Sean Bertram is a Toronto-based guitarist, singer/songwriter, producer, engineer and multi-instrumentalist. After just having graduated from the Bachelor of Music programming at Humber College, and having released his debut full-length album, The Right Place, his latest release Echo, is a succinct four-song EP that Bertram describes as, “a broader look into who I was as an artist, songwriter, arranger, guitarist and as a person.” Through the years, Bertram has spent most of his time deeply invested in learning both the craft of songwriting as well as guitar performance. Often compared to John Mayer, Ben Folds and Paul Simon, his unique blend of musical styles covers a range of genres – from jazz and pop, to rock, and folk. He has also been compared to Bros. Landreth, Jordan Rakei and Tom Misch.
As far as his songwriting approach this time out, the songs started out just on the acoustic guitar, pulling a “contrived meaning or an emotion” from a set of chords or melodies. Bertram wanted to compile a smaller offering that had its own coherent ebb and flow. His work reflects a very emotional relationship that he was in at the time. Echo was recorded, mixed and mastered at Humber Studios with help from Matt Manifould and Reuben Ghose. All recordings were done using ProTools. Some recordings and mixings were done at Bertram’s home studio. “She’ll Ruin Me” starts off with a very gentle flow of melodies and rhythms. The lyrical content of the song can be summed up clearly in this one line – “'Cause she's tearing me apart, I love her, but I know she'll ruin me.” The John Mayer comparison is unmistakable in this opening tune. Next is, “I Think I Think Too Much” a much slower paced number, with more gentle rumbles and rhythms. Chill-folk/jazz could be another genre classification for this one, but it’s more arranged like a pop/blues ballad, in my opinion. The solo gives it that soulful blues-ish edge. “Y2K (Interlude)” featuring a New Year’s Eve countdown, presumably for the year 2000, is a short detour of contemporary jazz and funk styled rhythms. Bertram’s guitar playing is simply effortless. A nice little break for this short collection of songs. Last is “Against My Will” – a more upbeat number, complete with jazz like keys via 1970s. A pretty tight number, with all the instruments playing in perfect time. There’s a lot of funk and bolder drumming going on here, which sounded great. Overall, this one reminded me of those romantic soul and funk numbers from decades ago. If you’re into John Mayer’s blues-tinged work with bit of soul, pop and jazz, Sean Bertram most certainly taps into his style of music on Echo.
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Android Superstation is a rock band from Orange County, California that formed in 2017 and is composed of Marc, Heather, Danny and James. They recently released This Side of Nowhere which is an eleven-song album. The band mentions the album, “explores the human condition, telling a story of struggle, tragedy and hope.”
The album is high energy rock that combines elements of prog and classic rock. It’s often atmospheric and contains epic arena-sized crescendos. The songs sound big and the music often feels like they it can’t be contained by your speakers. The band starts with “This Side of Nowhere” and I was getting some serious Pink Floyd vibes on this song. They pour on the reverb and there is just this cosmic quality to the music. Suffice it to say this was a guaranteed way to make a statement. The atmosphere is still present on “Alive” but this song felt a little more grounded. It’s kinetic and some parts felt theatrical. I think it was the piano. The seven-plus minute “After You” is a deep cut and the first song where I noticed more prog rock elements. There were moments on this song that felt similar in nature to bands like King Crimson and Rush. Up next is “Fractured” and this is a song where music just pours out and feels it surrounds you from every angle. It’s dynamic and definitely had an arena rock type quality. There are some ballads such as “Through the Darkness” but as with the other songs it’s large in scope. The band is really just getting started. I would say “Collide” and “The Other Side” were highlights. This is just an epic album from beginning to end. It felt like a rock opera and some of the songs seemed like they would have worked in a musical. The band pulled it off because they are technically apt musicians. Recommended.
Joey Weedmark and Marina Verdichevski are Spirit Dies First. The band from London, Ontario recently released Lost And Found which is a thirteen-song album. They wrote the album over a five-year period.
