Trout Fishing In America - Lookin' At Lucky

Trout Fishing In America - Lookin' At Lucky
2010, Trout Records

For over thirty years Trout Fishing In America has been bringing their delicious blend of styles and sounds to families of all ages. Keith Grimwood (bass/vocals) and Ezra Idlet (guitar/vocals/ukelele/bouzuki/percussion) have a special chemistry they bring to the recording studio and stage, regardless of whether they are singing for children, families or adults. The four-time GRAMMY Award nominated duo spend a lot of their time performing for children and families, but they started out playing rock and roll music for adults in the Houston, Texas band St. Elmo's Fire in the 1970's. Grimwood (5'5 1/2") and Idlet (6'9") might appear to yang and yin when you see them, but together they form a complete whole that blends music, humor and heart in ways that recall another era of music. On September 28, 2010, Trout Fishing In America returns with their first adult music album in eleven years. Lookin' At Lucky is Trout Fishing In America's most mature work to date. Sprinkled with the trademark humor that has made the band such a success across generations, features sublime songwriting and the sort of musical chemistry that takes thirty years and a little bit of magic to build.

Trout Fishing In America opens with the title track. "Lookin' At Lucky" is a love song that focuses on how the right person can make you feel. It's a brilliant take on love; light-hearted and yet full of real emotion in the best Trout tradition. The melody is one that will stay with you, and the folk/country arrangement is a perfect fit. "She's The Only Smile" is about the serendipity of finding the perfect person, even if just for a dance. There's a youthful exuberance in the song tempered by the wisdom that recognizes magic when it happens. "Bettin' That It Won't" is a delicious mix of cynicism and hope reflected in a classic folk/rock arrangement. It's the sort of song that most anyone can identify with; universal in appeal and understanding.

Keith Grimwood takes over lead vocals for "Home", a confidently hopeful tune about love and its eventuality. The picture here is not of someone pining for love, but of one who knows it will come and is willing to wait. "Home" features a graceful melody, and Grimwood has a voice that's pleasant and sweet. Ezra Idlet offers a lesson about the grass being greener on "Safer Haven". The protagonist of the song leaves southern California to escape earthquakes only to find himself in Oklahoma and in the path of a tornado. Next up is the Carolina coast and hurricane season and ultimately a volcano in the northwest. All the while Idlet is just looking to survive, "asking for a little slice of heaven while holding off eternity". In the end Arizona is a safe place to land, even with speculations about killer bees in the air. It's songs like this that make you realize the value of what Trout Fishing In America does. Perhaps it comes from the years playing shows for kids, but Grimwood and Idlet have a story-telling style sprinkled with good humor that smacks of folks like Johnny Horton, Arlo Guthrie and yes, even Bob Dylan.

"Drivin' Rain" may be the most intriguing track on "Lookin' At Lucky"; a breakup song with elements of rock, soul and funk but driven by inventive banjo soloing courtesy of Idlet. It's a catchy tune; and one that could cross a lot of musical boundaries. There was a time not too long ago when this could easily have forced its way onto both the rock and country charts. "Who Knows What We Might Do" is a charmer that explores the inverse properties of aging, taking aim at the old "act your age" argument in sweet and funny fashion ("acting your age is getting harder and harder to do when the age that you're feeling inside's more the size of your shoe"). Keith Grimwood is perfectly at home in a moment touching, funny and genuine. Well-age loved is the theme of "Not Every Dream", exploring the gentle pleasures of a relationship that is as comfortable as a second skin yet as vital as when it was new. It's a song about deep connections and the sustaining power of love, and is Idlet's most affecting vocal performance on the album.

Grimwood offers up a gently humorous look at the tendency toward little memory lapses as we age in "The Car's Running", lamenting his inability to find the keys to the house while the car is running and other little memory gaffes that comes to us all in time. Trout Fishing In America resurrect "How Many Times A Fool" as a folkgrass number that's introspective and full of a detached sorrow. The original version, appearing on 1991's Over The Limit, was a more folk/rock oriented turn full of fresh anger and self-recrimination. This is a great update that shows how the passage of time heals wounds even if they never fully go away. "I Pretend To Understand" offers a great coping mechanism for being overwhelmed with too much information that works no matter how old you are. It's a cute tune set in a funky/slinky folk arrangement that reflects the "just getting along" theme reflected in the lyrics. Trout Fishing In America returns to their distinctive blending of folk and bluegrass for the closing number "My Baby Loves Sudoku". It's the anthem of a Sudoku widower who can't compete with the addictive power of the game.

