French singer/writer Iris Johner has been writing songs and poems as long as she can remember. At age 14, she received her first guitar. After playing on stage for awhile in her home country, cutting a five-song demo back in 2012 and playing in an indie-shoe gaze band for a few months, she decided to do some traveling and then settle down in south Portugal. There, she decided to try and make a living exclusively from her music; playing at bars, weddings and busking on street corners. By the end of 2018, Johner put together a few of her best songs into her latest EP Far Down South, which was named after her experiences in Portugal and the alternative way of life in that part of the world. The recording expresses the warmth and charm of the country’s southern landscape. For Johner, the song’s production are personal, sober and raw. The songwriter’s “inner world” of music reflects issues of despair and aspirations, daydreams and gratitude, love, insights, life and fate.
In “Blessing in Disguise” Johner sings about finding an ‘ending lesson’ in life and love. That ‘blessing’ that is sometimes overlooked when you are in the midst of going through something traumatic or life changing – a realization, in other words. Musically, Johner definitely has the tried and true singer/songwriter thing down pat – just her voice and her guitar – and a soulful, powerhouse voice at that. I couldn’t quite decide who she reminds me of, so I’ll just leave that up to the listener. “Far Down South” feels a little folksier with ‘90s alternative acoustic vibes. I love Johner’s use of the word “ain’t” and improper english – that’s punk, man, that’s bad ass! The song’s words are about her excursion down south where she “ain’t got no problems,” “aint’ got no plan” but, follows that up with always knowing where she came from. Overall, I like this song’s attitude with its gospel/soulful qualities, guitar rhythm and use of harmonica and extra percussion. “King of Light” features a sober tone and sparser guitar playing, while Johner’s voice takes more center stage and her songwriting, more subjective and poetic. The added cello/strings were a really nice addition, too. Nothing dynamic or flashy to this number, as the chords pretty much stay the same throughout the song. “Lose Yourself” begins with a faster tempo and a clearer distinction between verses and chorus. The song’s lyrics take on a poetic quality here as well, and I thought Johner’s use of a full chord on the chorus really made the words stand out. She seems to be suggesting that it’s easy to get wrapped up in things outside yourself, not to be present and forgetting to breathe. Also, “fading flowers in a vase” “first blossoms of the year” and later, “man is a bunch of bones” could be metaphors for birth and death. “On the Road” which just happens to be the title of a very famous book by another artist with French roots (aka Jack Kerouac), is a great, reflective song filled with questions that only a true introvert could ask oneself, but also confirm. Things like, happiness can only be real if it is shared, and “I feel complete only when I’m alone.” There are fearful words also – “What do I look for? / When I leave and slam the door.” Johner’s sentiment seems to be twofold: wanting to experience what’s new and exciting in the world, to not “want to end this dream” but yet, having this deep understanding that life can be disappointing and short. Musically, backing vocals were added and more variety to Johner’s guitar playing – a balance of a rolling/picking rhythm and full out strumming. Through some recent encounters and experiences, Johner now believes that her music is about to go through some big changes, prompting her to explore new ways of playing and putting music together. With that said, my hat’s off to this very talented young artist as she discovers what life’s experiences could hold next.
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Sun Under is the project for Andre Simard. Meadows is a seven-song release that showcases the multi-instrumentalist’s talents. The songs are entirely instrumental with the guitar often feeling like the focal center. These songs are dynamic and explore several shades of emotion.