Their music is rock based and more often than not I felt like the songs mixed sub-genres like grunge, metal, classic rock and more. The vocals are usually covered in a type of hall reverb and felt like they floated above the music. They get going with “Lost Again” which starts with a Black Sabbath sounding riff. It’s fairly straightforward and the vocals really become the focal center. The vocals are catchy and dark. Up next is the grunge inspired “The Path” which is another song where there is a clear juxtaposition between the gritty distorted guitars and the reverb laced vocals. “What Can I Teach You?” is really a different flavor. This song is more experimental and not as rock based. The darker sides to the song reminded me of Portishead. There are some smooth vocal harmonies as well and this section had more of a psychedelic Jefferson Airplane type of feel. “World Falls Into The Sun” was a highlight. The mix here between the guitars, drums and vocals really fits in right. I thought the vocals felt like they were raised from beneath the music which was a unique quality. As the album progressed I did feel like there were some clear highlights. The very ominous and mystical “Elements” was great. It reminded me of the Knights of Templar or Ancient Babylon. The more shoegaze inspired “Spirit Dies First” has its moments as does the cleaner sounding and ephemeral “Melted to The Core.” The drone metal closer “Shape Of A Human” was also a highlight. The production was sometimes a little too lo-fi for the tone they were going for but sometimes it worked out well. Their sound is broad and I felt like the album was split between the mystical drone rock and the grunge/shoegaze sound both of which I enjoyed. Overall, I I thought this was a solid release with some notable highlights. Take a listen.
Wildcat Hawkins is an Eau Claire, WI-based solo artist. He’s released Rough Diamond, his debut LP, after ten years of writing and recording.
Hawkins calls the record “genre blended bedroom rock” and indeed it’s hard to pin down a category for the record. The tracks all have lush, layered soundscapes. Clearly, there are guitars and percussion tracks, but many have been processed and distorted to create their own unique sounds. Rough Diamond incorporates lots of keyboards, too, with Hawkins drawing from a wide palette of tones. Sometimes, the sounds are traditional (glockenspiel, pipe organ, piano), sometimes there are trance synth tones, and sometimes there are both, distorted and processed into their own sphere entirely. It’s cool stuff. “Quantum Nostalgia” grabs us right away, with its swirling start and a combination of sung and spoken lyrics. “Bleeding All Over The Page,” up next, is a personal, slow, mystical burner that cuts deep. The percussion on “Burned Out Star” was very cool--it almost sounds like it’s out of time, but it’s not, and it fits a nice groove under the clean guitar sounds. The pipe organ finish was a nice touch. (The pipe organ returns again later, in “Daylights”.) Across the forty-five minutes and twelve tracks, Hawkins plays with lyrical form. Some songs are just one short repeated stanza; others are longer. There’s variety in the vocals, too: vocals are sometimes dry and up-front in the mix, and sometimes they are reverb-drenched and deep in the soundscape. The changing textures work well. “Teenagers” was a favorite track for me. It’s the most straight-ahead rock song of the set, driven by an electric guitar riff. Hawkins develops the track with additional layers of distorted guitars, and pushes it along with a bare-bones kick-drum part. The lyric sheet displays a sense of humor too: “I know ur young,” he writes. The ending vocal harmonies, with the corresponding percussion, were a treat. Rough Diamond isn’t rough at all. It’s well-conceived and nicely polished. Hawkins keeps us engaged throughout with his skillful variations in music and song form, as he indeed blends genres into an enjoyable set. Give it a listen!
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Beautiful Losers is the recent release from Stony Point Rd. The main songwriter mentions, “Most of the songs were written fifteen to twenty years ago and all of them are about people I have met who touched me. True stories, hidden behind fictitious ones.”