Sometimes we forget about people's power to transform themselves. Trout Fishing In America have had a tremendous run over the past three decades primarily as a children's act, occasionally sprinkling in an album ostensibly for the adults. While the awards have most come for their children's work, Keith Grimwood and Ezra Idlet have always been masterful songwriters no matter who they were writing for. Yet Lookin' At Lucky would seem to mark an artistic zenith for the duo, displaying a maturity and grace that has always been integral to their act but at a much more refined level than in the past. Trout Fishing In America will charm you with Lookin' At Lucky. You'll laugh; you'll feel and you'll walk away seeing the world in brighter hues. Lookin' At Lucky is by far a Wildy's World Certified Desert Island Disc.

Rating: 5 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Trout Fishing In America at http://www.troutmusic.com/ or www.myspace.com/troutfishinginamerica.  Lookin' At Lucky drops September 28, 2010.  You can pre-order the album at Trout Fishing In America's webstore, and they'll even autograph it for you for no extra charge.

Eryn Green - Eryn Green (demo

Eryn Green - Eryn Green (demo)
2010, Eryn Green
Eryn Green is a singer/songwriter living in Maine who is spending her life on a Christian mission to share her faith and beliefs in multiple ways. Green is a major gospel music fan but has recently been drawn into a blend of country and gospel, a sound documented on her self-titled demo recording.

Green opens with "Rest In His Arms", a basic gospel sentiment offered in acoustic singer/songwriter pastiche. Green has a deeply textured and unique voice but struggles with pitch throughout the song and EP. The song itself is decent enough, although it does fall prey to the use of extensive repetition (particularly in the chorus. "In Your Presence" is a worshipful prayer in song. Backed by acoustic guitar, Green once again falls into repetitive lyrics to fill space. The intent of this song is affable1enough, particularly for those who practice a faith in the Judeo-Christian realm, but musically it's a bit flat. Green closes with "In Spirit And Truth", which follows much the same path as the first two songs on the Demo EP.

Eryn Green comes into her self-titled demo with the best of intentions, carrying with her a highly atypical singing voice and an ultra-smooth style of phrasing. Breath control, pitch and awkward lyrical construction keep Green's demo from being as enjoyable as it might be. Eryn Green might benefit greatly from writing in collaboration with others for a little while to open up her stylistic horizons and inform greater lyrical choices.

Rating: 2 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Eryn Green at http://www.eryngreen.com/ or www.myspace.com/eryngreen.

One Step Away - For The Broken

One Step Away - For The Broken
2010, One Step Away

One Step Away first began their inertial pull in 2006 when friends Terrence Healy (guitar) and Mike Nuzzolo (bass) began jamming together. It wasn't long before Adam Carrington brought his classically trained voice into the mix, helping to define the sound that would become associated with One Step Away. A self-titled EP later and drummer Ben Trudeau joined the fray. The path since then has been an upward one, with larger and larger gigs covering a bigger geographic area. One Step Away has now played coast to coast and won several regional and national competitions for songwriting and performance. In early 2010 One Step Away dove into the studio with producers Dan Malsch and Alec Henninger of Soundmine Recording Studio (Framing Hanley, Tantric). The resulting album, For The Broken, has One Step Away poised on the brink of the big time.

For The Broken opens with "Here We Go", a catchy active rock tune with big hooks and a memorable chorus. It's the sort of catchy power ballad/love song you simply can't get out of your head, and Adam Carrington's classical vocal training is not wasted here. "Need You" is in much the same vein, although perhaps quite so catchy as "Here We Go". "Next To You" is an over-produced and lovelorn ballad that has the potential to be a big pop hit. All of the elements are here for top radio success, but the song has a contrived feel that is absent elsewhere on the album. "Riptide" is a song of longing; of searching for love amidst rough currents. The narrator here simply can't let go of the past; continually getting sucked back into his memories. "Riptide" has a great melody and a fresh feel in spite of the thorough production values.

