Rochester, New York’s Lloyd Milburn and his powerhouse jazz rock band have just released their new album Elekriti for download and on limited edition CD. Milburn is known primarily as a poet, writer and educator with several publishing credits to his name, so it’s a bit surprising that his music sounds like the second coming of John McLaughlin.
Milburn’s bio states that he began playing upright bass in New York orchestras, and later learned the bass parts on entire albums by Yes and Rush… for fun! However, it neglects to say whether Milburn plays bass exclusively in his own power trio (I believe his does), which has a very distinct Chris Squire Rickenbacker feel. Adding to the confusion, there’s also some excellent keyboard playing, which technically makes them a quartet. Apparently there are full band credits on the CD, but really, it doesn’t cost anything to add them to Bandcamp! The players recorded these six tracks live at Blackdog Studios in Rochester, followed by a year of tweaking and mixing. The recordings are generally quite clean, though Milburn does occasionally go a bit ’60s-crazy with the stereo panning. “My Highwire Act” is a lengthy 11-minute jam (as are most of these tracks) and comes roaring out of the gate in triple time with the energy and chops of Al DiMeola, Return To Forever, Billy Cobham and other jazz-prog combos. Atop a simple chord scheme, all the players take ferocious solo turns, sometimes grabbing the spotlight and other times intertwining and complementing each other, including a drum solo! By the time the track has finished we’ve had four distinct movements, including a more gentle picked section toward the end. “Elekriti” feels very much like a Mahavishnu Orchestra track, both in melodies and performance. Milburn’s own lyrics appear in this song, translated into Spanish and performed by Flamenco singer Curro Cueto of Sevilla, Spain, along with a poem sung by Vidya Naganathan. This song even features a vibes solo, followed by even more amazing guitar acrobatics and some lead playing by Milburn on bass. “Ascent” changes tack dramatically with a slower, Spanish-sounding instrumental with Milburn playing acoustic guitars, viola and Peruvian hand drum. Short but lovely. “In The Dark” is described as “lightning-in-a bottle funk-jazz-rock with power drumming, electric guitar shredding and of course untamed bass by the master of ceremonies, Lloyd Milburn.” The groove begins more laid-back funky with the guitarist improvising cool circular riffs over relatively simple chord schemes. Of course the playing escalates in skill and intensity, until at the end the drummer says: “I broke a stick.” “In Wildness” is another nearly solo tune by Milburn, who played acoustic guitars, bass and viola with percussion (bongos, congas, etc.) by Mark Drost. It’s a nice changeup from the full band sound, including a reappearance of flamenco singer Curro Cueto. The naturalistic playing melds into a strange and evocative soundscape of backward tracking and samples with Milburn’s bass taking center stage. “Hang Gliding” is an 11-minute concluding “wild ride with musical synergy captured live in the studio.” The guitarist vocalizes along with his playing for a cool effect, then blazes away for more killer soloing. The band pulls back for Milburn’s solo, then delves into a third movement before a series of descending riffs takes us to the explosive conclusion. If you love this type of music - and you know who you are - these guys have the goods and deliver in spades.
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Other Adults is the music project of Philadelphia-based Zach Fogleman, who creates impressively thought-provoking indie rock music with touches of punk and grunge. Heavily influenced by the likes of Pavement, Pixies and Elliott Smith, amongst other indie heroes. On the recently released seven-track album Something To Fight About, Other Adults is not afraid to tackle complex topics from politics, childhood to adulthood, love, trauma, family and everything in between. The touching influence Fogleman's recently deceased father Herb has on the album gives it a beautifully poignant personal resonance, which can truly be felt throughout.
Something To Fight About opens up with the track “Consent," and the impressive driving guitar tone really sets the mood for the record and is just the start of the exceptional guitar work evident in the album. "Dial Tone" sees some of Other Adults’ best work, with its piercingly emotive lead guitar and spacey ambient production. This aligns perfectly with the sad sentiment the track conveys of the emotions and grief associated with losing a lost one. The addition of Fogleman's dad's personal voice message saying "Give me a shout or give me a buzz " give "Dial Tone" a hauntingly beautiful personal essence that will play on the heartstrings of any listener. An artist’s willingness to be vulnerable with the audience is always commendable, and Zach Fogleman goes above and beyond that on this track. On “Melodrama,” I love the call and response vocals by Fogleman, and his ability to humorously trivialize tough-talking subjects, in this case, relationship insecurities (very Pavement like!), as well as the catchy chorus, which is the most poppy Other Adults gets on the whole album. "Happy Life" is a suitable conclusion to the album, as it links all the tones prevalent throughout, ranging from childhood to adulthood, in a heavy reverb induced, climactic closer. Overall with Something To Fight About Other Adults has created an exciting, sentimental and emotive album. Fogleman is clearly a talented artist with ambitious visions and striking commentary of the poignant points of life (which is a rare ability to find in modern music) that we can all connect to. I think with better production (such as double-tracking some vocal parts, more reverb and grandiose instrumentation), Other Adults can produce even more spectacular work. But despite this, Something To Fight About is still a refreshingly honest and engaging listen from start to finish. Thank you, Zach Fogleman, for your bravery and honesty.
