The Seeker - Life and Everything

The Seeker

Life and Everything
self-released; 2015

3.7 out of 5

By Ted Rogen
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The Seeker comprised of Daryl Ropp and Joe Purrenhage recently released a ten-song album entitled Life and Everything. The songs resonate with a ‘60s and ‘70s vibe and while there isn’t much new to revel in with this release I can say the delivery is often exceptional.

The guitar chord progressions are effective yet simple while the vocals provide the melody that is catchy and infectious not unlike groups like The Byrds or The Zombies. I would say the combination of more or less perfect production for this style of singing and solid lyrics really puts the vocal performances in a place where they can carry the songs.

They start with “Superstar?” which between the organ and lead guitar reminded me of the The Doors. The song initially has a lounge-y vibe that but eventually picks up steam with reverb laced guitar solos. I enjoyed the energy of this but thought a more energetic song would have fared better as an opener.

Perhaps the second song entitled “Great Blue Sky” would have been a better opener. The song is a highlight even though the music isn’t too fancy in any way. It’s the vocal performance that is really the x-factor that makes it works. He sings, “I see the world drift fast past my eye / The great Black River flows right on by / Seasons change summer cools to fall / The big old sun shines down on it all.”

I felt like “A Lakeshore Drive” was the one miss on the album. It’s an instrumental song and kind of reminded me of Boston without lyrics. The song goes on a little too long and the lead guitar didn’t have enough of a memorable melody that made me want to revisit the song later.

Luckily, the band gets back on the rails with an acoustic folk song entitled “Sword In Hand” which may bring to mind The Grateful Dead while the title track has lyrics that sound as if they came right out of the late ‘60s hippie counterculture. As the album progresses there aren’t too many deviations from what came before. A personal highlight was “Life and Love” which had a melancholy, nostalgic vibe. 

Life and Everything is a good album with well-written songs which will be enjoyed most by people who have an appreciation for pop and rock made in the ‘60s and ‘70s.

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