"Hook Line And Sinker" finds Carrington at his best in a big dynamic rocker with real pop punch. The song is infused by the joy and optimism of love, and One Step Away spices up a simple arrangement with interesting instrumental textures and subtexts in the arrangement. The potential for "Hook Line And Sinker" is huge, as it combines One Step Away's intense pop musicality with an open, honest songwriting approach that resonates. The band falls into a bit of a lull for a few songs but breaks out nicely with "In This Moment", which straddles the line between big-time pop/rock and adult alternative niches. "You Said" is a song of heartbreak, mired in the perceived lost opportunities of the dumped. It's an admonition made from a position of weakness that's radio ready. One Step Away closes with "All The Little Things", documenting the little moments that we hold onto when a relationship fails.

One Step Away made a choice between an album of love songs and a breakup album by not choosing, instead inscribing the relationship arc in song on For The Broken. The result is an album full of songs you'll find yourself humming/singing well after the disc has stopped spinning. One Step Away dabble on the edges of over-production in seeking for the perfect pop/rock sound, but the material is so catchy and fun to listen to that this effort is simply overkill. The album is a strong musical statement, and the songs will fare even better on stage than on For The Broken. One Step Away just may be.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about One Step Away at http://www.onestepawayband.com/ or www.myspace.com/1stepawayband.   For The Broken is available digitally through Amazon.com and iTunes.

Addison Station - Home Tonight

Addison Station - Home Tonight
2010, Addison Station, LLC

What started out as a studio project has taken on a life of it's own for Manchester, Connecticut's Addison Station. Vocalist Trent Gerbers and multi-instrumentalist Jeff Kenniston began touring as an acoustic duo, and released their debut album, Everyday Hero in 2009. While the duo enjoyed playing to crowds of all sizes and stripes, it soon became clear to them that a larger ensemble was needed to realize the full potential richness of their sound. Into the picture come Kyle Dunnack (percussion); R.C. Roberts (lead guitar) and Doug Parkinson (bass), and Addison Station as they currently exist was born. In June of 2010 Addison Station released their sophomore EP, Home Tonight, a collection of four pop/rock tunes that jump off the scale on catchiness factor.

Home Tonight opens with "Falling" a vibrant pop tune about love that carries a similar cadence and sound to Blues Traveler (without the harmonica). It's a song about falling in love that's incredibly catchy and buoyed by great vocal harmonies and a tight arrangement. "Run To You" has a similar dynamic and parallel motivations. It's a pure radio-ready offering with enough pizzazz to garner some attention from radio programmers but is ultimately formulaic. "Home Tonight" is a lightweight ballad written by someone who spends much of his life on the road about the inherent need to get home to the one you love and how life sometimes puts obstacles in the way. "Expiration Date" is catchy but extremely sophomoric lyrically. In contract to the other material presented here "Expiration Date" borders on embarrassing. "You Don't Have To Turn Away" helps Addison Station find redemption in a nuanced relationship song that keeps the big rock ballad sound but digs a bit deeper lyrically. This is a great selection to close the EP, and proof positive that "Expiration Date" is more of an anomaly than a carefully hidden trend.

Addison Station definitely has the knack for writing catchy tunes, and with one exception correlates them with competent to above average lyrics. The result is a highly radio-friendly sound with the potential to score Addison Station some legitimate pop hits over the years. Home Tonight is a solid effort that rises above the pop throng; enough so to be heard and appreciated on a wide scale.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Addison Station at www.myspace.com/addisonstationmusic.  Home Tonight is available from Amazon.com as a CD or Download.  The album is also available digitally through iTunes.

Kathryn Williams - Relations

Kathryn Williams - Relations
2010, One Little Indian

Not too long ago we received Kathryn Williams' The Quickening, a charming album that showed a deep sense of songwriting acumen and a highly focused performance style that digs deep into the moment of each song. On October 12, 2010, Williams returns with Relations, a collection of thirteen cover songs that finds Williams channeling her performing energies into the muse of others. In the process, Williams seems to get in touch with the inspiration of each songwriter and song while bending and blending each tune to make it uniquely here own.

Relations opens with "In A Broken Dream" (David Bently), with Williams delving into human emotions with a clinician’s eye. Her delivery is both feeling and clinical at the same time in a lyric, melancholy arrangement that captures and lulls the listener. "Birds" (Neil Young) is given a lovely reading here. Williams sticks with a simple arrangement of guitar with just a breath of strings now and again. It's a beautiful moment where the Young's poetry and the poetry on the instruments converge and intermingle as equals. Williams lights up the night with a cover of Big Star's "Thirteen", culling the innocence, angst and loneliness of a teenager in both Alex Chilton's lyrics and her own voice.