This is an album that is drenched in Americana. There are some obvious comparisons here from Wilco to Tom Petty. I thought the album was beautifully produced and throughout enjoyed the songwriting as well. On top of that this felt like an album that really leans so much into what Americana is supposed to sound like from the structure, delivery and more. The album starts with “Beautiful Losers” and is a straightforward moving rock song but well delivered. There are a lot of layers of instrumentation with the baritone vocals being the focal point. “You Were There When I Cried” could have been a stripped back saloon style song but this was dressed up with instrumentation. There are swells, orchestration and more which wrap around this song. The album progresses and I thought the dynamics was great. “Dear Jane” certainly had its moments but the stripped down Tom Waits like piano ballad “I Haven’t Dreamt Of You” felt both haunting and warm. “I Haven’t Dreamt Of You” felt like a highlight. The other two highlights were “Take This Message” and “Heavy Metal Wedding.” I felt like the less rock oriented songs worked best with his style. My only critique is I personally wanted to hear some of the songs go a little against the grain of my expectation of Americana. I think a little more experimentation or unexpected surprises may have helped with creating a novel experience. On that note I think traditionalists or purists who like their Americana aligned with the pioneers of the genre will really enjoy this album. Overall, I thought this was a great album. There was obviously a lot of work that went into it and the proof is in the pudding. The songwriting, delivery and production is all top notch. I became a fan. Take a listen to the full album on September 19th.
Wreckage of Now is the latest from Jay Stott. The album felt like an amalgamation of styles under the umbrella of Americana. Stott takes his moves from that playbook and just rolls with it. He’s a bit of a chameleon by adapting his vocal and playing style to the standard of the genre and really doesn't deviate much from that.
Take for instance the opener title track “Wreckage of Now” which has so many familiar qualities and moves from classic songs you have heard at a summer time BBQ. “All Night Long” is a bit of a romp and fun. The vibe is somewhere between “Takin' Care of Business” and a couple of other popular classic rock songs. He put on a different hat with “Desert Heat” and it became an approximation of older country artists from the ’70s. Stott goes back into rock mode with “Can’t Stop Love” and “Electric Guy.” The highlight was “Grain Belt Sign” for mainly the reason that it was a catchy and well delivered song. “Never Learned How to Dance” is another romp. The ’50s vocal harmonies were fitting. I could argue “One Drink Two Drink” is the most aggressive rock song in the batch. I have to admit “Stuck in Love” sounded out of place coming right after “One Drink Two Drink” because of the emotional tone and lyrics. He closes with the best ballad entitled “Dying in Droves.” It seemed to me like Stott was wearing his influences on his sleeve. My only critique is I wanted more elements in the album to point to a singular sound where if I heard a Stott song on the radio I would recognize it. This album felt like an ode to the genres he has a lot of reverence for and he created the songs based on those parameters. I could argue this is more of an album for purists but since there are a number of different styles it’s a little hard to pin point. The songwriting, delivery and production was consistently good. There are some catchy and memorable melodies and I thought the dynamics were varied enough to keep my interest. Overall, I would say this is a good album that will appeal to fans of the aforementioned genres. Take a listen.
NightHawk is an eight-track album created by Capital MAP. The artist explains, ”The first four songs create a dark and spacey atmosphere. While there isn’t a true story being told for the entire album there is a progression. From track one to track right there is a linear movement. The theme is NightHawk. A NightHawk is someone who stays up late contemplating their life, regrets, love, death, everything. And that’s truly what this album is. Exploring my inner worries, regrets and relationships while still providing hope for myself and others.”
All things considered I feel this is the theme that is explored most frequently on albums. The idea of the hero’s journey in a sense. There is strife, reflection, melancholy and more but also a light at the end of the tunnel. The album gets moving with “Nearly Dreaming (Intro)” which contains guitar and vocals. It’s intimate, contemplative and full of regrets. Suffice it to say it is indicative of the tone of the album. “Wave” builds on this feeling. There are more pensive regrets and it sounds a bit like a romantic relationship where you were left indignant. Next up is the atmospheric “Luna” which perhaps starts to feel a little more hopeful at least in terms of the vocal delivery and some of the lyrics. “Slumber” has a slightly different vocal approach that is almost like a stream of consciousness while “Hopeless Romantic” starts to feel more grounded with acoustic guitar and vocals that reminded me of Bright Eyes. The next song “The Wolf” has a southern gothic vibe I liked. “Resurface” and “Rivers” were both intimate, fragile and melancholy. The artist pulls off the whole tortured artist vibe with heart. I’m not sure how I was feeling hope by the end of the songs but that was ok because I still enjoyed it. Recommended.
