Kevin Barker - You & Me
2009, Gnomosong
Kevin Barker may be new to many, but he's been deep in the Indie music scene for some time now. A guitarist with the band Vetiver, Barker has also played/toured with Joanna Newsom, Devendra Barnhart, Antony And The Johnsons, The Espers and Vashti Bunyan. The Washington, D.C. native has been immersed in the Indie scene since his teens, and has covered all aspects of the music business (from playing to promotions to owning his own record label). Barker is also a filmmaker educated at Columbia University in New York City. Barker broke out on his own in January of 2010 with his debut solo album, You & Me. On his own, but not alone, Barker called on some of his close friends to make You & Me happen. Contributors include Pat Sansone (Wilco); Joanna Newsom, Jonathan Wilson (Elvis Costello, Jenny Lewis); Eric Johnson (Shins, Fruit Bats) and Otto Hauser (Vetiver, Espers).
Barker opens with Little Picture Of You, an eccentric little Pop tune with a down-home feel that's relaxing for a change. You could almost picture Barker playing this sitting around on the back porch with some friends on a Saturday night. The guitar play does seem a little out of synch at times but it seems this is stylistic rather than inconsistent. Barker adopts a classic singer/songwriter style for You & Me, and the approach fares him moderately well. The song comes across bland, and Barker's energy level does little to break out of that shell. Mountain & Bear suffers from similar issues. Barker picks things up just a tad for Amber, getting more of a classic Americana/Country feel to the song. The energy level is still just a few notches above torpor, but Barker's voice and tuneful melodies will inspire you to keep listening and see if he can break through.
Listeners are at least partially rewarded on Walking Along. Barker shows a bit more commitment to this song, and the arrangement itself is charged with a bit more energy than the tracks that came before. Barker reminds me of Barenaked Ladies' Kevin Hearn because of the quirky nature of his songwriting, although Hearn, even at his quietest moments is always a ball of energy musically. My Lady finds Barker truly rounding into his own. The energy here is real, running through ever line and note of the song. It's also among the best songwriting on the album, as Barker's heartfelt lyrics ring true. Barker closes quickly on Bless You On Your Way, a gorgeously constructed and orchestrated tune full of symbolism and nuance.
You & Me is a solid effort, with Kevin Barker comporting himself very well. The album has its ups and downs, but Bless You On Your Way would make almost anything worth listening to. Barker has a sublime sense of melody and a quirky, not-according-to-Hoyle songwriting style that catches your attention, but at times the energy level that comes through on You & Me kills the individual songs before they even get started. When Barker is on his game, the results are wonderful. As it is, You & Me is solid, off-the-beaten path singer/songwriter fare that will at least have some nuggets worth checking out for most listeners.
Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)
You can learn more about Kevin Barker at www.myspace.com/krkbarker. You can purchase You & Me as either a CD or Download from Amazon.com.
Showing posts with label The Shins. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Shins. Show all posts
Friday, February 26, 2010
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Review: Kites & Crows - Lifeboat EP
Kites & Crows - Lifeboat EP
2008, Kites & Crows
Ashland, Oregon’s Kites & Crows started out as the musical extension of singer/songwriter Mysha Caruso but has grown into something more. In the process of creating their debut, the Lifeboat EP, something special happened. While Caruso is still the driving force as lead singer/songwriter/guitar player, the rest of Kites & Crows seem always to find their voice instrumentally and enhance Caruso’s creations beyond what they might have been alone. Call it singer/songwriter/ensemble, call it 21st century folk; call it whatever you want. Kites & Crows is creating incredibly wild and original folk sounds less than 100 miles from the left coast.