Williams takes Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" to another level, interpreting it as a reverent, secular prayer that's both carnal and at peace. Williams has already shown a talent for playing on dichotomies, and excels here in a remembrance of events both violent and tragic; human and divine. Williams throws listeners a delightful curve with Ralph Rainger's "A Guy What Takes His Time", teasing with gentle innuendo and the subtle delivery of an ingénue in a blues/folk arrangement that's absolutely memorable. Williams transforms Lou Reed's "Candy Says" into a dreamy art house ballad, surfing the musical seams of the song with a grace and strength that is impressive.

Stephen Malkmus' "Spit On A Stranger" is surprisingly charming and well-performed; you can almost hear Williams straining at the bit to break out and give this song a more solid airing out - the sort that can really only happen on stage. But the energy and the tension in this song are significant, making for an enjoyable listen. The most surprising, and gratifying performance on Relations is Williams' take on Nirvana's "All Apologies", a baroque lamentation on the pointlessness of life and human institutions that's even more stark and affecting that the original. While Nirvana's version was angry and wracked with social guilt, Williams makes it a sonic diagnostic with personal implications, both of the moment and outside of it. "Beautiful Cosmos" (Ivor Cutler) explores the atmosphere and comfort of knowing you are loved; a pleasant but somewhat awkward transition to the closing track, "These Days". Williams makes the most of the Jackson Browne tune in a love cover that amplifies out fear of change and our tendency to build shelves around our lives. Williams shows a British detachment and grace here that's both charming and distinctive.

Kathryn Williams makes friends on Relations with some under-represented nuggets from an impressive list of singers/songwriters. Perhaps the strongest quality Williams possesses with regard to covers is her ability to pay tribute to the original while crafting interpretations that are distinctly her own. Some of the songs here you might be hearing for the first time, and if so you'd never guess they didn't come from Williams' heart. For the songs you know, Kathryn Williams offers you an opportunity to re-imagine what you've heard and see it in a different light.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Kathryn Williams at http://www.kathrynwilliams.net/ or www.myspace.com/kathrynwilliams.  Relations will be released in the US on October 12, 2010 on CD, but the album was originally released in 2004 in the UK.  You can pre-order the CD from  Amazon.com, but the import version is actually a dollar cheaper than the US pre-order.  Digital is available from both Amazon.com and iTunes.

Saint Mad - Waiting To Start

Saint Mad - Waiting To Start
2010, Saint Mad

Philadelphia quartet Saint Mad are veteran performers with a very unique approach to music. Formed in 2005, Saint Mad blends pop, R&B, folk, jazz, gospel and classical in very eclectic ways, morphing themselves from one song to the next using instruments such as guitar, trumpet, harmonica, bass, organ, piano and euphonium. While these instruments craft a distinct and highly developed aural canvas, Saint Mad's voices intertwine over the top to create moments that run from the theatrical to the divine. With songs built around positive thought constructs from self-sufficiency to faith in God, Saint Mad has something for everyone on their latest album, Waiting To Start.

Saint Mad opens with "Can't Let Go", exploring the argument between faith and self doubt. Catchy and fun with some tremendous piano work throughout, the song shows a highly original and creative approach to telling a story that's theatrical without being over-the-top. "I See Myself In You" is a pleasant transition into "God Gives You What You Need", a quasi-liturgical bit of folk/pop that plays on the theme that God never gives you a challenge you can't handle. The sound here is gorgeous and the songwriting top notch. "Live" is an admonition to make the most of your life and take care of those who have less. Fear is cast as something others have already faced and therefore not something to stop you in this gentle calypso.

