Bryan Russell-Lowe is a singer/songwriter and guitarist who just released his debut solo album entitled Circumnavigate. He has been working on the music for the last couple of years and it was recorded in different locations but eventually came together. The songs are a mix of folk, rock and other like-minded genres.
The album starts with “Let Me Down Easy” which contains a warm balance of instrumentation. There's good guitar work here along with a steady rhythm section. Some of the transitions got my attention like the ones around the three-minute mark which felt novel. The vocals are also well done and I thought the chorus was memorable along with the guitar solo that ends the song. “Faults” is fantastic. The acoustic guitar picking is exceptional and reminded me of the style I have heard from William Tyler. The band Fleet Foxes also came to mind. There’s some very smooth slide guitar as well that combines with organ. It’s very warm and inviting. Up next is “Enough.” The pacing and timing is really cool here in the beginning with the drums being syncopated and sometimes slowing down. It’s more of a lonely ballad with a slight ’50s pop vibe. It works well and I was excited to hear what else was around the corner. “Substitute” is a fun one. The picking is again very good and I loved this aspect. I also thought the swells were well implemented. Bill Callahan mixed with a little Andrew Bird came to mind on this track in terms of the vocal delivery. The title track “Circumnavigate'' is also the centerpiece at a little over the seven-minute mark. There’s something about this song that felt classic to me. Something about the vocal melodies and the hook. It’s a warm and slightly melancholy song but also felt full of hope. Great combo that is hard to pull off. “Falling Stars'' is another highlight. It’s intimate, warm and contains more memorable guitar work and also some of the best vocals melodies as well. The energy ramps up wtih the upbeat “A Little Crazy'' and gets a little experimental with “Nana.” The last two songs “The Breeze” and “Breathe As One” deliver the goods as well. It may have taken the artist a long time to make this album but every song was good to my ears. The songwriting, delivery and production is all there. Take a listen.
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Newborn Naturals is NYC’s Newborn Naturals long-awaited self-titled debut. The album was recorded on the Lower East Side and East Village of New York City and in Williamsburg, Brooklyn between 1998 and 2004. Spanning 20 years between recording and release, this retrospective collection gives us an inside look into the evolution of this punk and rock n’ roll band. Heavily fuzzed out with wailing vocals and driven guitars, the band consists of Alex Feldesman (guitar), Mark Henry (bass), Rod Hudak (guitar/vocals), Dan Morales (drum) and Bil Shannon (drums).
Newborn Naturals gets rolling with “Ghosts of Ludlow,” where fuzzy guitars turn the recording up another notch. As some jangly guitars come in, the music really starts to come together once Hudak’s gritty vocals arrive. Filled with tons of punk rock energy, this is rock n’ roll at its most raw and unfiltered state. The band leans into a great rock sound, throwing themselves into the music. I thought they sounded a lot like The Strokes here. In fact, I thought Hudak had a very similar cadence to Julian Casablancas. Jaunty rhythms arrive on the start of “Price Of Candy.” I thought the wall-to-wall guitars had a bit of a spaghetti western vibe. The music and vocals had a great punk rock energy overall. Some melodic guitars grab hold of listeners’ attention at the very beginning of “Night Goes On.” Hudak’s vocals felt more subdued here as he half mumbles and sings the lyrics. The guitars were definitely the highlight of this song. Once again, The Strokes reference was obvious. I was also getting some The Raconteurs vibes as well. Catchy and melodic guitars turn up the fervor on the contagious pop rock number “Shame On You.” The contagious tune and bright sound proves the band is back at it with another dance-worthy number. With a sultry drumming beat as the guitars lean into a happening indie rock sound, once Hudak’s vocals arrive, you can feel the punk rock energy of the band coalescing to great effect on “Wood.” Hudak shouts out his vocals with tons of feeling. Starting off with little to no hesitation, the band gets going right away with the revved “Mama’s Boy.” The band sounds catchy and upbeat. On “Too Tired Too Tight,” the jaunty rhythms point to a ‘50s and ‘60s doowop sound. There were tons of reverb on this track as well. Drums and guitars join in for a retro-styled rock sound. On “Reputation,” Hudak’s vocals ignites the start of this song. Guitars and drums back him for an energized vibe. The rock riffs here felt contagious. Some rumbling bass starts off “Crane.” As percussion and drums enliven the vibes in the background, Hudak really delivers. The band closes with nine minutes of recording time on this song. A collection that definitively shows us what the Newborn Naturals are all about, this is a good introduction to the music they make. The performances on this album is a great indicator of what the band would sound like live. Gritty and in-your-face, the band is on the right track though it took them a good 20 years to do so. The band’s sound will be sure to resonate with a lot of audience members.
