Review: EB11 - One Decision

EB11 – One Decision
2006, EB11

Tenerife, Spain’s EB11 has a second home based in Miami, Florida. This two-hemisphere quartet lists references including Three Days Grace, Metallica, Dream Theater, Green Day, Nirvana, Three Doors Down and Pink Floyd. Their sound is straight up modern rock. Their 2006 EP, One Decision fits right into the Modern Rock mold.

One Decision opens with Myself Again, an energetic rocker about running away from change. She is a radio-ready wall-of-sound rocker with real commercial potential. The best track on One Decision is Be The One. EB11 comes off sounding a lot like Better Than Ezra in a catchy song full of great hooks and transitions. One Decision closes out with the martial rhythms of Going On. This one is a little more typical of the Modern Rock genre but still quite catchy.

EB11 gets better as One Decision progresses, and the EP is definitely worth checking out.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about EB11 at www.myspace.com/eb11music or http://www.eb11music.com/. You can download One Decision from iTunes, Napster or Rhapsody.

Review: The Lighthouse And The Whaler - A Whisper, A Clamour

The Lighthouse And The Whaler – A Whisper, A Clamour EP
2008, The Lighthouse And The Whaler

The Lighthouse And The Whaler started out as a day playing music in the park amongst three friends. Michael Lopresti, Evan Story and Aaron Smith went to a park in Cleveland, Ohio to jam. As they played, people stopped to listen and be enthralled. They knew they were on to something. Later adding Nick Wise, the course of The Lighthouse And The Whaler was set. In 2008, they released their debut EP, A Whisper, A Clamour. Full of ethereal and impressionistic sounds, A Whisper, A Clamor is refreshing and unusual.

Folk/Celtic instrumentation, angelic harmonies and a gentle touch are the fare of the day on A Whisper, A Clamour. The Field Song is a musical study in vibrant peace; the violin picks up where lead vocalist LoPresti leaves off as it dances with percussion and the harmony vocals in a bit of musical magic. The Letter is a slightly off-kilter love song with harmonies that sound like The Beach Boys in a fit of depression. The sound could be described as creepy/beautiful, like a musical Dali sketch. Honey, We All Had Wings sounds like a lullaby in reverse. It’s an invitation to live life that uses singing as its metaphor. Ethereal, beautiful and bizarre; it’s highly memorable. I Will Find You closes out the EP with a motivated yet repressed promise that is musical and yet transcends the barest branches of musicality.

The Lighthouse And The Whaler is unique. LoPresti isn’t perfect in pitch or tone, but fits perfectly into these songs. A Whisper, A Clamour is kind of like that. It’s not perfect, and it’s always entirely together, but there is a distinctive charm to the ethereal folk presented here. The Lighthouse And The Whaler aren’t likely to have wide commercial appeal, but the folks who get them will likely be rabid fans who stick with them until the ends of the earth. Check them out and see how they affect you.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about The Lighthouse And The Whaler at http://www.thelighthouseandthewhaler.com/. You can download A Whisper, A Clamour from iTunes or Amazon.com.

Review: The McKrells - Traveling Man

The McKrells – Traveling Man
2008, Thorntree Music

The McKrells are legends in Upstate New York, as well as being highly respected internationally in the Celtic music scene (Not to mention they are Wildy's World's Artist Of The Month for March of 2009). The band created a hybrid of Celtic and bluegrass sounds that earned them the appreciation of every crowd they played in, whether in a small pub in Ireland, their home base of The Parting Glass in Saratoga Springs, NY or even Carnegie Hall. The last few years have seen major changes in personnel and sound, but the heart of The McKrells; Kevin McKrell’s songwriting and voice, remains. Their latest CD, Traveling Man, was released in 2008 on Thorntree Music. It’s a change for longtime fans, but not necessarily an unwelcome one.

Traveling Man opens with the title track, a light and airy bit of Celtic influenced pop that will get your feet moving. This leads into the Bold Fenian Men, offered here as a low-key Celtic rocker. Kevin McKrell is in fine voice here, and harmonies from daughter Kate McKrell complete the aesthetic. McKrell offers up a primo performance on Shores Of America. Kevin McKrell’s voice has an iconic quality to it that is unforgettable, and Shores is the perfect opportunity to hear why.

Christmas Day is performed in the style of classic American Folk music by Kevin McKrell on guitar and vocals with harmonies from daughter Kate McKrell. It is a hopeful tune that strives for light at Christmas in darker times and is quite apropos amidst current events. One of two personal favorites on the disc is Two Peas In A Pod, a wonderful “silly little love song” that you’ll have on continuous replay. It’s a cute little mix-tape candidate that’s highly infectious and unforgettable. McKrell works in a glory days song on Ronnie’s Golden Mustang; if you’re a child of the late 1960’s or early 1970’s then this song will hit home (particularly with the Creedence Clearwater Revival, Grand Funk Railroad, John Lennon/Yoko and Lynyrd Skynyrd references), but every generation expresses these sentiments sooner or later.

My other personal favorite is The Motel de Marquis Lafayette. With clear roots in the Celtic and American Folk traditions, this is a virally infectious tune that will get stuck in your head for days, perhaps weeks. Traveling Man closes out with Tunnel Tigers in a bit of Celtic Funk/Rock (listen to the bass) that’s highly enjoyable.

There’s no doubt there’s been a big change in the sound of The McKrells. The strong Bluegrass element of their sound has departed, but it has turned the remaining McKrells back to their Celtic roots. The resultant CD, Traveling Man, is refreshing and immensely enjoyable album. As a writer and arranger, they don’t get much more talented than Kevin McKrell, and the rest of the band is top notch. Do yourself a favor and put this at the top of your listening list for St. Patrick’s Day. You won’t be disappointed.