Saint Mad makes light of the concept that distant planets and stars control our destiny in "Not For A Long Time". Revolving around the recent "near pass" between the Earth and Mars, the song acknowledges the beauty of heavenly bodies while emphasizing the small "h" between the lines. "O Sweet Spontaneous" is a song about the regenerative, almost magical power of life; a celebration of creation and all around us. Saint Mad takes this spirit into the light jazz instrumental "Wistful", a pleasant diversion that sets up the band for the final stretch. "What Else Is Kindness For" is a parable in song. This hip take on the gospel sound boils the spiritual message of taking care of each other and boils it down into simple terms without making an issue out of religion. While the message here is decidedly Judeo-Christian, Saint Mad make it more about supply and demand while emphasizing the abundance of kindness we are given and asking why not share it? Saint Mad makes the most of John Lennon's "Across The Universe" in a touching rendition full of spirit and panache. "Somewhere Over The Rainbow" takes up the same mantle, and impresses with strong vocal harmonies around a competent lead. "Wish" brings Saint Mad full circle, delving into the internal dialogue of a person who strives for a better way but is prone to their own deep imperfections. The song is very well done; given without judgment or any sense of proselytization; allowing the dialogue to speak for itself in near-Socratic fashion.

Saint Mad infuse faith and belief into their music on Waiting To Start, informing stories of human conditions with the light of positive thinking and hope. The purpose here seems not so much to preach as to uplift; like a philosopher shedding light into the darker places we visit in day-to-day life. Musically Saint Mad is something else. The instrumental and vocal mixes here are astounding at times, perhaps truly earning the moniker "post-genre" in a way most bands only dream of. Saint Mad seems likely to draw more heavily from the over-forty crowd, but anyone with a deep appreciation of music that breaks the mold will find something to charm them on Waiting To Start.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Saint Mad at http://www.saintmad.com/ or www.myspace.com/saintmad.  Waiting To Start is available from Amazon.com as either a CD or Download.  The album is also available in both formats from CDBaby and digitally from iTunes.

JP Den Tex - American Tune

JP Den Tex - American Tune
2009, Commes Les Chansons

JP Den Tex is Dutch born and sings like an Englishman, but some part of his heart has always been reserved for America. Den Tex took his own American odyssey and documented it in song on American Tune. Steeped in the deep richness of Americana, Den Tex sings and writes in the vein of Elvis Costello and Nick Lowe but finds a voice that’s uniquely his own.

American Tune opens with "The Dreamer", a solid Americana composition informed by blues, country and rock influences. Den Tex' guitar style is a mix of Knopfler's quiet intricacy and Clapton's innate mellowness. The song has a solid melody that's catchy but not ostentatious; a great opener. "Love So Helpless" is about the futility we feel at times when tragedy befalls those we love and occasionally the unseen consequences. "When I'm Down" is danceable and catchy with a chorus you'll be humming for days; truly one of the highlights of the album. "Mon Desir Noir" is a continuation of the story begun in "Love So Helpless", exploring how the shock and shame of tragedy can drive people who otherwise love each other apart. "Down And Out In Phoenix" examines the aftermath of such a relationship, where broken dreams abound and the future looks as barren as the desert that surrounds the narrator.

A new chapter opens in American Tune with "Un Amour Fou A San Francisco", a french/English take on new beginnings, new cities and new love. "Bowbow" turns out to be one of the most enjoyable turns on the album; very entertaining with a dirty blues feel. "Bowbow" is extremely catchy even if the meaning is at times opaque. Den Tex shows deep insight into the creation process with "True Art Is Lonely", portraying the striving for perfection as a solitary pursuit. "Vagabond Heart" is an acoustic, early-rock arrangement complete with doo-wop style backing vocals. Catchy and fun, it’s an ode to all of those who don't quite fit in. Answers come on "Hero" with the realization that victory often comes in the form of facing up to our own baggage, and the rewards seem to come quickly once we face ourselves. Den Tex closes with a brilliant cover of "We'll Sweep Out The Ashes", a Joyce Allsup-penned tune recorded by Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris among others. Den Tex duets with Vera van den Poel providing a unique aperture into the camaraderie of loneliness and the moments when its boundaries are shared.

JP Den Tex spins a tale of love, loss, grief and renewal on American Tune. The fall from grace is hard, but rebirth the more difficult task in a quietly competent collection of songs that won't wash over you but quietly insinuate themselves into your mind. Den Tex is a deft story-teller, changing pace and perspective enough to keep the story vibrant. In an age where concept albums have lost their luster, Den Tex offers a shining example of what's right with the form.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about JP Den Tex at http://www.jp-den-tex.com/ or www.myspace.com/jpdentex.  American Tune is available from Amazon.com as both a CD and Download.  The album is also available through iTunes.