The Gathering Blue is a band from New Haven, Connecticut that recently released Anywhere But Here. They state “this album is a side A with all of our stand-alone songs that complement and compare to the other half which is composed mostly of a seamless song cycle called "Anywhere But Here.” Suffice it to say there are a lot of different genres and approaches so let’s get into it.
The first song is “One More Dance” and this is a song that has a lot of different things going on. I was picking up on the ’50s pop vibe on this song. The selling point however is the off-kilter production which gives it a modern and perhaps experimental quality. It’s catchy and I liked the song quite a bit. The genre changes with “Change The World.” This is more of a rock song but again there are some things happening in the production such as the use of modulation effects like phaser which give it a spin. “Gwendolyn” is also very different. It’s moody, theatrical and felt like something you might hear in a play. The synths are dark and cerebral. I wasn’t sure what else to expect moving forward. “Ruffled Feathers” is another very catchy song which does sort of flirt with that ’50s vibe again but this song is very chipper and joyful. The vocal harmonies and piano work was great and helped uplift the already impressive lead vocals. “Darker Days” is an inspirational sounding song with elements of classic rock while “Mad River” had a moody ’80s aesthetic. The album moves forward with a number of genres I still wasn’t expecting. The title track “Anywhere But Here” which is a certified highlight sounded like it was straight from the ’60s And if that isn’t your thing maybe the airy and atmospheric “The Magician” which changes from a Pink Floyd type ballad to a stripped funk jam is more your thing. The band isn’t done yet. The slightly haunting “Bound To Return” and closer “Carry On” have their moments as well. I don’t really know how to classify this band. The band attempts a lot of different styles but also pulls them off. I definitely had my favorites and some weren’t quite my thing but kudos. If you’re looking for a diverse band, this is your ticket. Take a listen.
Toxic Soup was born in Delta, BC, Canada and apparently during a turbulent time. Despite that, the band was able to write, record and release an album entitled Evolution. The music mostly falls under the label of hard rock. I was picking up some ’80s vibes but more of a ’90s aesthetic with these songs.
They get swinging with the first song “LIFE.” Right away I was impressed by the drumming which creates some tension with the guitar feedback. Once the verse enters I was reminded of the band Tool but the chorus goes in a different direction. I mentioned that ’80s aesthetic and I was feeling that. This song is a unique hybrid of a ballad and a straight rocking song. The vocalist can sing. He’s dynamic and can strain his vocal chords while sounding good. There’s a lot of power behind the groove on “DEFENDERS.” I was moving my head along with the sleek guitar riff and hard-hitting drums. The chorus soars with distorted guitar, vocal harmonies and a sturdy rhythm section. They sure know how to create a crescendo. “THE BREAKING OF ME” had more of a grunge and alternative type of angle. Something about the guitars and vocals gave me more of a mid ’90s Alice In Chains vibe. They continue to hit it out of the park with heavy rock. “DREAM OF MUSIC” is a great song but “RUN AWAY” is epic. The chorus is huge and feels like it needs to be labeled “arena rock.” “FEELING ALRIGHT” is solid as well. The band utilizes modulation effects here and got some wicked sounds on the guitar overall. They also do some straight rocking out. “SEXUAL DELIGHT” is sleek and the title is indicative of the topic. The lead singer sounded like Jim Morrison on the verse. They close with “THE END” and they save the best for last from the palm muted chorus to the explosive chorus. One thing for certain is that the band is composed of technical and creative instrumentalists. The vocalist gives it all on these performances. I felt tired for him just after listening to all the songs. Fans of hard rock should love this release. All the criteria are checked off, so take a listen.