Everybody's Houdini is the latest from Don't Blink. I've mentioned before that the artist is very prolific. This release adds to his already impressive discography. He mentions on his Bandcamp page: “I think every group of song has their own character depending on when in an artist life the songs were written or, when in ( in this case ) what was happening around me soaked into these songs, written between November, 2020 and March, 2021 a lot has happened to us collectively, I would like to think my music reflects, at the very least what’s happening.”
The album seems to revolve around politics, COVID and the general feeling a lot of us have had during these times. “Crawling Up The Walls To Eden” is the first song and is an intense song which is a little over seven minutes long. The instrumentation creates a psychedelic swirl of music that provides the canvas for the interpretative lyrics. “Reach The Day” contains a little more levity and seems to be about someone who can provide some solace in trying times. The music is again sort of psychedelic sounding because of how much is happening. “Day By Day'' was one of the highlights. It’s melancholy but warm and contains some fantastic piano that was impressive on both a technical and creative level. It also felt like one of the more positive and uplifting songs in the batch. He has more success with “Follow The River” which was a delightful tune that was dynamic and emotive while “In The Beginning” contains some killer organ, distorted guitar and a driving sense of energy. The album continues with “What Remains” which is a fast moving tune but also very catchy. I also thought the title track “Everybody’s Houdini” was an emotionally resonant song with some more notable piano. Last up is “Thicker Than Water (when ya gonna wake up) which felt like the cathartic moment the album was leading to. This is one of my favorite releases from the artist which expands on the feeling a lot of people felt in 2020. Recommended.
David Hunt Cameron is what used to be called a Renaissance Man: he’s a multi-instrumentalist, composer, solo artist, band leader and educator with alumni spread across the world. Currently, he’s a full time music teacher at the Gateway School in Santa Cruz. Early this year he released his second solo album titled 9th Planet. These 12 songs encompass folky acoustic, rock, funk and psychedelic styles.
Cameron hasn’t listed any player credits, but given that he fronts a large performing band called Fat Grass Corduroy, I’m sure some of his sidemen appear in these tunes. It’s a full-sounding band with background singers, keyboards, strings, horns and drums. Cameron himself sings lead and plays acoustic and electric guitar. The album was recorded at Wind River Studios in Santa Cruz. The opening tune “Pluto” sets us up for Cameron’s unique sensibility, as this song celebrates “the love of our smallest planet that was taken away from us when designated as a planetoid.” Anyone who was alive when this happened can relate! After a spacey, Telstar-like fade in, Cameron’s lush guitars and CSN-like harmonies weave a sweet and hummable ode to the late planet. “Don’t let them take my friends away… a circle of something that’s so far away… I got lost on Pluto searching for you tonight.” The fretless-sounding bass provides fine melodic counterpoint to Cameron’s strumming and vocals, as does the later addition of a lush string section. “Funk Isn’t Fast” is a chance for Cameron the Educator to step forward, instructing the rhythm section (literally, during a rap performance) that true funk should be “kept on the down low.” It’s a fun tune, though it’s always a little quirky when older white guys try to “get down.” There’s Ohio Players-style keys and horns, and the lead guitar break is especially tasty. “Coconut Tree” slows things down for a gentle acoustic tribute to the victims of the 2011 Tsunami in Japan and South East Asia, where Cameron was living at the time. Told from the view of a coconut tree, Cameron’s direct experience translates into a heartbreaking reverie with a beautiful rising chorus. Cameron then moves into doo wop/R&B territory with the swampy “So Much Going On” which he wants you to imagine Tom Jones is singing, though I couldn’t stop hearing Elton John. “Edward Craven Walker” - which amusingly sounds like a made-up name - is an ode to the late creator of the Lava Lamp and one of the first nudists in the UK. It’s a great idea for a song, with very funny lyrics and tons of respect: “Set up in the center of every hippie shrine / We drift away to contemplate a hero’s grand design / We just sat and stared, now it’s time to kneel and pray.” More lush strings fill out the tune. “Strange Artist” is a jazzy romp about the weird illustrators in coffee shops who might actually be geniuses, with Cameron decrying his lack of ability in the visual arts. I have a feeling this song resonates more in arty Santa Cruz, as Hollywood has mostly guys with laptops. “Secret Messages” is an achingly sweet but witty ode to Cameron’s fiancé, featuring delicately picked guitars, flute, piano and a horn solo. “Get Wet” adds reggae to Cameron’s tool kit for an amiable Jimmy Buffett-like excursion. “Right Hand Man” features jangly Byrds-like guitars for an upbeat pop rock gem with a bit of Allman Brothers flavor to the lead guitar and vocals. For the folky conclusion, Cameron explains: “I lived in Vietnam for several years, and I missed home so so much - especially the high mountains of the Sierra Nevada Range.” It’s a yearning, wistful tune and the perfect end to this collection. Cameron is obviously a stupendously talented singer/songwriter and this set more than delivers on his promise.
