s an almost impressionistic, run-on style in the song construction, blending disparate melodic parts into a musical whole.  Stevens seems to have a talent for taking musical components that shouldn’t work together and turning them into something you would never have imagined.  “Heirloom” plays more to the ethereal folk side, done in a Simon & Garfunkel style with modern accoutrements. 

“From The Mouth Of Gabriel” ventures into Stevens’ electronic musical proclivities, but is centered around what sounds like a children’s tinkling piano and layered vocal harmonies.  The result is charming and pretty and obscure.  “The Owl And The Tanager” plays like a run-on fable told in a loose musical format.  The vocal harmonies here are something quite beautiful here, and highlight the haunting nature of the song.  “All Delighted People (Classic Rock Version) takes a divergent path to the opening track, substituting rolling guitars for the electronic dress-up applied to the opening track.  The classic rock version is a bit more coherent than the original, but also loses some of the magical complexity in the process.    “Arnika” sounds like a suicide note in song.  The subject here is weary and bereft of hope; delivering a last soliloquy over a stilted banjo with layered instrumentation and chanting vocals accompanying the creak of a rope.  All Delight People closes with “Djohariah”, an undulating electronic/organic experience that sounds simultaneously structured and random.  There’s an element of genius playing about between the lines here.

Sufjan Stevens has built a career out of musical exploration and experimentation.  The All Delighted People EP is no exception.  The musical and emotionally complexities that roil about beneath the surface of the songs presented here could be the EP’s downfall, but it is the singular genius of Sufjan Stevens to create magic out of chaos.  Stevens finds beauty in even the most disparate moments of human existence, blending history, faith and insight into arrangements that are as messy, and ultimately beautiful, as life itself.  All Delighted People is truly art mirroring life.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

 Learn more about Sufjan Stevens at http://www.sufjan.com/ or www.asthmatickitty.com/sufjan-stevens.  All Delighted People was released digitally in August, and drops on CD on December 7, 2010.  The album is available from Amazon.com as a CD, Double LP or Download.

Queensryche - Empire: 20th Anniversary Edition

Queensryche - Empire: 20th Anniversary Edition
2010, Capitol/EMI

Formed in 1981 in Bellevue, Washington, Queensryche has achieved record sales surpassing twenty million while generating numerous chart hits.  Queensryche toiled for most of a decade before the 1990 album Empire catapulted them into the international limelight.  This week Capitol/EMI released an expanded 20th Anniversary Edition of Empire, featuring 3 bonus tracks plus a bonus CD capturing a November 15, 1990 performance at London's Hammersmith Odeon. 

Empire is presented in re-mastered form, the re-mastering having occurred in 2002.  The upgrade is marginally notable and won't make a great deal of difference for those without high end sound-systems (and practically none to those who listen to digital files).  Also includes are "Last Time In Paris", which originally appeared on the Ford Fairlane soundtrack, "Dirty Little Secret" and the band's cover of the Simon & Garfunkel classic "Sound Of Silence".  This last is a real gem, one of the better rock covers of a Simon & Garfunkel tune of the past two decades (second perhaps to Yes' version of "America").  Most of this material is available elsewhere, particularly in a digital age.  The real reason to buy the 20th Anniversary Edition of Empire is the second disc, which captures Queensryche at the height of their creative and performance arc in a ten-song set that includes "Jet City Woman", "Best I Can", "Empire" and "Silent Lucidity".

It's fair to look on "anniversary" editions of classic albums with a certain level of skepticism.  The release is, of course, an effort by the record label to get you to buy something you probably already have.  The question becomes whether the effort includes enough of value to get you to part with your money.  Very often this is not the case, but Capitol/EMI get this one right.  The non-album tracks included on the 20th Anniversary Edition of Empire are worth laying out for (particularly "Sounds Of Silence"), and the live set is worth the price of admission.  Empire: The 20th Anniversary Edition will make Queensryche fans very happy, and perhaps introduce a new generation of fans to a classic album and a live band at their best.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Queensryche at www.queensryche.com or www.myspace.com/queensryche.   Empire: 20th Anniversary Edition is available from Amazon.com as a CD or Download.  Digital copies are also available via 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

Ronda Matson - Truth Be Told

Ronda Matson - Truth Be Told
2008, Ronda Matson

Ronda Matson is one of those performers who put music on hold as life intervened. Marriage, children, and a business all took precedence over time, although Matson continued to write and play in private. Inspired the music of her youth, everything from Mozart and Chopin to Bob Dylan and Simon and Garfunkel, Matson puts wisdom from her life experiences in song to share with anyone who will listen. Her growing legion of fans in New England know what you're about to find out, Ronda Matson it the deal deal. Truth Be Told is Matson's second release, a follow-up to 2006's The First Seven, an EP originally created as a gift for friends that got such a positive reaction she turned it into a commercial release.