Rating: 4.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Kevin McKrell and The McKrells at http://www.kmckrell.com/. You can purchase a copy of Traveling Man at www.cdbaby.com/cd/mckrells8.

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: Drev - Failure

Drev – Failure
2008, Labile Records

Drev is the mark of musical expression worn by Boston’s Jess Hewitt. Merging the divergent vines of Rock and Industrial together into an aggressive and virulent soundscape is the mission of Drev’s second album, Failure. Influences of Nine Inch Nails, Sister Machine Gun and Aphex Twin can be heard as subtleties are consumed in a swirling wall of sound.

Failure is sonically penetrating, particularly when played at appropriate volume. Unfortunately, there’s really nothing here that you haven’t heard before. Drawing heavily on his influences, Hewitt seems to have put little of himself into Failure. The listeners walks away learning little more about Hewitt than the fact that he’s a fan of the bands noted above as influences. Songs like Advance, Benign and Sirens make for interesting listens, but more often than not the tracks here just seem uninspired. Computers can do a great deal in the process of making music. It’s gotten to the point where almost anyone can make an Electronica or Industrial album if they are so inclined. Drev shows flashes of originality, but these are consumed in sounds and dynamics we’ve heard so many times they’ve become bland.

Rating: 2 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Drev at www.myspace.com/drev or http://www.drevmusic.com/, where you can order a copy of Failure directly from the artist.

Review: True Nature - Feels Like Centuries

True Nature – Feels Like Centuries
2009, True Nature

True Nature is the latest musical project from New York City's own Lou Barlow. Barlow is also a prior recipient of New York University’s Composer Of The Year Award, and a bright and rising star in the Indie Rock movemnt. In April of 2009, True Nature will release their second EP, Feels Like Centuries into a market starving for something new. Barlow delivers with help from the likes of Tony Levin (John Lennon, Peter Gabriel); Aaron Comess (The Spin Doctors) and Gerry Leonard (David Bowie, Rufus Wainwright).

The five-track EP opens with Truth I Have To Steel (Simple Heart) a moderately upbeat song by someone who sees Alice’s Looking Glass for what it really is; a soul frustrated by the blindness of those around them. It also draws on the classical ideal as simplicity as a means of understanding. Barlow is succinct and artful in delivering a declaration of intent to protect the world from itself. Up next is The Color Of Daylight, a joyous, angst-filled romp about coming to terms with oneself. My Freedom Lies Beyond The Sun is a brooding, angry song about having your blinders stripped away and seeing the world as it is: a dangerous place. Barlow finds freedom in something he can’t see, whether you want to call this spirituality or faith, and in what, is left up the listener to decide. This is an incredibly powerful song.

Woman is an artful and poetic take on the concept that “behind every good man is a good woman”. The title is adapted from the John Lennon classic and recognizes the balance and strength that feminine influence can bring to the male mind. Beyond the subject matter, Barlow has created a lush and deeply organic musical composition that breathes with its own vigor and vitality. Feels Like Centuries closes with Too Close To See Who We Are, a sociological treatise on our narcissistic and short-sighted culture that sounds like a paean to love lost. Again, Barlow paints in broad, lush musical strokes a sonic picture that is lovely and distinct.

Lou Barlow has talent for writing songs that could fit easily into popular styles but with an edge that sets them apart. The songs presented on Feels Like Centuries are gorgeous constructions against which Barlow’s set his esoteric and thoughtful lyrics. In other words, he’s outdone himself here. True Nature has a hit on its hands. This one’s a no-brainer; don’t miss it!

Rating: 5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about True Nature at http://www.truenatureband.com/. You can purchase a copy of Feels Like Centuries at www.cdbaby.com/cd/truenature2.

Review: Robyn Pauhl - Robyn Pauhl

Robyn Pauhl – Robyn Pauhl
2008, Robyn’s Nest Productions

Robyn Pauhl has long been considered one of Canada’s most exciting young vocalists. She broke into national prominence in 2003 singing with some of the country’s top jazz talent. Pauhl took several years off, but returned in 2008 with a self-titled EP, Robyn Pauhl. While her style runs the gamut from Rock to RnB to Country, Pauhl seems to have concentrated on the country side of her persona here. Robyn Pauhl is a limited edition EP in advance of a full-length album due sometime in 2009.

Robyn Pauhl opens with Beginning To Fall In Love, a Gospel and Soul inflected Country tune that stands up to the best Nashville has to offer. Pauhl has this gorgeous, powerful voice that wraps the listener up in a cascade of sound, and she uses it to full effect here. Up next is All I Said, a Country/Rock hybrid that straddles the ravine between Pop and Adult Contemporary. Meet Me In The Middle is the class of the album. This is a classic country tune with southern Gospel accents that could be an immediate hit on country radio with the right push. Pauhl carries this song like a torch, leaving the listener in wonder.

Pauhl tacks a different tack on Westbound Like The Sun, sounding like a 1970’s AM Pop Crooner. It’s actually quite a song, just a little dated sounding. Pauhl is in amazing voice here. I Feel Nothing Now is piano, viola and Pauhl. It’s a tear jerker that’s beautiful in its abject sadness. Remember Me falls into the country/blues hybrid done so well by folks like Bonnie Raitt, showing another aspect of Pauhl and what her voice is capable of. It’s a perfect way to close out the EP.

Robyn Pauhl is amazing. There’s no other word for it. If she’s not the next country superstar then it will prove once and for all that they’ve forgotten what it’s all about on Music Row. Her debut EP, Robyn Pauhl is a must-hear, no hands down.

Rating: 4.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Robyn Pauhl at http://www.robynpauhl.com/. You can purchase a download of Robyn Pauhl at http://www.cdbaby.com/.