Zach Williams And The Reformation - A Southern Offering

Zach Williams And The Reformation - A Southern Offering
2011, Zach Williams And The Reformation

Zach Williams And The Reformation proves that growth is a good thing on their impressive sophomore album, A Southern Offering.  The band's previous effort, Electric Revival, was written solely by Williams.  This time out, Williams brings lyrics and his soulful rock voice and the rest of the band crafts the music.  The result is a stunning ode to the history of southern rock n roll, displaying the influence of bands such as Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Allman Brothers, Molly Hatchet and the Black Crowes.  In the process, Zach Williams And The Reformation has created a vibrant and modern album.  Producer Kevin Beamish (REO Speedwagon, Stevie Wonder, Elton John) helps capture the dynamic sound of ZWR with a live energy and a sense of polish that brings out the rough beauty of the music.

A Southern Offering opens with the vibrant southern friend rock n roll of "Gravy Train", a joyous number full of all the panache of bands like Lynyrd Skynyrd and .38 Special.  "Mason Jar" is a solid piece of songwriting with a mildly soulful vocal from Williams.  "Fool's Moon" plays like it could be a Bob Seger outtake, and has a melody that will stay with you.  "Picture Perfect" is a mellow rock ballad that makes the most of Williams' soulful voice against a blues backdrop that does the title justice.  "The Fix" opens with a guitar riff that sounds like something cooked up by ZZ Top, and blows up into a full rock sound on the chorus that's infectious.

"Motels And Highways" is a world-weary lament of a man who makes his living on the road.  ZWR picks up steam on "Rock N Roll Me", a blues rocker that sounds like a southern fried Zeppelin tune if David Coverdale were sitting in for Robert Plant.  There's real energy in this tune, which is among the best on the album.  "PO Box And A Postcard" is a speculative number building off the ideas in "Motels And Highways".  ZWR sounds a lot like the Black Crowes here, as Williams ruminates on love lost.  "Wishing Well" and “Sky Full Of Treasure” close things out in consistent yet unsurprising style.

Zach Williams And The Reformation impress on A Southern Offering.  With a sound steeped in classic southern rock yet updated with a modern edge, ZWR stands to capture the attention of several generations of classic and southern rock fans.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Zach Williams And The Reformation at www.zwrnation.com or www.myspace.com/zwreformation.  A Southern Offering is available digitally from Amazon.com and iTunes.

Dick50 - Late Show

Dick50 - Late Show
2010, East Folks Music

Dick50 is, among other things, the backing band for Delbert McClinton. Creative souls themselves, the band plays and writes their own material when they’re not supporting McClinton. Dick50’s Late Show is a charming album mixing elements of Rock, Funk and Soul in a blissed out, melancholy package. The band shows a distinctive ability to craft catchy melodies and arrangements while exploring sounds from garage to blues-inflected pop. Highlights include the funky "Flyin' Now", "Medicine Man", the raw garage anthem "Dirty South" and the Black Crowes inspired "Goldilocks". This is a band that's fun to listen to at home, but likely a whole lot more fun in a roadside bar on a Saturday night where Lynyrd Skynyrd and .38 Special share billing on the jukebox with Stevie Ray Vaughan and Hank Williams, Jr. Late Show is entertaining.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Dick50 at http://www.dick50.com/ or www.myspace.com/dick50band. Late Show is available as either a CD or Download from Amazon. A digital version is also available from iTunes.

Review: Soundtrack - Whip It

Soundtrack - Whip It
2009, Rhino Records

Whip It is a new comedy directed by Drew Barrymore about a small town Texas girl who escapes by becoming a star roller derby player. Yes, it’s as bad as it sounds. Drew Barrymore directs the movie based on the Shauna Cross novel (and screenplay). While the movie has a fairly narrow demographic in mind, the soundtrack is bit more broadminded. Whip It features a plethora of new Indie and Alternative Rock bands, as well as few soundtrack classics.

