Jeff Clark - Just Visiting

Jeff Clark -Just Visiting
2012, Jeff Clark

If you haven’t heard of Jeff Clark before, don’t be surprised.  He’s an example of the kind of talent it takes to be a music superstar, but perhaps just never quite gets the right break.  Instead, Clark is a local legend in the Austin, Texas scene.  With his former band Too Smooth, Clark was a contemporary of ZZ Top, Johnny & Edgar Winter, Steve Miller and Steven Stills.  Over the years, Clark has shared the stage with the likes of Rush, Aerosmith, The Kinks, Ted Nugent and Judas Priest, to name a few.  Clark’s latest effort is to revisit some of his best material from over the years, with the help of some old friends.  Just Visiting found Clark working with old band mates and friends, including Brian Wooten (Trace Adkins); Danny Swinny (Suede); Tommy Taylor (Eric Johnson) and Mark Miller (Bubble Puppy).

Clark kicks things off with a blast of 1980's goodness in the form of "We Can Make It", with the help of guest vocalist Christopher Cross. The guitar and synth driven sound falls somewhere between Asia and late Genesis. "Soon You Will Be My Girl" has a definite pop sensibility, and the vocal triads are a perfect reminder of the AOR radio days. Clark sinks further back into the early 1970's with "Mamie Mama", featuring some slinky guitar work and an irrepressible beat.

"Everything With You" is a piano driven ballad full of deep melancholy. Clark's vocal weaknesses are exposed here, particularly on slow passages that climb into his upper register. In spite of these limitations he does a solid job. The sound quality here is not as good as elsewhere on the album, however. "Believe In Me", by contrast, sounds more slickly produced. The guitar work and vocal style here are typical of the classic rock era, and Clark does it all with working class flair. "You Are My Life" is a heartfelt ballad that sounds like first dance material. The lyrical turns here are a tad awkward at times as Clark dances with cliché, but the song is heartfelt and well presented.

Clark and his band strap on their jet packs for "Tonight", a high energy rock and roll love song with a chorus that will get stuck in your noggin and stay there. "I've Got You" is a solid album track that continues Clark fascination with love songs classic and atypical. The darker quality of the arrangement is nice, and once again brings to mind Asia.  “Trilogy” digs deep into the 1960’s for Beatles-esque sound, but updated with twangy country-style guitar.  This is a nice listen; it doesn’t bowl you over but helps build an appreciation for Clark’s subtle talent as a songwriter, composer and guitarist.

Heart-felt sentiment and a touch of schmaltz come together in perfect measure on “25 Years Later”, celebrating the longevity of love and also the blessings of a God who would bring together so perfect for one another.  This prayerful element to the song may be a turn off to some listeners, but it’s as heartfelt as the love Clark expresses for his wife.  Clark closes things out with “Man Of Fortune”, a reminder that Grace plays a greater role in our destiny than talent or even luck.  The solid classic rock arrangement is reminiscent of Canadian rocker Kim Mitchell, and the groove is a solid one that you can dance to.

While not necessarily billed as a greatest hits package, Just Visiting definitely fills the bill as one.  Jeff Clark is a hidden gem, the sort of musical talent you want to text your friends about.  Or perhaps you’re a hipster and want to keep him to yourself.  Either way, Just Visiting is an album you’ll visit again and again. 

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more at www.jeffreyb-clark.com.

Madelein Peyroux - Changing All Those Changes (Video)

Madeleine Peyroux returns on March 5, 2013 with The Blue Room, an artistic rendering of a tribute to Ray Charles' ground breaking Modern Sounds In Country And Western Music.  The album is not a straight cover project, as Peyroux hand picks tracks from the Ray Charles classic to interpret in her own inimitable style.  She also includes takes on tunes by Randy Newman, Warren Zevon, John Hartford and Buddy Holly.

The lead single is Holly's "Changing All Those Changes", and Peyroux does more than just take the song for a walk; she makes it her own.  Check out the video below, and keep your eyes and ears open for a lot more of Madeleine Peyroux this spring!

The Anthony Lai Band - Behind The Sun, Part I

The Anthony Lai Band - Behind The Sun, Part I

Dearborn, Michigan quintet The Anthony Lai Band is full of collective musical talent. Each member has extensive experience with various scholastic and professional ensembles. Their influences read like a pantheon of rock hall of famers. All of that is good resume material, bur the band find a special chemistry with one another on their latest EP, Behind The Sun, Part I.

