Steve Farrell is a Newcastle Upon Tyne born singer/songwriter currently living on the Norfolk coast who recently released Merry Go. There are eleven songs and almost all of them are just acoustic guitar and vocals.
I’m not saying this in a pejorative way but I felt like I was at an open mic when listening to these songs and it wasn’t just the fact that it was a guy with his guitar. It was also the recording quality which sounds very live with no overdubs. The songs are for the most part very simple anyway you slice them. Farrell uses mostly minor and major chords with some variation and sings over it. That’s really about it. There are some nice songs overall which felt heartfelt and sincere. I did appreciate the songs which had some added instrumentation like “Home Is Where The Heart Is.” Violin is always beautiful and that’s no exception on “Hold Back.” Almost all the songs seemed to have a very similar emotional center. There’s a lot of reflection, nostalgia and sentimentality. Because of that, the songs really blended into one another and often felt like I was listening to variations of the same mood. There are some different chords and lyrics but the mood and feeling was consistent. On that note there were some standouts. I really enjoyed “Life Together” although this song felt like it needed a full band. The closer “Across the Sea” was a highlight as well. The songs had a sing-along quality which is partially why perhaps I was thinking of these songs at open mic. It also reminded me of back in the '80s when I was kid and they would have singer/songwriters come to school with their guitar and sing songs. The songs felt similar to that. I hope he takes this as a compliment but certain songs like the title song “Merry Go” felt like it could be a perfect song for kids if we changed around some of the lyrics slightly. The album is fine for what it is. It’s not trying to break boundaries or have inventive production and sometimes that’s perfectly fine. Take a listen.
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Chelsea Eiben is an electronica artist located in Greenville, SC, but originally from Southern California. She has been making music ever since she was young. Lately there have been a wave of pandemic-bands and bands that make music about the pandemic. Eiben is mostly in the latter. Beginning is Eiben’s latest EP release and sees the artist exploring the ‘End of Times’ themes we are in. So many of us saw the parallels to apocalyptic universes like The Walking Dead when the pandemic hit and now with the Delta variant, these themes are still as relevant as ever. Nothing says ‘end of the world’ more than Eiben’s disarming spoken word vocals that oftentimes half-sings and half-chants the lyrics. The way her vocals are executed aptly captures the immediacy of such events. In the background, the pulsating electronica music creates a backdrop to her matter-of-fact vocals. In this release, you can see her experimenting with a dance vibe with such surprise inclusions of instruments like the banjo and acoustic guitar to create a full and unique modern mixture.
Beginning opens with the title track “Beginning,” where Eiben’s vocals sound out here. Next, some radio-active synths activate. The gravitating beats are oddly enough juxtaposed with a banjo solo, giving this track a country-twist feel. As an EDM and electronica vibe ignites, the echo-y performance poetry segment makes for an experimental feel. In an off-key manner Eiben once again half-sings and spoken words the vocals on “Bloody Vaccine.” The synths and bouncy beats act as a background to her vocals. Her howling chants steals the show as you can’t get past how chilling she sounds. On “Divinity,” some percussive beats meet the start of the song. As some keys highlight the sound here, the groove and rhythms grow in vibe. I enjoyed the layers of vocal harmonies overlapping on this track. The urgency of this song was very apparent. On simple acoustic guitar, Eiben howls uninhibitedly with confidence on “Man vs Machine.” Next, some synthetic strings add a touch of discord. The mood of this piece was overall uneasy and disturbed. More bouncy beats come in with synths creating an airy effect in the backdrop on “The War.” Coming in loud and clear is Eiben’s vocals. More dissonance adds an edgy sound to the ebb and flow of the music. This discord captures the off-kilter vibe of the state of our world today. Some beats and synths round out the sound in the beginning giving off a very retro-inspired ‘80s flair on “Aspire.” There was also a very house music vibe coming from the vocals. I thought everything really came together here with Eiben incorporating many different elements for a compelling finale on this closer. These short and quick tracks (often lasting for around two minutes) act like bursts of insight to what the world is going through at the moment. My only critique is that due to the shortness of the tracks, they came across more like vignettes than fully fleshed out numbers. Perhaps by diving deeper into these songs, the artist could expand upon the ideas more, creating more connections from what at first seems like scattered thought-processes. Even though this was a bedroom recording with the lo-fi quality very evident, I thought Eiben did a good job of giving us a glimpse of the type of heightened emotions and anxiety that such a world event could cause. Her choice to incorporate EDM vibes with spoken word vocals fuses a futuristic and new age-y atmosphere that will be sure to resonate deeply with listeners now that we are battling similar themes. Overall, these are some great ideas here and I look forward to seeing more music like this soon.