Denver-based Distance Walk is an indie folk quartet. They’re spearheaded by songwriter, vocalist and banjoist Barry Osborne. In true folk fashion, they add fiddle (Olivia Shaw) and guitar (Yoni Fine); Distance Walk sets their own sound by adding Niki Tredinnick’s clarinet and cajon-driven percussion. As the band tells us, the music has “a vibe that flirts with Irish or Celtic sounds, but remains planted in American music traditions”.
Their eponymous debut EP Distance Walk opens with the haunting feel of “Blood Red Moon.” Clarinets mixed low and right make animal-like noises against wide-spaced vocal harmonies as Osborne incants “sing to the blood-red moon.” There are a lot of criss-crossing lines with melodies from the fiddle, clarinet, and guitar, all propelled by cajon and little sprinkles of tambourine. It’s a cool track, although the vocals seemed a little bit pitchy; it may have been by design, though. Tredinnick shines on the next track, “Hush Called a Whisper.” She plays lovely counterpoints on her clarinet and coaxes several different tones from the woodwind--in turn breathy and deep, sweet and plaintive, or bright and cheerful. It’s a terrific display of the range of the instrument, and the back-and-forth with Shaw’s fiddle is a delight. The other three tracks follow a similar feel, which would be my main critique of the work. The five tracks are all approximately the same tempo and texture, so they blend together a bit. Each has its own highlights: “Come A Little Bug” has a nice rhythm figure from the banjo, and the claves on “On The Day We Meet Again” sparkle, for instance. The band is almost hemmed in by its choice of instrumentation. It’s great if that’s the sound you like, but a little more variety would be appreciated, too. They do include a bit of accordion on one cut (“On the Day We Meet Again”), which was a nice touch. Lyrically, Osborne employs a lot of natural imagery, including trees, insects, stars, the moon, etc. To drive the point home, the Bandcamp release of Distance Walk includes a bonus “field recording” where you hear whatever was happening in the field when they hit the record button. I guess that’s fine on an electronic release, but I’d be pretty bummed if I got this LP home only to find they’d filled half of a side with, literally, crickets. All that said, folk music fans should enjoy Distance Walk. It’s a slightly different take on the genre, and the band is definitely on an intriguing path.
Tidy Leopard is led by Queenstown, New Zealand, based musician Leo Titley. He is a drummer-turned-guitarist-turned-producer. His sound which combines elements of progressive metal and atmospheric ambiance incorporates all his recent music reincarnations. On his latest EP Galactic Bypass, Titley shows his chops on guitar, bass and drums as well as his programming expertise. The music, which can at times be intricate, contains moments of playful ambiance and serious progressive rock influences. Inspired by solo acts like David Maxim Micic and Sithu Aye as well as heavy sounds from bands like Opeth and Tool, this concept album created on a holiday and throughout the lockdown will transport you with its otherworldly and sci-fi themes. A journey through our galaxy, stars and back, Galactic Bypass has the ability to let us escape from reality much like how an involved video game or TV series can. This six-track collection is a ride through our planetary solar system. Keeping your mind suspended through greatly imaginative works, Titley wastes no little effort in keeping us entertained.