Truth Be Told opens with Weight, which sounded suspiciously like 4-Non Blondes' What's Up in the introduction, but opens up into a very powerful and original composition that tracks in at nearly eight minutes. The song is about getting dragged down by the pressures and events that life throws at you sometimes, and is written from a sad perspective that avoids being hopeless. Bonny Call is a song Matson wrote for her daughters, encouraging them to never give up on their dreams. The song is very sweet and has Celtic overtones. Truth Be Told is something of an anti-love song. It's well-written and carries a lot of emotional weight.

Blind is one of the true highlights of the disc, with Matson doing both lead and harmony vocals so convincingly is sounds like two different vocalists, helping Blind soar with an Indigo Girls-style intensity. The song also has a pretty decent pop hook to it which makes it eminently listenable. The World Turns Round is a sweet song that finds Matson in a more optimistic place than on much of the first half of Truth Be Told. It's a song of memory and love that's definitely worth hitting the replay key a few times. In The Day is a song about remembering your own fights and foibles as you watch your children go through the same things, and mourning the fact that most people forget what it was really like. It's an extremely well-written and wise song and worth the price of admission on its own.

There are some strong compositions here, and there's no doubt that Matson is a heartfelt performer, but the presentation is often very heavy to the point of smothering. Matson has a depth of life experience and is very wise as a lyricist, but couches overly descriptive lyrics into somewhat repetitive, traditional-style folk arrangements, creating a listening experience that's somewhat monochromatic and elongated beyond listen patience. This doesn't happen on every track, but it happens often enough to have the potential to turn off some listeners. An artist in the same vein is RJ Cowdery, but Cowdery has learned to temper her descriptive tendencies and sprinkle them with wit. Matson will have her devotees, and does display a certain talent for story-telling, but economy of words is key.

Rating: 2.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Ronda Matson at http://www.rondamatson.com/ or www.myspace.com/rondamatson. You can purchase a copy of Truth Be Told at www.cdbaby.com/cd/rondamatson2.

Review: Lizary Rodriguez-Rios - Harp Therapy

Lizary Rodriguez-Rios - Harp Therapy
2009, Libre Productions

Lizary Rodriguez-Rios has wracked up quite an impressive resume, winning four international Harp competitions in Europe. She holds a Doctorate In Musical Arts, studying at the Music Conservatory in Puerto Rico, The University of Arizona and the Royal Conservancy in Madrid, Spain. She has previously performed as part of Grammy-nominated ensemble Harp Fusion, and has composed numerous pieces of television and movies in her native Puerto Rico. Rodriguez-Rio's second album, Harp Therapy, comes as a follow-up to 2006's Harp Voyage, which received favorable coverage from such august publications as The Classical Source (UK) and Fanfare Magazine.

Harp Therapy opens with The Purple Bamboo, a Chinese song played on harp in both pizzicato and lyric fashion. The song is quite lovely and flows nicely once it gets going. Rodriguez-Rios tackles Scarborough Fair essentially as arranged by Simon & Garfunkel in a lovely performance that's sure to be a crowd pleaser. The melody is traded back and forth between harp and violin, with the other always providing harmony or support. Le Cygne is a moving composition, having a sort of relentless motion to it, almost like the slow but steady movement of a river (or a swan swimming upon it, as the title may suggest). It's one of the lovelier moments on the CD. Rodriguez-Rios' reading of Grieg's Morning Song is instantly recognizable and is given a lot of depth by the strings that support and envelope the harp. Bach's Jesu Joy Of Man's Desiring is inspired, although the violin gets some of the choice parts here. Other highlights include Water Spirit, Pachelbel's Canon, Satie's Gymnopedie No. 1 and Harper Of The Western Winds.

Lizary Rodriguez-Rios is a master of her instrument, and the arrangements here are superb. Despite the title, Harp Therapy doesn't fit in with the sort of new-age relaxation or healing music that increasingly fills professorships and new age healing centers. For whatever else Rodriguez-Rios may be, she is a first class musician. Harp Therapy is a must-listen for fans of classical and yes, New Age, but don't expect a passive listening experience.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Lizary Rodriguez Rios at http://www.lizary.net/. Yu can purchase a copy of Harp Therapy at www.cdbaby.com/cd/lizary2.