Folk-country artist Piper Radcliffe has just released his debut album Odyssey, which he calls “the selective product of an enduring songwriting life in private that has now gone public.” Based in Manchester, UK, Radcliffe describes his songs as “a call out on love, loss and fortitude, and aspirations all too often short-changed. It traces the hero's journey that we all make in one form or another.”
The album was recorded at Airtight Studios in Manchester with mixing and mastering by Alan Lowles, who also played keys, double bass and French accordion. The other players are Danny Gruff (electric guitar), Gheorghe Dorin Tuca (violin), Joss Brookes (cello) and Che Beresford (drums). Radcliffe doesn’t list himself but I assume he sings and plays guitar. The album is available as a handsomely designed CD package or as a download. “American Dream” starts the proceedings on a particularly “American” footing. Radcliffe’s singing voice is somewhat high-pitched and has a friendly, expansive quality, and his music betrays a strong country sound for an English lad. This particular song wouldn’t be out of place in the hands of a John Mellencamp or even Bruce. The cello and violin players make their first appearance toward the end, and they contribute way more than their weight in expanding Radcliffe’s sound. “Can’t See The Wood For The Trees” (great title!) is an uptempo acoustic anthem. The happily-strummed guitar chords nicely support Radcliffe’s lyrics: “Open your eyes and face down your fears / You're not really drowning it's only your tears / Life is in color, not black and white / Don't run for cover, stand there and fight.” “I Let You Down” slows things down a bit for a string-heavy ballad with Radcliffe in “romantic regrets” mode. He sings: “I have to live with what I've done / I can't undo what I've become / I don't have words to make amends / It's not enough to just be friends.” The violin and cello overdubs work beautifully and feel like a miniature string section, a kind of second cousin to McCartney’s “Yesterday” quartet. “Perfect Intentions” has a bit of zydeco herky-jerky swagger, thanks in large part to the French accordion. “Setting Sun” is a more aggressive folk-pop tune with acoustic piano, chiming country electrics and a very different and assertive Radcliffe vocal with British Invasion harmonies. I really like the use of similar sounding words in the chorus: “I’ll say goodbye, se la vie / I'll say goodbye and sail away.” A standout track for me! “Last Breath” feels Irish traditional, ironically thanks to the accordion but also due to the lilt of Radcliffe’s heavily layered vocals. (Russell Eckersley and Penny Inglis added to the note-perfect harmonies.) As the title of the song “Last Breath” implies, Radcliffe now faces the Great Beyond: “So it's all right now, I'll take my last breath / Time to pass over and be with the rest / Yes it's all right now, I'll take my last breath / I’ll see you mañana and along with the rest.” The album’s final track is the acoustic “Don’t Give In” which again features a zydeco sound but this time over a reggae beat, and is a fittingly upbeat, forward-looking conclusion. Radcliffe’s freshman effort is a solid, inspiring album and well worth checking out.
Somewhere Along Those Lines is the debut album by The Reckoning Wheels. It seems like this is mostly just a solo effort. As an engineer I have to admit it’s pretty amazing what one can do these days from the comfort of their own home.
Somewhere Along Those Lines definitely has an older ’70s type of aesthetic to it. Some of the songs are more rock based and others felt more easy listening. One of the highlights was the opener “Close to Me” which is a little darker than some of the other songs. He’s also at a really good range for his vocals. The next song which I thought was one of the standouts was “(Gotta) Trust It.” It's a basic 4/4 groove with some solid guitar fills here and there. One of the other highlights was “Warm Air Rising” which is more lush and laid back. It’s reflective and nostalgic but also contains a unique solo. The closer “Don’t Give Up” was my favorite song on the album. It’s upbeat and has the best groove as well. There’s a nice juxtaposition between the guitars and organ which sounded really good to my ears. I enjoyed the vocals on this album. They felt heartfelt and sort of like someone who has experienced a good amount of life. My only critique is I did feel like these songs were made to be recorded live with a full band in a room. There’s not much "glue" which is created through things like room mics, overheads, a summing section on a board and analog tape. If there’s one thing I’m not crazy about with new digital recording it’s that everything sounds too separated which is something that is hard to avoid if you are using any virtual instruments. Although I had some strong preferences song-wise I thought this was a good and heartfelt album from beginning to end. The lyrics were top notch and the songwriting was solid with some songs that seemed to reach another level. Take a listen.