The album opens with “White Pines” which starts with soft and warm acoustic guitar picking. It doesn't take long for other instruments like keys to show up which paint a very serene and tranquil soundscape. The song could have stayed there and I would have been perfectly happy but I also liked the surge of energy that is explored with the drums and lead electric guitar. The song actually feels pretty epic towards the end with great performances all around. “Dog Days” is similar to the opener in that it slowly unfolds with energy. I loved the brush work which really plays into the build. There are some gorgeous elements in the song. The guitar work is nuanced and I appreciate the way the picking and the lead guitar played off each other. “Meadows” is another great track. The beginning reminded me of the americana folk you often hear from Fleet Foxes. There is a fantastic clash of styles on this song. There is a bit of jazz from the horns and maybe some classic and prog rock as well. Whatever the case the song delivers. “Cells” is the arguable highlight. The song is very lush and atmospheric and each instrument delivers a different emotional flavor. For example the way the warm melancholy of the horns juxtaposed against the soaring, pensive guitars. “Blueberry Lane” contains some technical wizardry as it changes BPM and time signatures. The song goes into a lot of different places from more atmospheric landscape to ’70s infused prog and even a hint of bluegrass. “Suburban Sunday” is full of warm comforting tones and textures while the closer “First Son” felt like a relaxing way to close up the album. Meadows is a consistently good album from beginning to end. The creative aesthetics match the technicality and make for a very enjoyable experience.
Atlas Before is the project for songwriter/musician David Denton. Denton has been making music for decades. His release All Systems Go is an album he considers to be a rock opera. There is a description of the story on his Bandcamp page or website if you want to read about the narrative which I encourage you to do .
The music seems to be very influenced by rock artists from the ’70s and ’80s. There is a pretty eclectic batch of songs. The album opens with “We Rise Each Day” that starts with slick guitar work which is an intro. Once vocals come in, the song does seem to have a vibe that does sound a lot like an opera. There is a bit of a Pink Floyd vibe. Up next is “I Don't Have To Be Any Certain Way.” It’s a really good rock song. Although as an engineer I have to say there were too many high frequencies. I couldn’t make out the lyrics and was trying to follow the narrative without looking at the lyrics. “The Moon In The Sea” is an acoustic folk song that feels ethereal and is surrounded with atmospheric pads. There is a distinct ’80s rock vibe on “Outsiders” while “Damned If You Do, Damned If You Don't” is one of the more original sounding songs that contains layered bass parts. “Go With The Flow,” “Celluloid Robots” and “Crosswinds of Time” continue on a familiar, nostalgic rock vibe. “High On Life” felt like a highlight while “Power Surge” and “All Systems Go” had some solid moments as well. As an engineer I have some difficulty with how lo-fi the recordings were. I felt like some of the songs were going for epic heights and the recording quality wasn’t able to match the potential. Other than that I thought the songwriting and delivery was well done throughout the album. In fact I thought the hooks were memorable on a number of songs. It’s not everyday I get to experience a rock opera but I’m glad I did. Zack Roush (vocals/guitar), Blake Nell (drums) and Trevor Brooks (bass) are Pennyroyal We. The band released their eponymous EP entitled Pennyroyal We. They have a familiar southern rock flavor that has been around since the ’60s and replicated plenty of times ever since “Freebird” became an anthem to sing along with at bars. The topics also visit old tropes that people tend to love because of their simplicity. They open with “Don't Come Around” which combines crunchy, rhythm guitar and a steady rhythm section. The song revolves around breaking up and has that “oh I’ll be better off in the end” type of vibe. It’s nostalgic yet celebratory. “Hold On” felt more nostalgic than celebratory. The female vocalist Kirsten Rawding really does a great job harmonizing with Roush. I found it a little bit funny that the topic leaned towards unrequited love which was almost the exact opposite of the previous song. Up next is “Not Gonna Listen” which kind of returns to the same theme as “Don't Come Around.. They rock out on this song more than any of the previous songs. There are a number of solid hooks and I liked the energy. They close with “So Far Away” which felt like a closer because of the lyrics and warm melancholy and nostalgia. Pennyroyal We unequivocally has a lot of talent in all the right areas. One piece of advice would be to think about how they differentiate themselves amongst similar bands and find a signature sound. There is just no denying this style is popular and you will find this style of music played live at local dive bars all across the states.They also did a great job with recording themselves but I would also like to hear a studio recording from the band at some point. Overall, I thought this was a solid EP. The songs were all well written and delivered. I look forward to hearing more from the band.