From South Florida comes Smelter, an alternative rock-shoegaze-post hardcore band with a new EP titled Muffler. The band members prefer to remain nameless, but they were formed during the pandemic from the groups Gouge Away, Result of Choice and Rhino. Checking out their Instagram, I see they utilize three guitars (Fender and Gibson), Telecaster bass and drums. They don’t seem to smile much, even with a hot basil-leaf pizza.
Musically the band points to Hum, Helmet, duster, Smashing Pumpkins, MBV, GBV, Chavez and Vitreous Humour as influences. They say that they’re “trying to capture the heaviness of metal with the hooks of power-pop and the space of shoegaze.” Recording took place at Sound Artillery Studios in Miami. That’s about all the background they’ve supplied so let’s check out the songs. Though the band doesn’t mention it, I found this collection to have a strong resemblance to the Sugar EP Beaster. Even their names are similar. The very first track “Swell” features that hardcore wall-to-wall sonic barrage Bob Mould honed to a science. You couldn’t fit anything else in there if you tried! Buried in the background is a plaintive lead guitar lending some bittersweet melodies to the miasma. The vocals are in a pleasing higher register but are content to float along with the guitars so it’s hard to catch all the words. Even when the track quiets a bit toward the end, the guitars sound dangerously overloaded. “Supermarket Fit” continues with the same dynamics firmly in place. The vocals are maybe a tiny bit clearer, though they sound good enough to have been mixed even more centered and upfront. Extremely cool sci-fi sounding ending. “Muffler” (another Bob Mould-sounding title) can only be described as a symphonic fuzz piece, as their off-kilter arrangement has an almost classical majesty. Fans of early Smashing Pumpkins will surely rock heads along with this one. Absolutely killer drums here (drummer, raise your hand!). “Centrifuge” brings us to a stutter-beat hardcore conclusion. Again the molten metallic slabs of guitar feature lots of hidden melody with yet more beautiful but sadly buried vocal performances. This is the longest track with a somewhat extended finale. I’m a bit torn because I love the hardcore sound here, yet I also would have liked to have heard the singer more clearly. A lyrics sheet would help too. But regardless, I really enjoyed the ride and think these anonymous boys are on the right track!
Algol of Melbourne, Australia was formed at Oxygen Music College in 2019, where singer/songwriter Darcy Wallace was inspired to “try new techniques and write some catchier, more interesting and insightful songs compared to (my) previous work.” Wallace wrote all the lyrics, sings lead and plays guitar on Algol’s debut EP titled Wasted. The other members are Angus Sumner and Chris Wheelright, with studio drummer Zack Krilcic recording drums for these sessions.
The band describes Wasted as a “psychedelic pop type meld of different influences all rolled into one. It has some catchy melodies with chord progressions reminiscent of the Beatles of old and Oasis or Radiohead in the ’90s. It even boasts some heavier influences at times, not dissimilar to Nirvana.” The band notes that Wallace’s voice can be rough or smooth, and primarily sits in the higher, falsetto register (at first I assumed Wallace was female, but his bearded photos set me straight) with vocal influence from Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker. Recording took place at Don’t Poke The Bear studios in Geelong, Australia, and is overall clean, bright and engaging. From the start this band reminded me of another psychedelic group I recently reviewed here called The Striped Bananas. Latter-day psychedelia is a rich and fertile field that both these bands take full advantage of. “Upstream” starts us off in a more mainstream rock mode, while Wallace’s vocals carry the bulk of the melodies. He doesn’t do harmonies but at least double-tracks his voice for a nice, full effect. The guitars are both crunchy and reverb-jangly. The song has an interesting three-part scheme where things quiet down in the middle and then roar back for the conclusion. “Read The Room” begins sounding very much like another Divide and Conquer alumnus, the dream-pop band The Civil Union. It’s a swirly, otherworldly jangle-feast with enchanting vocals. The second half features louder, slashing guitars in a harder rock variation of the same chords. This song immediately went into my permanent music library! “Deadwood” has a smart descending chord scheme similar to the Beatles with yet more of those beautifully recorded, crystalline guitars. There’s even a section of background British Invasion Bop bop bop bop’s! The collection ends with the peppy, upbeat clap-along title track “Wasted.” There’s an even higher level of musical sophistication here, though you only notice that if you’re a reviewer; otherwise you’ll just float away with a huge smile. Drummer Zack Krilcic more than earns his bones here, and Wallace’s vocals are among his best. I loved this EP and wish it were longer, but I guess I’ll just have to wait for the next one!