Singer/songwriter/pianist living in New York City, Brian Michael Henry, mostly works as an actor in musical theater, most recently portraying Jerry Lee Lewis in various productions and tours of the rock musical Million Dollar Quartet. Henry studied opera/classical music in undergrad and graduate school and has been writing songs privately for years –Remote Work is his first public release. All the music and lyrics were written in the fall of 2020 in his apartment in Inwood, Manhattan and each song is loosely inspired by a different documentary he watched in quarantine (more details later). The vocals, backing vocals, piano and keyboards were done using Logic. Tracks were sent to Henry’s buddy and colleague Colin Summers (of Scrawnyman) in Brooklyn, and he added guitar, bass and drum programming on most of the tracks. The album was mixed and mastered by Eclipse Mixing/Mastering. Being a huge fan of many musical styles and ’80s pop, Henry’s work is inspired by artists such as The Ronettes, The Crystals, Lou Reed, Jim Steinman, Warren Zevon, Anohni, Suicide and Elton John.
“Lucky Days” starts thing off with a chill alternative sound, Wurlitzer keys, echoing old style twangy guitar and a deep baritone by Henry. Next up is “Ruth” and it’s a song about Ruth Madoff, widow of convicted American financial charlatan, Bernie Madoff. Henry’s style is very ‘80s pop, techno even, but with a soft ballad-like quality about it. Something akin to Howard Jones. “Where’s Shelley?” begins with a short ‘Here Comes the Bride’ jingle that makes me think this tune is about a certain bride that left her soon-to-be husband high and dry? However, as the artist points out, this one may or may not have something to do with a famous sitcom actress speaking out against a certain religious group, (but he cannot confirm nor deny that that is what the song is about). Great sounding power chords come in, complete with classic '80s synth and drums. Henry really taps into all things ‘80s with this number, I mean – I thought I was hearing something from an ‘80s movie soundtrack. Spot on! It you’re familiar with cults, particularly religious cults, “Heaven’s Gate” is about just that. There’s an interesting mix of instruments here – bass cello and other strings, layered key/synths and a fantastic melody, although it does have a sadness about it. The way Henry sang this one and wrote it reminds me of Depeche Mode. “No Fun!” switches grooves with a fun beat and classic early ‘80s synths. Lyrically, this one’s about recovery from drug addiction. Moving on is “Supply + Demand” and this one features a unique electric beat with different drum programming and what sounds like a mix of castanets and dry electronic snares. “Never Look Back” features several other players helping – Luke Darnell on additional guitar, bass and mandolin, Lake Wilburn on backing vocals, Sarah Holgate on piano, and Jamie Pittle on drums. Each one of these artists contributed remotely, as the pandemic prevented the group from playing together. It begins with a Queen-like guitar intro and overall, the song has a very theatrical appeal, something that reminds me of Meatloaf (aka Marvin Lee Aday). “Sea Song” is clearly the ballad on the album, and it features a great melody on the piano. Strings are added and a mandolin by Luke Darnell. Colin Summers also contributes. This tune with its accordion, piano and mandolin really harkens back to Billy Joel’s first few albums. "Wild Country" is about Ma Anand Sheela leaving Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh in Waco, Oregon and it you have not seen this documentary – it’s mesmerizing. Henry taps into the Spector’s “wall of sound” from classic, ‘60s do-wop, but he also brings in modern sounds and puts in added bells and a piano/solo guitar pairing. Technically, I thought some of the songs ended too abruptly and perhaps should have been faded out instead. All in all, Remote Work has some pretty good highlights and writing songs based on documentaries is an interesting concept.
Broken Suns were formed in 2018 out of a love of science fiction soundtracks and heavy music. They mention: “We use a mixture of vintage and modular synths and outmoded devices, from sequencing using a 1980s Amiga 500 Computer to a Casio DG-10 electronic guitar modified to make its own kind of digital distortion.” I for one was excited to hear that and ready to hear The Past Devours the Future.