At the core of Holding Pattern by The Celebrators, is an organic and bare bones indie Americana message, but somehow they managed to make their sound much bigger than that. It sounds as though you're already at the music festival. I can feel the wristband and smell the recreation. There is definitely a sense that The Celebrators are best enjoyed live, however, this album is no slouch by any means. Their aesthetic is strong, something that I believe could withstand the strains of a vast audience.
There's a lot of forward motion conveyed in this album. It has a motivational aspect to it without any cheese or unrealistic expectations. Their motivation is one that comes from reality, where there are no straight paths and setbacks are plentiful. It's all set to what feels like a rural backdrop with large sprawls of empty roads and fields. Vocalist Nicolai Carrera is a fabulous find and a wonderful painter of this imagery. He has a solid performance style that translates across the album's entire genre spectrum. Keep an ear out for when he hits those higher notes because he doesn't even remotely flinch when he does it, and I love it. There are so many albums out there that like to "call back" to music of the past. Some do it right, some do not, and then there's The Celebrators that manage to knock it out of the park. Those classic rock riffs are present, but not dated. It also never sounds overly derivative. I can take a guess as to who their influences might be, but I would never say any of these songs have been done before. I love their ability to toe the line into so many genres with just ONE SONG. I myself am incredibly finicky when it comes to country music. This is a genre that for me easily falls into eye roll zone. These guys have managed to find that sweet spot where I can't so much as sneer, well done! I love that this album was fine tuned to be a bigger than life listening experience. It knocked down the walls of my Chicago condo and brought a little fresh air in. This is an excellent production choice that makes them so distinctive and also makes me want to catch them live so badly. Whether intended or not, the production on this album was a great business decision head to toe. The album sounds amazing and makes me want to spend money - NOT an easy feat. I'm not kidding when I say these guys have something that is meant for a broad audience and I think they will find it. This is an album I could recommend to about sixty-five percent of my music loving friends. That's a pretty healthy chunk considering my friends are some of the most jaded and critical people I know besides myself. I want to congratulate The Celebrators on this album because I think it's a very solid collection of work that will take them places.
Every week we mention a couple of artists that are worth your time to check out that were not featured in our weekly reviews.
Artist Album Rating Chris Sunshine June Bug 3.6 Alex Crowson Take This With You 3.9 Wind and the Willows Bloom and Fade 4.0 Klepto Robot Viennese Emperor 3.6 Jonathan Fraser The Art of Apathy 3.8 Transient Root Innershift 3.8 crystal rose summer shoes 3.8
I had a feeling I was going I to really like For Fear by Green Palm Radiation by just reading about some of his influences ranging from Yo La Tengo to Simon and Garfunkel. For Fear is a diverse album in a number of ways. A lot of the aesthetics in the recording themselves sound different and the music can go from what sounds like ’60s inspired Velvet Underground to ’90s indie rock. The album never attempts hip-hop or anything too far in left field but it’s a little hard to define the band under a single genre.
They open with “Forest For Trees” which sounds very similar to the indie rock music I grew up on in the ’90s. It’s basic 4/4, crunchy major and minor chord type stuff aligned with bands like Guided by Voices. I really liked this song. The vocal delivery and melodies particularly stuck out to me. “Way Home” was interesting. Something about this song reminded me of The Beatles. It’s almost like The Beatles discovered indie rock. “In The Haze” is where the aesthetic of the recording changes considerably. It’s another really good song with catchy vocal melodies. “Strategy” could have been a Yo La Tengo B-side. Loved it. “Raise” mixes a similar vibe with a tinge of garage rock while “Rain Delay” contains bright acoustic guitars that have a ’60s folk feel to it. “Lean-To” is atmospheric and dreamy that might help you relax while “Superball” has a good amount of kinetic energy that was really infectious. “Lovesick Lake” is almost pure atmosphere so much so that Pink Floyd comes to mind. The song had a very cosmic sound. “Shut Out” was one of my favorites. The organ and whirlwind of instrumentation combined with some of the most notable vocal melodies make for a psychedelic sound. “For Family, Fear, and Fair” is ethereal and borderline magical sounding at points. They close with the cerebral and melancholy “Essay On Dreams.” They are very subdued here and pull it off. As an engineer I have a lot of thoughts. It wouldn’t have been easy even for the best mastering engineers but getting a more unified sonic imprint to the songs would have made the experience feel more like an album. I know those days are long dead but I still prefer listening from beginning to end. It’s not even the writing that was different. It was strictly the engineering side which made me feel I was listening to self-contained islands of songs with different tones, textures, compression techniques, RMS levels and EQ curves All that being said I really thought these songs were great. The band has no lack of tools or talent. I thought the songs were well performed and written with plenty of emotional depth. Recommended.
