Anker - Atomic Sound

Anker

Atomic Sound
self-released; 2015

3.6 out of 5

By Ted Rogen

For his day job, Jason Coveleski is a clinician for a homeless veterans program. According to the man himself “experiences with homeless vets and many years with hospice, elder care & corrections have given him a glance into many lives. Many of these lives come out to visit in his songs.” The songs Coveleski aka Anker are referring to are on his recent release entitled Atomic Sound.

For the most part the songs on Atomic Sound are blue collar rock/pop dripping in Americana with tinges of country while not to far from artists like John Mellencamp, Tom Petty and arguably some of Bruce Springsteen’s material.  This album certainly isn’t the most experimental nor inventive thing you will hear this year by a long shot. The songs are built on classic songwriting that the masses have been exposed to for a long time. 

As for the production and recording quality goes I can give it two thumbs up. The songs sound professional and I could hear every element of the music.

Coveleski is a good songwriter who has a knack for writing a memorable melody and being able to deliver in an aesthetically pleasing way. He doesn’t have a voice that will make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up but it works very well in context of the music he’s making.

The album gets going with “Nowhere is Forever” which is about as American as apple pie. I was able to forgive some of the predictability because of the delivery. It’s the kind of song that is perfect for summertime BBQ’s. “Off the Rails” is another song but has a different kind of vibe that feels more rooted in ‘80s or early ‘90s pop. I heard a bit of a Cat Stevens thing going on during “Dust” while “Priests, Kings & Saints” is an atmospheric, nostalgic song that is one of the highlights. 

There is a lot to enjoy on Atomic Sound. That being said I would have liked to hear Coveleski dig a little deeper into his own distinct sound rather than wearing his influences on his sleeve. I know that's easier said than done but that was the feeling I got after giving the album a couple of spins. Nonetheless, there is a lot to appreciate and it’s obvious that Coveleski took a lot of time to create this dense album and delivered it in the most honest way he could. Recommended.

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