Their release contains three songs and to me there was a mix between thematic synth based sounds plus elements of post-rock. The band has been compared to Godspeed You! Black Emperor and that makes sense to me. I also picked up on some industrial aspects. The first song is entitled “More Satellites Than Stars” and there is a straight kick which gets surrounded with white noise, guitars and more. It’s all about the build and it becomes more thunderous and epic with every passing measure. There is of course a point of no return where the song gets to the highest crescendos and breakdowns to build back up. “Bend Like a Reed in the Wind” has some really inventive percussive aspects which create a lot of momentum. It feels a bit like a chase scene. The thing I enjoyed was the juxtaposition between the percussion and other elements which include haunting organ, pads and more. Once the song gets to the halfway mark it really feels like post-rock all the way down. The alarming horns or what at least sound like horns was great. I mentioned industrial and that genre is the most noticeable on “Tired Hieroglyph” which sounds a bit like NIN. There’s even some haunting classical piano which really adds to Trent Reznor vibes. I thought this was a fun ride for the eighteen-minute length. The songs are longer in typical post-rock fashion but also feel justified in their length. There’s a good amount to appreciate and if you like some of the aforementioned bands this should be in your rotation. 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 Allison Sounds Allison Unplugged 3.8 Peter McDermott The Camera Eye 3.6 Luna Lion The Last Five Years 3.7 Fletcher Zavadil People Watching 3.4 Luke Spillane No Satellites 3.4
Growing Up Punk is the recent release from Ember Mikayla. This sounds similar to an old school ’90s punk album although like many albums was recorded DIY style in a home studio. The artist states: “Most of the songs are about my experiences growing up from a young kid until now. About my struggles and obstacles. I'd compare my sound to Against Me! Or social distortion. Some of it has an old Blink 182 sound.”
Out of all of those bands I really liked Social Distortion and picked up on some of that with these songs. The songs like plenty of other punk songs are fairly straightforward in terms of structure and execution. For the most part the songs revolve around 4/4 time, minor and major chord progressions and very little happening in terms of bass work. Also similar to most punk albums the songs are on the shorter end. There are thirteen songs and the album is around thirty-eight minutes long. The first three are about what I expected. I loved the chorus on “Bleed the Machine” which has a good amount of angst and rebellion. Some good old fashioned “fuck the system” mentality is usually a good thing. Things went along nicely and I was picking up on some grunge and alternative influence. I was not expecting the acoustic ballad on “The Stains In-between.” The vocals sound noticeably different in terms of the delivery. After that the artist goes back into punk mode. I thought “1312” was a killer track. I also loved “Angel Radio'' which sounded similar to NOFX or Rancid. The other standout track to me was “The Only I.” My only critique was the recording quality. I’m an engineer so I’m extra picky about this. The vocals sometimes sounded like they were on top of the mix instead of in the mix. I also thought the artist did a great job for a home recording but some of that magic, glue and dynamics you get from a full band live in a recording studio was consistently there. I’m not saying recordings can’t get there but I still think the technology hasn’t evolved to that point yet. Overall, I thought this was a really good album with some standout songs. I think fans of the aforementioned bands will enjoy this quite a bit. Recommended.
Corky Wink of Jacksonville, Florida recently completed Until I Make It Home, which he calls “12 songs about life, love & hope.” Wink plays acoustic guitar and sings in a pleasing, classically weathered voice similar to Richie Havens with a side of Neil Diamond. Wink recorded at the Eclipse Recording Studios in St. Augustine, Florida with a large group of players including: Uller Bailey, Pat Sheridan and Scott Goldberg (electric guitars), Jim Stafford and Rusty Springfield (bass), Alex Richardson (keys), Jack Miller, Ernie Crews and Woody Pernell (drums/percussion), Betsy Federman (cello), and Linda Cole and Angie Bailey (backing vocals).