Mix one part feed store name, bond over a mutual love of roadside kebabs and season with an “eclectic kaboodle” of indie folk-rock. Therein lies the guts of Ceretana. Recorded in New Fairfield, Connecticut – where one half of this duo resides – Failing East is a follow-up to the 2003 self-produced debut of Chris Mignanelli and Marty Moran. According to my abacus, that marks quite a bit of time between albums. Bear in mind, however, that these gentlemen boast integrity from their day jobs: music instructor and poet, respectively. The fact that their dual-city songwriting process echoes the Elton John/Bernie Taupin style of present-and-produce surely doesn’t lose any marks. Moran writes the lyrics while his partner shapes the notes and, presumably, both enjoy the resultant meat skewers in celebration of the outcome. Ah, carnivorous glory.
Not only do the boys trade turns at the microphone, but they offer a bevy of musical diversity to boot. “America,” the album’s first cut, opens with wailing harmonica before steering headlong into a gambol of frenetic tempo changes. The entire package paints a star spangled kiss-off to xenophobes, flag wrappers and those fixated on the nation’s industrial past. On the contrary, “Livingston” shifts gears into Nashville balladry. Complete with obligatory guitar squeal, the song tips its hat to a classic sound, while offering a modern homage to alt-country rockers Ryan Adams & The Cardinals. The sonic enthusiasm continues as “Zombies” bends a ’60s shimmy into a macabre groove, while “Today” packages the drawn yearn of a (very catchy) chorus into a metaphor for the highway as potholed love. Thematically similar, the gripping piano and acoustic plucks on “Nightbus” maintain a tender vibe, as the tune plays like a eulogy for beer-soaked pasts. And while “Shadow At The End of the Road” is hampered by what sounds like a plinky Casio keyboard, the closing two tracks are the most effective at siphoning emotion from heart to sleeve. Namely, “A Kiss” turns a slowburn barn dance into something more profound, letting its guitar take cues from a more sedate Use Your Illusion-era Slash. And “I Try” sketches domestic malaise against an interstellar pileup: “I’ve got a fondness for goodbyes / They turn the dimming bedroom light / On separate corners of a fight / Two stars colliding in the night,” sing the duo, echoing the feedback-dripped lament of a lost Kings of Leon track. Despite claiming different musical tastes, Mignanelli and Moran cohesively stake claim to the Yankee Doodle genre. Were there times when the complex lyricism felt ambiguous for its own sake? Perhaps. Some of the phrasing leaned a bit too algebraic to convey true brittleness. Did the less predictable time signatures – while certainly inspired – foster more of a herky-jerk cadence? Maybe, depending on one’s need, or lack thereof, to hum every bar. But when Ceretana taps the most vulnerable collective of their psyche, the poetic armor falls away in lieu of an unbridled, Americana chill. Or, in their own words, “like a promise, like a plea / like a kiss from you to me.” Pucker up
Annee is a twenty three-year old musician from Manchester, England. She has been learning the guitar since she was seven years old but has since also discovered the beauty of the banjo. This is the instrument she features on her release Noon At The Coffee Shop. She mentions “Written and recorded 16th - 18th November 2021 at Parsonage studios with a few cups of coffee” hence the name.