Galactic Bypass gets started with “In The Black” that sets off to a bouncy beat where the instrumentals come in leaning into a lush sound. The layers of instruments create a melodic and intricate soundscape. The music felt very ear-pleasing. Slowly the sounds grow in momentum. Eventually, the drums settle into the groove along with electronic riffs. The sounds feel very ambient and atmospheric. There was an Eastern flair to it that made the music feel more exotic. The jangly rhythms and shimmering guitars really made up this sound. Right off the bat, some rumbling bass and a revved drumming section starts off “Nerve Burner.” The sound is heavier with a more aggressive-based vibe here. The dark riffs run through the gamut on this track, making for an edgy and gritty listening experience. Off to a more stripped intro, slowly the sound of reverberating keys sounds off out of the stillness on “Caraya’s Soul.” The sound is sparse at first. Next, some bass joins in. Slowly some groovy guitars set the tone for this song. On “Fierfek,” some echo-y guitar riffs settle into this track toward the start. More explosive guitars create a wall of sound. The sound is loud and juts in and out of this song. Next, the drums and bass join in for a big demanding sound. The riffs are heavy and aggressive. This felt like a hard rock number with progressive metal influences. On “Stars’ End,” flaring riffs start out this track. Next, some melodic guitars arrive. The sound is atmospheric and ambient. Gradually, the rhythms become more upbeat with a driven drumming beat. The music just builds and builds. Eventually, the riffs become more hard-hitting and aggressive, feeding into the frenzy of the music. Radioactive guitar blazes in the forefront of “In The Blue” for an explosive sound. The heavy vibes become more adamant. As some synthetic strings add a lush overarching vibe, this seemed to be an epic way to finish this album with this ambient yet expressive closer. Mood and ambiance play a huge part in this undertaking. Once you close your eyes and let the music wash over you, you may begin to see a movie beginning to play in your head. Everyone may envision something different as everyone’s background and experiences vary. What everyone may similarly agree on is Titley’s ability as a musician. Progressive rock being a musicians’ music, Titley has all the technical aspects to this recording down pat. The smooth transitions and intricate chord progressions make this a seamless listening experience. Everything from the riffs to grooves all came together into one effective whole. He shows a whole lot of potential here. This album proved to be a good introduction to Titley’s sound and I look forward to hearing more.
Toronto-based David Finneran, recording as Bun, has released a debut EP Tree Branch. This EP is mainly a solo effort. Finneran is the songwriter, lyricist, singer, guitarist and bassist. He also engineered and produced two of the three tracks at home with only the title cut using an outside studio. Drums are capably handled by Ben Graffam.
Finneran says that the EP’s listener “will be rewarded with fresh winds of progressive nostalgia.” That’s an apt way of describing Tree Branch. He employs familiar sounds and approaches, joins them in interesting ways and then gives everything his own spin. For instance, “You Know (I Know You Know)” starts with a flanged guitar, and works a shifting feel over the 6/8 time signature, giving a nod to prog-rock. Then it gets heavier, almost as if the Smiths went to cover a Black Sabbath song, although neither Ozzy nor Morrisey could hit those high notes in the backing vocals. The title cut (and single) explores an alt-rock feel. The bass line makes the song, giving the cool guitar progression extra oomph. Finneran’s chromatic ending shows a deft songwriting touch. “Yawn Chain” is the pick of the three tracks. It starts off in a poppy, new wave feel with clean-toned guitars nailing a killer riff under beautifully layered vocals. The middle section reimagines the riff in a heavier, fuzzier, almost punk vein. In a wonderful turn of arrangement, the two sections then combine for a fuzzy-guitar solo over the clean-guitar riffing. It’s a treat! These three tracks are well-imagined, well-crafted, and well-executed. Finneran says he is “determined to collect and document” his various songs, so let’s hope there’s more to come from Bun.