Lai kicks things off with the blue collar rock n roll love song "I'd Rather Be With You Tonight." This little number is a gem, with Lai's chorus creating its own momentum. The low-fi production style is enjoyable, and remeniscent of Neil Osborne and 54-40. "Behind The Sun" explores the concept of a romantic near-miss. Anthony Lai shares the microphone here with Cara Niemann, whose delightfully quirky folk/rock vocal style manages to steal the show.

Lai launches next into the effervescent pop/rock of "Tell Me What It Is", which sports a chorus you simply won't be able to get out of your head. "Something Beautiful (Angel)" is a low key, acoustic guitar ballad that's sweet with a surprisingly substantive melody. This is true mix tape material for the hopeless romantics out there, but avoids the usual love song cliches. Lai closes out with the bouncy piano pop of "You Make It Right." The stax style horns a nice touch, framing the chorus on perfect fashion.

Anthony Lai has a distinctive melodic understanding of song craft, and a penchant for pop hooks that is the musical DNA of Lennon and McCarthy. Lai never overpowers vocally, but sings in a solid, everyman voice that is appealing to the ear. Listeners will be waiting expectantly for Behind The Sun, Part II.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)


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Getting reacquainted with a great album

Every once in a while its good reacquaint yourself with a great album you haven't listened to in a while. Life gets busy and musical mores move on, but great music has staying power.

Today's selection is Shakespeare My Butt by Lowest Of The Low. These Canadian Music Hall Of Famers are consistently remembered on best album of all time lists for this indie gem from the early 1990's.

Led by the duo of Ron Hawkins and Stephen Stanley, Lowest Of The Low had one of the most turbulent and successful careers of any early 90's Toronto Indie Rock scenester not named Barenaked Ladies.

I am working off my phone due to laptop failure and don't seem to be able to embed a video with this meager blogger app, but here is a link to the video for "Eternal Fatalist", one of my enduring favorites from the album. Enjoy!

http://youtu.be/AMbHh1TJjH0

Down for a few days

The official Wildy's World laptop bit the dust last evening in a fit of black screens and missing restore points, so we shall be down for a few days while I get that sorted out. Back soon with more great music!

In the meantime, if some nice company or person wants to donate a laptop, I will be happy to say nice things about you!

Wildy

Lexie Roth - Lexie Roth

Lexie Roth – Lexie Roth
2012, Lexie Roth

Musical legacy can be a heavy weight; it can also be a blessing.  Lexie Roth, daughter of famed guitarist Arlen Roth and visual artist Deborah Bussichio, comes from a line of artistically inclined folk.  Roth shows the same bent on her debut album, Lexie Roth.  While the apple does not fall far from the tree, so to speak, it’s clear that Roth is still growing into her own style and substance as a songwriter.

Roth opens with the vaguely surf-influenced mellow rock of “Lost Memory”.  There’s a pervading sense of melancholy that walks its way through the open arrangement, which serves as a platter on which Lexie Roth’s fine alto voice can play.  The subtle musical style used here is somewhat reminiscent of Sting’s post-jazz age.  “Stay Or Go” is a musical diary entry; wordy and self-absorbed.  The arrangement is solid, but the vocal line is overly repetitive and trapped in its own ambivalence.  “Forget All About Me” has a more ethereal melancholy at its core.  The sparse arrangement once again allows for Roth’s voice to be the star of the show, but the plodding melody doesn’t necessarily do her any favors. 

“Ghost Of Childhood” starts slowly and spins in place until Roth launches into an exceptional chorus.  “I Have To Leave You” keeps up the maudlin pace, with Roth perseverating on a failing relationship in a clockwork arrangement that lulls the listener to sleep.  Things pick up a bit on “Little One”, offering up a chorus that is full of quiet energy and a solid hook.  The song flutters and flails a bit on the verses, caught up in wordy style, but the chorus is right on the mark.  “I Wanna Run” considers a relationship she has given her all to, only to find out her beloved isn’t as committed as she.  Roth’s story telling here is solid enough, but the story is almost clinically told; there’s no real sense of emotion one way or the other.