Lifeboat opens with Way Down The Line, an understated Americana tune that came across as very stoic and dry. Kites & Crows open up a bit on End Of The Road, a great Folk/Americana piece with simple and memorable melody. Mysha Caruso's vocals here are spot on. Weathervane has a Celtic feel to it; a love song based more in reality than in starry-eyed romance. Weathervane is touching in a cynical fashion. More To The Story is a wonderful song about starting over written in subtle and searching tones that ask voiceless questions. More To The Story will stay with you long after The Lifeboat EP is done playing. Don't Hold Me Down explores the need to touch base at home once in a while contrasted with the need to go out and make your place in the world. The two don't need to be mutually exclusive, and the narrator here is asking freedom to do both. Backroad Pioneer closes out the Lifeboat EP with a classic sounding bit of folk songwriting.
Kites & Crows have a very reserved sound, yet tell stories to song set with brilliant nuance and subtle conviction. Lifeboat EP is an experience you will remember. Vocalist Caruso is a pleasure to listen to, and I suspect this is a CD you'll keep coming back to.
Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)
You can learn more about Kites & Crows at www.myspace.com/kitescrows. You can purchase a copy of The Lifeboat EP at www.cdbaby.com/kitescrows.
2008, Kites & Crows
Ashland, Oregon’s Kites & Crows started out as the musical extension of singer/songwriter Mysha Caruso but has grown into something more. In the process of creating their debut, the Lifeboat EP, something special happened. While Caruso is still the driving force as lead singer/songwriter/guitar player, the rest of Kites & Crows seem always to find their voice instrumentally and enhance Caruso’s creations beyond what they might have been alone. Call it singer/songwriter/ensemble, call it 21st century folk; call it whatever you want. Kites & Crows is creating incredibly wild and original folk sounds less than 100 miles from the left coast.
Lifeboat opens with Way Down The Line, an understated Americana tune that came across as very stoic and dry. Kites & Crows open up a bit on End Of The Road, a great Folk/Americana piece with simple and memorable melody. Mysha Caruso's vocals here are spot on. Weathervane has a Celtic feel to it; a love song based more in reality than in starry-eyed romance. Weathervane is touching in a cynical fashion. More To The Story is a wonderful song about starting over written in subtle and searching tones that ask voiceless questions. More To The Story will stay with you long after The Lifeboat EP is done playing. Don't Hold Me Down explores the need to touch base at home once in a while contrasted with the need to go out and make your place in the world. The two don't need to be mutually exclusive, and the narrator here is asking freedom to do both. Backroad Pioneer closes out the Lifeboat EP with a classic sounding bit of folk songwriting.
Kites & Crows have a very reserved sound, yet tell stories to song set with brilliant nuance and subtle conviction. Lifeboat EP is an experience you will remember. Vocalist Caruso is a pleasure to listen to, and I suspect this is a CD you'll keep coming back to.
Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)
You can learn more about Kites & Crows at www.myspace.com/kitescrows. You can purchase a copy of The Lifeboat EP at www.cdbaby.com/kitescrows.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Review: John O'Mara - Five Year Mission
John O'Mara - Five Year Mission
2009, John O'Mara
John O'Mara walked away from a tech job to start a five year mission to bring his mix of Alternative Rock and Eletro-New Wave to the world. Long a popular solo performer in Portland, Oregon, O'Mara got his first taste of electronic music as member of the duo Fuzzmonkey. O'Mara's debut album, Five Year Mission, brings an eclectic mix of sounds from the 1980's and today that have been compared to bands such as Joy Division, The Cure and The Talking Heads. Produced by Sean Flora (The Shins, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Franz Ferdinand), Five Year Mission is likely to turn some heads.
O'Mara opens with Your Sister, an Electro-Folk musical decoupage that is difficult to follow. The track is not representative of the album as a whole and is probably not the best foot forward O'Mara could have selected, but it’s a decent listen. Amiss has a great mix of New Wave sound and Pop sensibility that made bands like The Cure and Talking Heads such behemoths in the 1980s. This is Pop songwriting that also has a future as a dance club hit. Happy Hour explores the dark side of that weekly celebration, in which happiness is a goal that's never achieved, and perhaps moves even further out of reach as the bridge of drinks grows longer. Happy Hour is perhaps the most traditional Pop/Rock/Alternative songwriting on the disc, reminding me a bit of Elvis Costello in the process.