Review: Reed KD - In Case The Comet Comes

Reed KD - In Case The Comet Comes
2009, Reed KD Music

Reed KD took an unusual path to recording his album In Case The Comet Comes. Spending much of 2007 and 2008 living out of his car, Reed traveled around the west and mid-west taking in the land, the culture and most importantly, the music he encountered. Returning home to northern California, Reed essentially scratched together In Case The Comet Comes with borrowed equipment, a laptop and the help of friends and family. The result is a neo-folk adventure that draws comparisons to Elliott Smith, Simon & Garfunkel and even Beck.

Reed KD has a voice that is at times reminiscent of Art Garfunkel in his Simon & Garfunkel days; strong, clear and with a distinct yet lonely beauty that is striking. The entire album is a sonic wonderland. Reed KD writes like a singer-songwriter with a folk sensibility and enough pop orientation to keep everything flowing freely. The album opens with This Is It, a highly energetic acoustic rock song with shades of Celtic and Country thrown in. This is the perfect album opener; virulently catchy and one of the few full-on acoustic tracks I’ve heard that could make noise in a pop market as is. If The Tide Swings encapsulates that sense of lonely beauty that Reed KD projects in his music. The protagonist is still holding on, not wanting to lose what he has, but almost helpless to do anything other than observe as things play themselves out. The song is well-written and the story flows almost like in a well-crafted movie.

Winding Roads could turn out to be a classic folk tune. The finger-pick arrangement is gorgeous, and the lyrics are well-written and beautifully sung. Don’t be surprised if this song gets covered by someone big in the folk world down the line. Reed KD slows things down with a lazy country tune on In The Grass. The song is as relaxed as its subject and almost meanders from Reed KD’s guitar and lips than anything else. My favorite song on the disc is Cactus Garden. Reed KD again walks the fine line between Country and Celtic music styles here, with a memorable melody supporting wonderful imagery, and the musicianship here is absolutely top notch. Space Vacuums is perhaps the oddest song on the disc; not really consistent with the rest of the material presented here, but ethereal and lovely in its own fashion. You’ll also want to check out Hippie Chicks, Keep M Bags Packed and Sleepless Nights In Bed.

Reed KD is not your typical Pop/Rocker. His songs have a distinctive Pop sensibility, but are rooted in Folk, Country and even Celtic origins. In Case The Comet Comes is a breath of fresh air. The songwriting is distinctive and well crafted; the musicianship is Grade A, and the vocal performances are the sort you’d be happy to listen to all day. In Case The Comet Comes is one of the best “out of nowhere” albums thus far in 2009. Let’s hope we hear a great deal more from Reed KD in the future.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Reed KD at www.myspace.com/reedkd or http://www.reedkd.com/. You can purchase a copy of In Case The Comet Comes at www.cdbaby.com/cd/reedkd3.

Review: Frank Sinatra - My Way 40th Anniversary Edition

Frank Sinatra – My Way – 40th Anniversary Edition
2009, Concord Records

Also on May 5, Concord Records releases the 40th Anniversary Edition of Frank Sinatra’s classic album, My Way. With liner notes written by U2’s Bono, My Way holds a special place in American Popular Music. The song itself became Sinatra’s theme song, and the perfect epitaph for his career. The album reflected Sinatra’s attempt to stay hip amidst a torrent of changes in taste in popular music. My Way includes covers of Hallelujah I Love Her So, Mrs. Robinson and Yesterday. Included with the album are two previously unreleased tracks, a cover of Jean DuShon’s For Once In My Life (made popular a year earlier by Stevie Wonder) and a live version of My Way recorded in October, 1987 in Dallas. Even 40 years after the fact, this album is a stunner. My Way came at a point in Sinatra’s career when popular mores had left him behind. Record sales were declining and a wave of new artists were filling the airwaves. Sinatra would temporarily retire two years later for these reasons, but for whatever else was going on; Sinatra could take on any material and make it his own.

My Way wasn’t Sinatra’s best material over the course of a 5 decade career, but it’s a clear picture of an aging legend, still at the top of his game even though the game was changing. My Way should be a part of every music collection.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Frank Sinatra at http://www.sinatra.com/. The 40th Anniversary Edition of My Way will be released May 5, 2009, and is available through Amazon.com or wherever music is sold. You can also download the album through iTunes as of May 5th.