Born and raised in NYC, guitarist and songwriter Jack Broza makes music out of things he has gathered. Trained as a jazz and classical guitarist, Jack studied composition at Yale University and Afro-Cuban music while living in Havana. Intricate textures and jarring arrangements fill his songs with unexpected turns. His 2018 debut album Gather, Together (which was also reviewed on Divide and Conquer) leaps between Cuban salsa, chamber music, spoken word and more, featuring a variety of vocalists and languages. This year, he is releasing a series of five EP's — each project zeros in on a different sound world, but all of them place Broza's own vocals at the forefront. The first of these releases is Not That Deep. The demo's for this EP were written and recorded while traveling in Havana, New Orleans and Miami. Broza spent Fall 2018 through Spring 2019 completing a research fellowship about Cuban music and in his spare time he outlined the songs using just a laptop, travel guitar and zoom H6. The songs run continuously into one another and are equal parts intimate and extravagant — confessional lyrics accompanied by guitar or piano will unexpectedly explode into dramatic and ornately orchestrated walls of sound. The songs rarely start in the same place they end up and each track has a unique sound world. All instruments, vocals and production were done by Broza except, Nathan Reising on saxophone (track two), Griffin Brown on drums and vocals (tracks one, three, four), and Carmen Lawrence on vocals (track one). Mastered by Jamie Lawrence.
Broza states in the opener “Walk Away, Run” switches between a polyrhythmic guitar ostinato and a synth-pop chorus. I can’t even imagine what Broza’s fingers are doing on the guitar – just hearing it is amazing enough. The rhythm is complex, layered and funky all in one. A journey into all things experimental – I couldn’t even tell you who I would compare Broza to musically. “All-Nighters” builds through a virtuosic saxophone solo into a dreamy outro. The beginning starts off in hushed, light acoustic tones, and then some more synth textures along with a smooth sax. Lyrically, it’s pretty sparse. Next “Not Everything’s a Phase” trickles in with piano with some interesting guitar plucks here and there. The lyrics suggest not looking into a relationship so seriously, or at least, trying to figure where one fits into the picture. Maybe walking away from the screen and walking your four-legged friend will help. The style with this number is quite varied, mixing influences of African, Cuban, jazz and synth pop. Broza states the EP’s title comes from a lyric in this track: “Sometimes a bad week, is just seven bad days. Not everything’s a phase…. It’s not that deep, just seven bad days.” The last track “Lifeline” (featuring Griffin Brown on vocals), uses re-sampled fragments of Broza’s classical guitar playing to create a murky sea of “throbbing harmony.” The beginning is pretty wild, as it does not sound like your usual classical guitar. There are more experimental sounds to be had here for sure, some rather psychedelic. Lyrically, the words are a downer as Broza writes about a best friend dying “found floating up the San Francisco tide line.” The warning signs were missed, the lifeline wasn’t strong enough. But he intercedes for other listeners midway in the song, who may be going through dark times – “So if you get to the end of your rope, hold on… ‘Cuz even if you’re at the end of your rope you can survive.” Broza’s Not That Deep, seemed pretty deep to me – and intensely creative! Not something I would recommend if you wanted to listen to the usual three-minute sing-along pop song. This is deeper.
Kyle Bugg is a multi-instrumentalist and singer/songwriter located in Kingston, WA. Originally from Marquette, MI, he brings his often-chaotic bursting with enthused notes of rock n’ roll in the vein of Queens of the Stone Age, Radiohead and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club to audiences everywhere. Though a tad on the lo-fi end, the sound on his latest EP Half Done Things mixes dark psychedelia with introspection. Right from the get-go, you can feel Bugg’s raucous energy permeating these tracks. Fasten your seatbelts as his grit-filled vocals, fuzzed-out guitars and big demanding drums will take you through the fast lanes of life. Bugg certainly knows how to rock out as these soundscapes packed with dramatic reverb and distortion which will really take you to that musical sweet spot.
