Greg Allison is a multi-instrumentalist based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada who recently released Reach Home. Allison mentions “Reach Home follows my journey from losing track of myself to finding my way back by reforging lost connections.” It’s a thirteen-song album which is a complete DIY effort.
The album revolves around rock, folk, country and Americana. Up first is “Live The Way I Want.” The song starts with a country flavor and is a bit ominous sounding. As the song progressed that mood really changed. The verse gets a little warmer and once you hit the chorus it is celebratory. It’s an interesting opener with a lot of changes in mood and emotion. “The Script” begins with some really nice acoustic guitar chord progression and mutates into this hard and prog rock hybrid. The bass is fantastic on this song and brings the energy. Similar to the previous song the chorus sounds big and rocks out. I felt the song was about the paths we follow in our lives and how sometimes it doesn't work out the way we want it.” Allison sings “You think you know what you’ll get / You’ll be right out of a movie.” The title track “Reach Home” is an introspective song with some exceptional piano work. This was one of my favorite vocal performances. Allison's voice seems to fit this style. His vocals are in a good range. “Sideways” is a heavy hitting song. The guitars sound huge and the organ adds to the epic feeling this song has. The mix of prog rock in the song and the instrumental breakdown is on point. “Sweet Song” was one of the highlights. This is a very fun song and contains a dash of funk. That being said the song goes in all sorts of directions. It’s quite the roller coaster ride. As the album progressed I thought there were a number of highlights. “Feel The Surge” felt seeped in some ’80s influence. It’s a song that I felt would be awesome to experience live. It's a really dynamic tune and contains some impressive crescendos. Right around the three-minute-and-thirty-second mark I was reminded of Pink Floyd. “Everyday Wonder” was a warm song with rolling percussion, modulated guitars and a unique sense of aesthetics. “Languishing” is a cerebral song harking back to that Pink Floyd energy while “Scars” sounds like something you want to hear on a Saturday night to unwind. Last up is “Take It Slow” which ends the album with an Americana spirit not unlike Fleet Floxes. I thought Allison did a great job of combining different genres. There’s a lot of genres he flirts with but he manages to make it all feel seamless. This is an album where you can tell there was a lot of attention to detail. There’s a lot to appreciate so as the last song on the album implies, take it slow and enjoy. Recommended.
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