Review: These Green Eyes - Relapse To Recovery

These Green Eyes – Relapse To Recovery
2008, Blackledge Music

On March 24, 2009, These Green Eyes will release their latest album, Relapse To Recovery. With the first single, Paramedic already hitting the airwaves, These Green Eyes look to make a big splash in 2009. After touring the US the last few years with the likes of Gym Class Heroes, Less Than Jake, Fall Out Boy, New Found Glory and Hidden In Plain View, These Green Eyes have built a significant amount of buzz for the new album. Let’s check it out.

These Green Eyes bring a wonderful mix of melodicism and Modern Rock edge to the masses on Relapse To Recovery. The opening phrases of At The End recall the sound of Simon & Garfunkel before breaking into a melodic but driven rock tune. Big harmonies and the lyric vocals of Colin Cunningham make this a real gem. The song might actually be too good to be truly commercially viable. That’s a theme that runs throughout Relapse To Recovery: Rock songs with strong Pop aesthetics that might be too finely constructed for the current popular mores. Cunningham’s voice is too good, the harmonies are too spot-on and the band is too tight and too slickly produced to fit in with current trends.

Paramedic is a dynamic rocker that should be good Modern Rock radio fodder. The energy here is high and These Green Eyes appear to have the sort of charisma it takes to play big stadiums. Kick The Crutch is another opportunity for Cunningham to show off his amazing pipes in an exhortation of loved one to walk away. Drunk Driver is an energetic rocker with commercial mettle. There’s a bit of punk energy running through this alongside the pop sensibility that seems to pervade everything These Green Eyes touches. Blood Sweat And Beers is a welcome change of pace, stripping away the distortion and frenetic pace for a more lyric performance. Other highlights include Time Of Our Lives, Two Minute Warning and Sucker Punch.

Relapse To Recovery is a great Rock album. Don’t be surprised if These Green Eyes go global in 2009. The band is capable of crafting slick Modern Rock with a Pop feel that should be like candy to a marketplace that gorges on such things. But if the opening track, At The End is any indication, These Green Eyes are capable of even more. Perhaps it was a one time thing, but I don’t think so. There are indications throughout the album of a breadth and depth of creativity that goes beyond the capabilities of your typical charting band. These Green Eyes have a special vocalist in Colin Cunningham, and play together wonderfully well as a unit. The slick production values of producer Brian McTernan (Thrice, Circa Survive, Senses Fail) help to smooth out any wrinkles, but I strongly suspect that those wrinkles may be the best part of These Green Eyes. Enjoy the album, which is killer, and enjoy their probably rise. The more success These Green Eyes have now, the more they’ll be able to explore those wrinkles later on. If you’re a fan of great music then that’s what you want, because these guys are amazing.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about These Green Eyes at www.myspace.com/thesegreeneyes or http://www.blackledgemusic.com/. Relapse To Recovery hits shelves on March 24, 2009. You can pre-order your copy through Amazon.com.

Review: Carla Seidl - Under My Skin

Carla Seidl – Under My Skin
2009, Carla Seidl Music
Carla Seidl is a singer/songwriter/radio producer/world traveler based in Huntington, NY. In January of this year she released her first album, Under My Skin. Sounding a bit like Eva Cassidy with a little Norah Jones thrown in for good measure, Seidl uses her multi-textured voice to cast a spell on listeners.

Carla Seidl has this wonderfully distinctive voice made up of honey, amber and wood timbres, almost achieving a dual tone in her sound that is warm and memorable. On Under My Skin she has mostly written/selected songs that fit her voice perfectly; songs generally of gentle or reserved arrangements that allow the color and tone of her voice to have free reign in your mind. The first track, Flame In The Dark, goes a step further; the a Cappella arrangement is dark and beautiful. Lucilla Galeazzi's Quante Selle nel Cielo con La Luna is the perfect vehicle for Seidl’s voice, however, emanating a powerful grace and beauty. Under My Skin finds Seidl at her confessional best in a folk song that is like to get covered by others. Other highlights include Gul Senin Tenin, A Subtle Glance, Far And Wide and a cover of the Simon & Garfunkel classic Scarborough Fair.

Carla Seidl is one of the more distinctive vocalists you’ll find. While her sound isn’t what you might call pretty, it is very listenable and memorable as long as she stays in her vocal comfort zone. Under My Skin is a varied and uneven album full of some very strong songs. Seidl occasionally picks one that just doesn’t seem to fit her voice, but even then gives it her all. It’s an intriguing introduction that leaves us wondering what she’ll do next, and interested enough to want to find out.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Carla Seidl at http://www.carlaseidl.com/. You can purchase a copy of Under My Skin at www.cdbaby.com/cd/carlaseidl.