Half Done Things gets realized with “Paper Thin,” where big demanding drums sound off on the start of this track. Echo-y, reverb-drenched vocals follow through. The amped guitars and bass add to the energies. This song is fueled by invigorating instrumentals. The fuzzy guitars make for a deeply effective sound. At moments this had a big bluesy pulse to it that reminded me of Radiohead and The Black Keys. In fact, there was something to Bugg’s affection here that recalled a Thom Yorke vibe. Some monotone piano and a sizzling drumming beat settles into the groove as slowly evolving guitars ebbs and flows in on “Last One Alive… Turn Out The Lights.” This felt like an inviting bluesy track with an epically cool lounge vibe. This was a departure from the raucous energy being felt in the previous song. This track had a more ominous vibe to it as the artist shows his darker side with this edgy undertaking. On “Funeral Fit For A Monster,” chord progressions on the acoustic guitar make up the intro of this song. Slowly the loud sounds of piano join in. The music is overpowering, nearly overshadowing the vocals. Perhaps more fidelity could balance out the sounds. The percussive beats were very lively. The combined vocal harmonies at moments reminded me of The Beatles. On the title track “Half Done Things,” Bugg flips the script with this recording. Programmed beats settle into the groove, making for some bouncy rhythms. Once his echo-y vocals come in, the sound becomes more raw and live-sounding. Though a hint more lo-fi than the previous sections of the album there is no doubt the melodic and catchy energy of this track. Some acoustic guitar shows a more intimate side to the artist as he performs the quiet and warm “I Found God In A Cardboard Box.” The sound grows in traction as some percussive beats join in. I felt Bugg’s vocals had a strange warbling quality to them here. But, nonetheless, this felt like a classic folk-rock song filled with warm notes. This seemed like a thought-provoking way to close the album. Chock-full of reverb and distortion added to the overall raw factor within these recordings. This rawness did not go on to hinder the album, in fact, I felt it added to to it. Brimming with infectious energy, Bugg’s seems to really deliver the goods here, bringing each section out with his creative efforts. But what I would have liked to see is Bugg’s having more musicians onboard and getting their take on this project in order to flesh out a more multifaceted undertaking. Not that Half Done Things by any means fell flat. I just think that by having more people on this could have a more creative impact on what Bugg is trying to do here. With that food for thought, I thought this was a great start. I enjoyed everything on this album and look forward to seeing where he goes from here.
Rocker Neal Sears has been playing with the Fulton’s Underground Band in the Quad Cities for the past six years and has lent his chops to other bands for longer than that. For his latest solo undertaking Glimmer of Light, Sears also enlisted the help of his buddies from Fulton’s Underground Band, especially Adam P. Vegas for his guitarwork on the album. Having played in other people’s bands including a cover band Momma’s Puddin’ for the most part of his career, Sears is finally embarking on his own project, a hard balance between solo and collaborative. From radio-friendly hits like “I Don’t Call Her Anymore” to punk-inspired jams like “Legacy Of The Beef Man” and the reggae-infused “Give Way To The Morning,” Sears uncompromisingly makes music on his own terms and this shows throughout this six-track collection of fun-loving rock tunes.
Glimmer of Light opens up with “I Don’t Call Her Anymore,” as a fiery Latin vibe could be felt right from the start. As guitars and drums settle in, a flute also weaves in tracing a delicate sound. I loved Sears' vocals right from the start. This pop rock-based track felt very accessible. All the instrumentals really came together effectively, bursting with rhythms and grooves. More driven guitars start off “Car Bomb.” Here Sears’ vocals sound deeper with a reverberating twist. The music also feels darker with a more ominous vibe. It reminded me in instances of Johnny Cash. I loved this new dark twist with its flavorful rock notes. Some bongos give “Lost Love (ft. Mateja Schuck)” a lively island flavor. Settling into the groove are some percussive beats and guitars. Combined female and male vocals weave into this recording. The keys and hushed background vocal harmonies also adds to the mellow vibes. On “Hello Li’l Red,” some jangly guitars highlight the shimmering sound coming off this song. Filled with amped notes, this energized anthem is packed full of aggressive rock flavors. The epic guitar solos are explosive. For the most part this track consists of Sears repeating the line “Hello Li’l Red.” Off to a sauntering groove, the tune on “Give Way To Morning” meanders for a bit. Next, a very island-flavored reggae vibe comes in. The tune is very uplifting and groovy. This felt like a dance-worthy track. I loved the feel-good vibes here. Some keys set the tone for the start of “Legacy Of The Beef Man,” making for a wall of sound. The combined vocal harmonies felt very on-point as this rocking punk rock song feels very driven and amped. I greatly enjoyed the delivery on this energized closer. Taking the lead in all these tracks is Sears’ commanding stage presence. He commandeers with dynamic showmanship, reining in listeners as he tackles each track with his convincing onstage persona. Each track on this eclectic album stands out on its own merits. With no two tracks alike, Sears’ new record Glimmer of Light feels like a wild ride through rock history’s best moments. With dashes of classic rock, indie, punk, reggae and more, Sears certainly keeps it coming with his high-energy performances that definitely feed into the frenzy of these fervent rock tracks. These songs feel very much in the traditional vein, as Sears keeps the familiar and accessible vibe of classic rock alive in these tracks. Purists of the genre will find something to appreciate here. This proved to be one enjoyable ride down memory lane as Sears carries the torch for other like-minded bands. I look forward to seeing more from this artist.
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