Wink’s Bandcamp page tags his music as “rock / blues / jazz / pop.” These songs all have that pop-rock sheen of the more mainstream groups of the ’70s and ’80s; I kept thinking of similar-sounding bands and finally gave up. There’s nary a loser track in the bunch, so I’ll discuss my favorites. “Choices” starts the album with what sounds like a guaranteed hit with all of Wink’s elements hitting in all the right spots. Heartfelt vocals, lush acoustics and carefully arranged fuzz guitars make up this package, including some Allman’s style harmony leads. “Intro To Chance” provides a Lindsay Buckingham style all-guitar introduction to “Chance” and gives us a couple really nice minutes to bask in the folky guitar interplay. “Chance” does indeed continue the chords and themes from the intro, introducing a funky bassline and beat. The subject of the song appears to be Wink’s desire to get the world to hear his music; I usually find these kinds of songs precious, but this one has an irresistible groove and hooks aplenty. Again, the ’70s influence is quite strong. “Simple Dream” slows down a bit for a minor-key love song with a spooky, cello-tinged wall of sound. The title is apt, as the simplicity of the lyrics and music supports the sentiments perfectly. “My dream is simple, my love is true / My world is everything with you.” “You’re Mine & I’m Yours” brings us a smooth jazz interlude with guitars that channel Wes Montgomery and sweet, lower-pitched vocals by Wink. This song actually feels like a classic that everybody somehow forgot. It’s a stretch to mention Barry White, but I can easily imagine this song inspiring similar bouts of randy behavior. “Strange” has vocals that recall the low-pitch singing by Brad Roberts of the Crash Test Dummies. “Please Leave Me Alone” is a surprising gospel tune where Linda Cole’s backing vocals really shine, along with a hot, uncredited rockabilly guitar solo. “Breaking the Pride” is yet another smart rocker with a Leo Kottke-like intro, rugged vocals and a cool lead break; it’s starting to feel like Wink can do these in his sleep. “Give It Time” has the swampy allure of “Spill The Wine” by Eric Burdon and War. “Forever In My Heart” is a ballad about the loss of a loved one with all the heartbreak you’d expect, though before reading the lyrics I first heard this as a straight love song. “Don’t Stop Dreaming” concludes the album with acoustic piano leading the way into a gentle, hushed, choir-like benediction. In conclusion, Wink has presented us with a bunch of great songs played and recorded quite well, with a Master of Ceremonies who’s fun and inspiring to hang out with. I recommend this album wholeheartedly.
Sharkorama is the solo project of Chicago singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Cody Knauer. Merging sincere and at points even whimsical lyrics and uncompromising DIY aesthetic and joyous instrumentation giving his sound a distinctive ‘90s nostalgic indie and grunge tone. Sharkorama makes music from the heart in a pure, innocent manner, and when tackling hard-hitting topics, it makes for a beautiful juxtaposition. Akin to solemn music made in a slacker rock ethos. But in its barest and most unadorned form, Sharkorama creates earnest guitar-driven pop music.
That's quite a lot of features to cram into a ten-track album, but Knauer does it effortlessly in Wicked Machine, an impressive feat. Just to read the song titles is a glimpsing insight into the humor strongly ingrained within Sharkorama's music. Such as "Some Days I Feel Like Pete Best" (lo-fi approach about feeling inferior to others), "The Dishwasher Sounds Like Bob Seger" (where Knauer makes a funky track from the sounds of kitchen appliances) and "All My Favorite Bands" (a spirited indie song about meeting Knauer's favorite band's drummer while he was working a retail job in suburban Chicago). The famous saying "Laughter is the best medicine" is notably appropriate when listening to this record. The charmingly askew, dry-witted and observational humored manner that Sharkorama deals with universal sentimental topics from sorrows of first cars or van ownership that gives the album a genuine heartfelt warmth and tenderness. And this, for me, is Wicked Machines biggest triumph, and in turn, Knauer’s most significant trait as a songwriter. Allowing his personality to glide through his music. To have the ability to tap into such worldly moments in such a fetchingly distinctive manner as Knauer does allows for a remarkable listening experience. This is also suitably supported by the instrumentation, with thoughtfully chilled rhythms, sparkling riffs and lo-fi rawness evident throughout the album; think of Guided by Voices meet Pavement. Wicked Machine gives an unapologetically candid peek into the unique mind of Cody Knauer; his spirited and jovial approach to life defines the album and is truly inspirational. This is backed up by his winning musical arrangement to fittingly empower his lyrics. Sharkorama world is a much needed light-hearted relief during hard times, and Wicked Machine provides this and so much more. |
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