The center of these songs comes from the banjo. There are vocals but they come as pads and atmosphere not too far from an artist like Julianna Barwick. This is a release where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. A good amount of the songs are between one and two minutes - sometimes shorter and sometimes longer. The album starts with “Usual Seat” and it flirts with one particularly picking arrangement while the next song “Orange Morning Sun” is focused on one more - a hybrid picking/strumming approach. One of the most beautiful pieces is the third song “No Milk” where her performance often speeds up and slows down. The vocals are barely audible but do add a blanket of atmosphere. The next couple of songs move quickly because of their short run time. There are some pleasant and cerebral moments to the music. It’s an interesting combination that’s being achieved with the banjo. The meaty and longer “2pm Haze” is arguably the best song on this release. I loved the picking patterns. It strays from a bluegrass or country quality and the thing that came was something more ancient. In my mind's eye I was thinking of things like medieval times and that era. It felt like it could be used in a period piece movie, This is a very sparse release and I have a feeling you are getting a similar emotion that was experienced as it was being played. That’s not always the case. This is a fine release and hopefully this is just the beginning from this young artist.
Saucers Over Washington is a shoegaze band born out of the ashes of psych-garage band The Grizzly Atoms. The band from Orlando, Florida released a four-song EP entitled Transitions. They meant for this release to act as a transition between Saucers Over Washington and The Grizzly Atoms which is why they at least partially named it that.
The band starts with a song called “Insomnia” and is one heck of a dynamic song. It starts rocking out but quickly goes into a shoegaze style verse where they experiment with shades of dissonance. There are some really dynamic builds and drops a little after the two-minute mark. The band eventually just rocks out hard without holding anything back. The lyrics point to someone struggling with the terms of their reality. Suffice it to say the opener should grab your attention. They continue with “Roundabout” and I was getting My Bloody Valentine type shoegaze vibes with this song perhaps combined with a band like Bloc Party. The energy is kinetic and the rhythm section holds down the foundation. I loved the drumming on this song which is wild but fits the song. The band goes off with their instrumental talent on this song especially towards the end. On top of that the vocals melodies are memorable and well delivered. Up next is “The Top” and this song was different and according to the title seems aligned with their previous incarnation. The song is more four chord style punk mixed with a slight ’50s pop/surf sound. I was thinking some of this style was reminiscent of the band Weezer. Last up is “Starry” and it was a great song to close out on. The vocals follow the guitar melody but also happen to be some of my favorite melodies. There are some very cool transitions on this song. The band can purposely sound dissonant and fragmented and come back full force. It’s common for bands to change their style. In this case I thought the band nailed it, grabbing elements of multiple genres and making it their own. Hopefully, this is just the beginning for Saucers Over Washington.
Dan Asio is a singer/songwriter from the suburbs of Chicago who started his solo venture just last year in the middle of the pandemic after his previous band, Tonic Freight Train, had to be put on hold. Asio recently released a six-song EP entitled Still Jaded. Asio mentions this about Still Jaded - “Influenced by the songwriters of the ‘60s and the alternative bands from the ‘90s it comes out like the chiller side of RHCP and Incubus, two acts also rooted in my musical DNA.”
The EP starts with “Don’t Know Anything.” It begins with clean guitar chords and a huge sounding drum kit and bass that comes into the mix quickly. The groove is great and I immediately felt drawn to the vocals. They are both catchy and natural sounding. The melodies were memorable. There’s a lot of transitions in this song and some are more subtle than others. The use of vocal harmonies works well. Right before the two-minute mark the BPM increases and goes into the climax of the song. Great opener. The next song is entitled “Hardly Know Ya” which is upbeat and some of the grooves here reminded me of something you might hear from a jam band. I thought the combination of clean funky guitar and wah wah guitar worked very well. It’s a blast of a song which could make you dance if you’re not careful. One of my favorite bands Pavement came to mind when I heard “Jaded.” Something about the vocals and jangly guitar chords. “Unprepared” asks existential questions about purpose and doubt. The song however doesn't feel as heavy as the lyrics imply. That’s one of the things about music is that the melodies and aesthetics can counter the meaning of the words and be used successfully like it is in this case. “Come Alive” is next and is another song with a killer groove. The guitar work is top notch on this song. Last up is “Burn Me Down” which is a little more pensive and has some similarities to Mac Demarco. One thing Asio does really well throughout this EP is write hooks which draw you in. The songs are well written and the vocals are the focal point of the music although there’s a lot to appreciate from the instrumentation as well.
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