Made Of Stone mixes upbeat dance sounds with the deep melancholy and pathos that characterized the 1980's new wave music that paved the way for Goth's birth, whereas The Broken Part reminded me a bit of some of Steven Page's darker work with Barenaked Ladies (i.e. Call And Answer). I Saw You is a breath of fresh air, an acoustic guitar based piece featuring the mesmerizing Morgan Grace in a duet with Latin roots. O'Mara has found his way back to the root of his muse here and the results are stunning. Satellite Radio has a David Bowie feel to it, right down to the vocal style, but isn't quite up to Bowie standards. Five Year Mission closes out with It Is Done, a mix of eclectic electric sounds, organic music and effects.
Five Year Mission proves one thing, John O'Mara was right to quit his day job. The album is very much based in the New Wave style of the 1980's but has enough current Alt-Rock buzz to make it an appealing hybrid of styles. This isn't necessarily an album that's going to do well on traditional radio, but college and internet stations will have a field day with John O'Mara, and the licensing deals can't be far behind. From a listener's standpoint, the album is an excellent find with a few bumps. O'Mara may still be figuring out where he's head musically, but he's definitely headed in a direction you'll want to follow.
Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)
You can learn more about John O’Mara at www.myspace.com/fuzzzmonkey, where you can purchase a copy of Five Year Mission.
2009, John O'Mara
John O'Mara walked away from a tech job to start a five year mission to bring his mix of Alternative Rock and Eletro-New Wave to the world. Long a popular solo performer in Portland, Oregon, O'Mara got his first taste of electronic music as member of the duo Fuzzmonkey. O'Mara's debut album, Five Year Mission, brings an eclectic mix of sounds from the 1980's and today that have been compared to bands such as Joy Division, The Cure and The Talking Heads. Produced by Sean Flora (The Shins, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Franz Ferdinand), Five Year Mission is likely to turn some heads.
O'Mara opens with Your Sister, an Electro-Folk musical decoupage that is difficult to follow. The track is not representative of the album as a whole and is probably not the best foot forward O'Mara could have selected, but it’s a decent listen. Amiss has a great mix of New Wave sound and Pop sensibility that made bands like The Cure and Talking Heads such behemoths in the 1980s. This is Pop songwriting that also has a future as a dance club hit. Happy Hour explores the dark side of that weekly celebration, in which happiness is a goal that's never achieved, and perhaps moves even further out of reach as the bridge of drinks grows longer. Happy Hour is perhaps the most traditional Pop/Rock/Alternative songwriting on the disc, reminding me a bit of Elvis Costello in the process.
Made Of Stone mixes upbeat dance sounds with the deep melancholy and pathos that characterized the 1980's new wave music that paved the way for Goth's birth, whereas The Broken Part reminded me a bit of some of Steven Page's darker work with Barenaked Ladies (i.e. Call And Answer). I Saw You is a breath of fresh air, an acoustic guitar based piece featuring the mesmerizing Morgan Grace in a duet with Latin roots. O'Mara has found his way back to the root of his muse here and the results are stunning. Satellite Radio has a David Bowie feel to it, right down to the vocal style, but isn't quite up to Bowie standards. Five Year Mission closes out with It Is Done, a mix of eclectic electric sounds, organic music and effects.
Five Year Mission proves one thing, John O'Mara was right to quit his day job. The album is very much based in the New Wave style of the 1980's but has enough current Alt-Rock buzz to make it an appealing hybrid of styles. This isn't necessarily an album that's going to do well on traditional radio, but college and internet stations will have a field day with John O'Mara, and the licensing deals can't be far behind. From a listener's standpoint, the album is an excellent find with a few bumps. O'Mara may still be figuring out where he's head musically, but he's definitely headed in a direction you'll want to follow.
Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)
You can learn more about John O’Mara at www.myspace.com/fuzzzmonkey, where you can purchase a copy of Five Year Mission.
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