“Call You My Hon” is a love song that’s awash in sound but once again leaves any distinct sense of emotion at the door. It’s a solid tune, but undersold.  Roth lays her heart bare on “I’ll Be”, a love song with an apocalyptic feel.  It’s unclear whether this number is written from beyond a relationship or beyond the grave, but Roth’s obsessively verbose style is a bit too much in spite of the compelling theme.  A mild swing informs the rhythm of “Windfield”, an expansive story in song that suffers from its own lack of energy and Roth’s prolixity.  The aural palate used here is actually quite enjoyable, and renews the earlier comparison to some of Sting’s work, but the song just folders under its own monotony.  Roth shakes off her doldrums with the snarky/sweet “Country Diddy”.  She keeps it simple here while wallowing in her own near-demise, recovery and short-sighted romantic failings.  It’s an interesting closer that is very much out of tone with the rest of the album.

Lexie Roth brings an intriguing voice on her self-titled debut album, but has yet to learn the economy of a seasoned singer/songwriter/storyteller.  The album suffers from a relentless inertia of low-key, plodding songs full of self-directed and overly populated lyrics.  These, alongside Roth’s low-key vocal style, do not serve her well.  Roth’s voice is sufficient to sustain the listener in spite of all this, but it’s hard not to think that there is more life in Roth as both a songwriter and performer.

Rating: 2.5 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more at www.facebook.com/lexierothmusic. 

Red Jacket Mine - Someone Else's Cake

Red Jacket Mine – Someone Else’s Cake
2013, Fin Records

Red Jacket Mine is a product of disparate influences.  The Seattle based quartet hails from a city known for Garage Rock, Grunge and Rap, but Red Jacket Mine is crafting their own Seattle Sound.  With lead vocalist and songwriter Lincoln Barr calling on his Memphis roots, Red Jacket Mine walks the line between blues, soul, country and good old classic rock and roll.  The result is familiar yet fresh, full of catchy pop hooks and a whole lot of charm.  Red Jacket Mine brings it all together on their fourth album, Someone Else’s Cake, due out February 13, 2013.

Red Jacket Mine takes off with the delicious, synth-driven pop/rock of “Amy”.  Infectious hooks and s sneaky-catchy chorus make this one a charmer and a great opening track.  “Nickel & Dine” is a catchy Americana rocker that sounds like a cross between Elvis Costello and Blue Rodeo.  Red Jacket Mine builds a wonderfully catchy vibe here while discussing the human tendency to tear down anything that works and the clash between optimism and pessimism.  “Ron Nasty” is a bit generic, but “Engineer” rocks with a bluesy attitude.  This is one of those tunes you just can’t sit still for, and vocalist Lincoln Barr is in particularly fine form here.

“Skint City” has a more melancholy feel, and carries a vocal harmony that’s reminiscent of a 1970’s Eagles record.  It’s a solid album track with a quiet swing that’s easy on the ears.  “Listen Up (If the World Is Going to Hell)” pays homage to 1970’s R&B and pop styles.  Barr sounds a bit strained in small moments here, but it’s a solid effort overall.  “Novelty’s Gone” walks the line between gentle rock and country, relying on a metronomic rhythm to drive a maudlin number about the reality of a relationship setting in.  There’s a rote feel to this tune that carries over to the tacitly soulful “Better To Be Broken Than Blind”.  Both tunes are solid enough, but just don’t carry much energy or conviction.

Red Jacket Mine comes fully awake for “Someone Else’s Cake”, a catchy kiss-off song of sorts.  There’s a delicious edge to this number that underscores the Americana/Country sound.  “Have You Got A Permit To Preach On This Corner” has more of a classic country sound, and takes to task someone who professes their beliefs publicly.  Red Jacket Mine closes with the catchy rocker “Bellar & Bawl”.  An R&B backbeat drives the song, alongside an early rock & roll piano style and a band that is clicking on all eight cylinders.  This is the perfect close to the album, and a perfect song to close shows with as well.

Red Jacket Mine certainly knows how to kick things into high gear when they want to, but Someone Else’s Cake shows a supple understanding of song craft that while not always perfect in fruition, displays a distinctive understanding of melody, song structure and inspiration.  Someone Else’s Cake is a complex album that finds lead singer/songwriter Lincoln Barr negotiating with his own varied musical influences with varying degrees of success.  It’s an intriguing listen from a band who promises to keep growing and getting better with age.

Rating:  3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more at www.redjacketmine.net.