Pushing an interesting post-punk out of Little Rock, Arkansas is Mount Desert Island. Their latest album is Let Me In and it's a subtle romp through political and personal narratives. Their genre blend is a complex one of indie and alt rock with heavy notes of grunge. It's sort of like a quiet, indie rock riot. Enough of me trying to peg the album. Let's dig into what made me like this album.
On the narrative side, this album is pretty damn thick. Everything from breakups, to war to immigration is addressed across the nine tracks. These heavy handed lyrics are armed with the voice of Anthony Jarrell, who is essentially fifty percent of this group. He delivers impassioned and vulnerable vocal performances that stuck with me. His performance style is one that is often aloof and haunting. It's not hard to identify who his vocalist idols are and lord knows I'm a fan of all of them so naturally Jarrell's vocal contributions work for me. Musically this album plays with a lot of different tactics. The other half of this group is Micah McClellan who happens to be drummer. Percussion had a big role for me with this album. Sometimes they would use the organic talents of McClellan and sometimes they would opt for drum and base machines, sometimes both. There was always a lot of thought sewn into the percussive elements when they were present whether it was electronic or not. It got to the point where I wasn't getting much percussion that I would miss it. The guitar and bass elements are another block in the album's solid foundation. It was here that they really dictated their mood whether it was surfy and lofty or dark and introspective. The tracks that focused on bass and guitar were often lively and many times along a vintage counter culture vein compared to the tracks that were supported by atmospheric and electronic elements which were often more moody and psychedelic. Naturally there were tracks where all these elements collided, and those often became my favorites. I did hit a snag with some of the production choices even if I understand why they chose to do things a certain way. Given my affinity for Jarrell's vocal work, I would get a little frustrated when he would get buried underneath all the fuzz and ruckus. Not that I'm against ruckus, by all mean, ruckus away, and this album has some top tier ruckus. "Let Me In" actually did a good job of isolating Jarrell's vocals so I could take them in without effort which is great because the lyrics on that track are fantastic. I get that there is an instinct to lean toward a garage punk sound with their mixing choices, and it fits. However I feel a few tweaks in favor of vocals or even the awesome bass on certain tracks would have been beneficial. I also think isolating elements outside of the guitar and percussion would shake some of the dated sounding haze that would hang over several of the tracks. What I can say? I hear a lot of talent in these layers and I just wanna gobble it all up.
Based in Menston, UK, Paul Davy offers listeners a “distinct bluesy/folk style with storytelling” that’s “truly at its heart.” Influenced by a wide range of artists including Gerry Rafferty, Rab Noakes, Thea Gilmore, Capercaille, Old Crow Medicine Show and Eddie Reader, Davy has been writing music since his teens. According to his biography, he set his guitar to one side when career and family took over in his late-20s – he is a father of two – but when one of his earliest home recordings was unearthed in 2010 by his sons he began to write again. Following up his debut album Better Late is Ancestors, a five-song EP about mortality and loss with a surprisingly uplifting sound.