Neil Blade is an artist from Atlanta and seems to be aligned with rock that came from the ’80s and early ’90s. I’m old enough to remember what music was like back then. The truth is rock was a lot more dangerous and had a lot more attitude than ever before. The ’60s and ’70s were filled with hippies, good vibes and flower power. There weren’t many bands that embraced hedonism in the way bands like Motley Crue and Guns N' Roses did when they arrived. It was no longer the perspective we are trapped in this evil system and the way out of is through love. The new thought leaders of rock took everything in excess when it came to sex, drugs and living on the edge. They lived for the debauchery and didn’t seem to care about spiritual growth.
AROCKALYPTIC which is the latest release from Blade felt like it could have been released any time from the mid ’80s to the early ’90s. The lyrics, style and production is dedicated to this previous sliver of time I mentioned. After a somewhat comical spoken word piece called “AROCKALYPTIC” the music gets going with “Role Model.” “Role Model” has that attitude and danger I was referring to. It’s seductive and contains a silky bassline along with heavy hitting drums and guitar. “My Girlfriend” is next. The song is perhaps a little more soulful than “Role Model” but the lyrics sure aren’t. It’s about his girlfriend “kicking your ass.” Yup, that’s it, no deeper meaning to be found. This was very Guns N' Roses. Axl wrote so many songs about kicking someone’s ass. “Special Delivery” is way more in the spirit of AC/DC. In fact the beginning of the song sounds like a very popular AC/DC song you have probably heard before. Last up is “Trouble” and just some very slight ’70s vibes on this in the spirit of Led Zeppelin mixed with some of the hair metal ’80s style. This is a release that will obviously attract a fan of a certain style of rock. Blade has it down. Take a listen.
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 Nick Allen Your Brain is Not Your Friend 3.8 Apathy Kills Finally, I See 3.7 Swappers Eleven From a Distance 3.7 Joseph Baldwin On My Way to Her 3.7 A Talk In The Dark Melt Into The Sun 3.7
Filipe Paszkiewicz (vocals/guitar/synths), Tomás Soveral (bass), Brendan Hemsworth (drums) and Pedro Silva (ebow) are Several Miles. The band released Intertwined which is a four-song EP. Their music is atmospheric, often pensive and has a dramatic quality to it.
They get going with “Intertwined” which starts with a descending tone that lands upon darker pads, an electronic beat and rising synths. The mood felt like one I usually visit while listening to Radiohead and this feeling was magnified when the vocals came in. As the song progresses there’s a subtle crescendo that pops up towards the end that consists of crooning “oohhs” and “aaahhs.” “Halves: Act I” is way less ambient and more grounded in general. The song revolves around a couple of guitars and vocals. I would say the treatment of the vocals was the most prominent aspect and just really cool. There is almost a choir that is bathed in hall reverb that supports the tortured and intimate sounding lead vocal. “You and I” comes in at a short two minutes. This song had a different flavor to me. It felt more new age in ways and definitely warmer. The song felt like a pillow of solace. I did sort of wish the song expanded a little bit more. “Expiry Date” is very lush and at first reminded me of an acoustic Sigur Rós. I loved the vocals but wish the affectation was turned back a degree or two on certain words and phrases. The lyrics combined with colors and tones to make for one sad sounding song which was the primary feeling I had the whole time. As a musician myself I’ve always thought music was a way to gain perspective. Music can be healing for the listener but I would argue the process of making music or art in general can be exponentially greater for the artist. That was something I felt I was picking up on. There’s not much levity to be found with these songs but sometimes it’s best just to translate the raw energy and emotion we feel into the art we create.
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May 2024
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