Tilly & The Wall get things started with Pot Kettle Black, sounding like The Runaways meets the Bratz in a sparse Rock N Roll setting. The first family of New York Punk, The Ramones are up next with Sheena Is A Punk Rocker. Surf and Punk mix here in a hybrid that would inspire an entire generation of musicians. The Raveonettes make mellow waves on Dead Sound, one of the surprise highlights of the album. The dynamic here is repressed, gothic Pop. The song is pretty and yet there's something slight off all at the same time. Jens Lekman does the Cure/Smiths thing on Your Arms Around Me. It's a decent, mildly catchy and sonically melancholy tune that could be a sleeper hit.

Gotye's Learnalilgivinanlovin is catchy, 60's-flavored Dance Rock with strong harmonies and an infectious nature. It might not make the biggest impression on the first listen but will stick with you more than most anything else offered on the album. Dolly Parton's Jolene and .38 Special's Caught Up In You are classics of their respective genres and get recycled for soundtracks every few years After this point things head downhill. Adam Green and Har Mar's cover of the Addrisi Brothers' Never My Love is decent, but there's not much past that's likely to perk the interest of listeners. The Squeak E. Clean & Desert Eagles Remix of The Chordette's classic Lollipop is the low point of the album. While I'm all for interpreting and make a song your own, this remix simply makes a mess of the song.

Whip It is uneven and at times messy, but there are some strong moments along the way. The songs seem to have been chosen more according to someone's personal coolness scale rather than an attempt to craft a particular sound or mood for the movie. The end result is a sometimes enjoyable and sometimes unavoidable mess.

Rating: 2.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Whip It at http://www.foxsearchlight.com/whipit. You can purchase a copy of Whip It at Amazon.com as either a CD or download.

Review: Kenny Young Project - Kenny Young Project

Kenny Young Project - Kenny Young Project
2009, Tommy Naples Music

Kenny Young's story is a common one in Indie Music these days. Young grew up around music, playing and singing in school ensembles before starting a band, Tribulation with his father and brother. Tribulation started out as a Classic/Southern Rock cover band but over time Young started writing originals and incorporating them into the how. Also with time came a wife and family and hard decisions. Young put music on the shelf for a 9-to-5 and steady paycheck, but the music never left him. Years later, with children mostly grown and becoming musicians themselves, Young stepped back on-stage and into the studio. His return EP, Kenny Young Project precedes a full length release this fall, and mixes the elements of Classic and Southern Rock that have fueled his music dreams from day one.

Kenny Young Project opens with We'll Find Love Again, a bouncy, upbeat Country-Rocker about getting up off the floor and trying again that was written for a broken-hearted friend. The song is infectious with a melody that will recur when you least expect it for days on end and has the hooks to break the wall of commercial Country radio with the right opportunity. Krazy is the by-product of quiet time on the back porch and a few beers; it's an entertaining song that will get your toes tapping and but a smile on your face. Waiting is pure mix-tape material; a love song that looks back over years together with someone special in a gentle arrangement. Young gets a lot of vibrato on the vocal here which could be a bit distracting for some, but the song is decent enough to overlook it. Carousel is a new version of a song Young wrote years ago for his first band, Tribulation. It's a curious entry, as it sounds like it was written by someone completely different, but then again, it was. Carousel is a strong song in its own right, but the perspective and lyrical acumen is more raw. Carousel therefore offers a great look at the development of Young over the years as a songwriter.

Kenny Young Project is a brief glimpse at what is to come, but if the EP is any indication, Young has more than sufficient talent to stay with us for a while. Young displays a deft touch with lyrics and an ability to craft gentle Country and Rock arrangements that go down easy but make you want to get up and dance. The presentation is a bit too wholesome for commercial Country or Rock radio, perhaps, but there is a definite pop sensibility in the songwriting that will hook casual listeners into fan-hood. Check them out!

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about the Kenny Young Project at http://www.tommynaplesmusic.com/. You can purchase the Kenny Young Project EP as a download through iTunes.