The songs were all written on the Scottish islands of Orkney and Lismore. It was produced by Nigel Stonier and engineered by Seadna McPhail, who also worked on Better Late. Recorded at Airtight Studios, Chorlton, Manchester, UK, Stonier also played bass, keyboards, acoustic guitar and sang backing vocals, while Davy’s friends and family were playing with him on various instruments. Davy also recruited the help of Che Beresford from the bands Black Grape and Capercaille to play drums and percussion. “Ancestors” is described as a waltz that is “part love song” and “part we will know when our time on the planet is up when the ancestors come calling.” If you listen closely and know what a waltz is, Davy and company play it beautifully, in a nice, gentle fashion. I wish more artists played them. And if you like the warm, mellow sound of the cello, you’ll like this one for sure. “Who's Going to Miss You When You're Gone” is a sorrowful song for the National Health Service – the NHS. Davy’s words are a call to save it before it's too late. He ‘personifies’ the service by using the pronoun ‘you’ – as his words say, “you gave them hope / you took their fear / you gave them a shoulder for their tears… they’re going to miss you when you’re gone.” This tune features a combination of cello and violin solos that are gorgeous and a tempo that’s slow, but perfect for the song’s context. “What Am I to Do” is about grief and loss. The act of holding onto someone but then, letting go. There’s a sweet and soulful harmonica solo on this one and overall, in the style of a slow dancing ballad. “Go Tell Aunt Mary” is an upbeat number in bluesy rock n’ roll fashion. Lyrically, it’s about a fictional person who’s called on when it's time to go – but, go where Davy doesn’t specifically name a place, other than “home.” Back-to-back harmonica and guitar solos are a highlight here. The last song “Clouds” is about hope and coming out on the other side after a devastating event in your life. I really liked Davy’s words on this one – very poetic. I especially liked the chorus “let’s just see what tomorrow will bring / let’s just sit and wait / put some money on sunshine ahead / let’s just sit here and wait.” On the whole, I liked how Paul Davy and his band mixed old-world styles and sounds, along with takes on more modern genres – a good variety for those who like a bit of everything.
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Justin Moran is an artist from California who recently released BLURRY. The EP was recorded in one take and revolves around guitar and vocals. According to his Bandcamp page BLURRY describes the loss and gradual reclamation of self that occurs following a tragic life event. That description resonated with me since I have practiced meditation for years. One of the main ideas or even goals of certain disciplines of mediation is to lose the sense of self, not get it back.
The songs all seem to come from the same foundation of melancholy. Moran has a good voice and often sounds like the archetype of the tortured singer/songwriter whispering truths to the listeners. The songs are covered in a lot of reverb. As an engineer myself I’m not exactly sure why there was so much reverb. You usually want a sense of intimacy with these types of songs but the hall reverb made it hard to pay attention to details and nuances of both the guitar and the vocals. One thing I will point out is that if you are going to coat an instrument in a lot of reverb it is usually advantageous to lay off reverb on other elements because a lot frequencies build up and compete for space. The EP starts with “Blurry” where the guitar is strummed throughout There are multiple degrees of intensity and Moran does a great job controlling the dynamics with his playing style and vocals. By around the two-minute mark Moran is going all out. “Bloom” starts off very subtle and subdued. It sounds really good. The song builds quickly with more traditional strumming and grows more intense as it grows. “Black Tattoo” follows a similar formula with some subdued picking and more intense strumming. Even after a couple of listens to these songs they felt really similar to me. That's a bad thing because it makes the experience feel cohesive but I felt like I wanted something to define the individual songs more. I’m not sure what happened to the recording quality on “Battle Cry.” The better quality returns on “Where Will I Be” which is the arguable highlight. That being said the emotional foundation felt very aligned with the previous songs. I would like to hear Moran’s abilities that weren’t in one take. At some point working in a studio with a producer, engineers and even other musicians may be advantageous to his music. Moran is a solid songwriter who has a notable singing voice. I look forward to hearing more from the young talent.
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