Tag: Folk Rock

Perro del Kaos – Album Review: “Ghost Town Riders”

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews11 Comments

One of the most imaginative, creative and intelligent artists I’ve come across in my nearly ten years of writing about music for this blog is Kristian Møller-Munar, a singer-songwriter, composer and animation artist of Danish and Spanish heritage. Born in Copenhagen, Denmark, but raised primarily on the Mediterranean island of Palma De Mallorca until the age of 12, when he moved with his family back to Copenhagen, Kristian had the good fortune to experience two rich cultures, which I think imbues him with a perspective and worldliness beyond his years. He later moved to London to attend university, but when the Covid pandamic hit, he left London and split his time between Copenhagen and Mallorca. For the past few years, he’s been living in Spain.

I first learned about Kristian in 2017 when he was based in London and a member of alternative indie pop/rock band From the Cave. I featured them and their delightfully eclectic music several times on my blog between November 2017 and April 2019, shortly after which they split up, much to my chagrin. Fortunately, he’s continued to record music as a solo artist, and over the past six years has released an astonishing eight albums, all of them ambitious works featuring anywhere from 10 to 23 tracks in a variety of genres, but primarily sung in Spanish. Exactly four years ago today, I reviewed his magnificent fourth album Caldo, an exquisite and loving tribute to his Spanish heritage, specifically, his mother’s homeland of Mallorca. That album contains an impressive 18 tracks.

Kristian’s latest endeavor is his solo music project Perro del Kaos (Spanish for “chaos dog”), under which he’s just released an album Ghost Town Riders. A truly monumental work, the album features a mind-boggling 27 tracks, nine of which run over five minutes in length! I normally dislike reviewing full albums on a good day, so when Kristian reached out to me about possibly reviewing Ghost Town Riders, needless to say I was a bit overwhelmed! My initial gut reaction was “how or where do I even begin to tackle such a massive work as this?” After giving it some thought, I decided to first have Kristian provide a little background about his inspiration for creating the album. Secondly, so as not to make myself crazy or bore my readers, I would only touch on a handful of tracks that are either my favorites or those I feel are important to the album’s overall narrative.

Here’s some of what Kristian provided about how Ghost Town Riders came to be: “Musically the album has been crucially influenced by an amazing group of collaborators I’ve had the pleasure of working with and alongside during 2024. I want to give a special mention to my friends Jo Hedegaard, Ekin Torner and Dilan Bohorquez, a group of kick-ass artists. Back in March 2024, Jo invited me to come alongside his self-funded punk-tour across Spain and Portugal to promote his film ‘The Great Grand Greatness Awards’. We travelled together for two weeks and I had the pleasure of listening to his awesome CD collection in the car. For hours every day we listened to records on the road, and in my opinion a car is one of the best places to listen to music. I think that experience instilled the idea of doing a “road trip friendly” album, something with a blend of rock and roll, blues, folk and music from the 60’s and 70’s.

In between the drives we spontaneously began doing some experimental film recordings on my phone, where Jo improvised a fictional alter ego character named “Palmer”. These raw recordings became the starting point for the punk/western “Peacehammer On The Flower Road”. As a side resuIt, I decided to launch myself completely into a new song project, with a key track (“Ghost Town Riders”) having its breakthrough moment on Ekin’s kitchen table. We were both drinking coffee and listening to random musical samples that I was putting together. The idea was to do a sort of unusual collage of sounds. A heavy metal riff, a bit of jazz double bass, some trap inspired beats, etc. A few hours later the same day I recorded the lead vocals in my bedroom. By the time the vocals were done I felt certain that this was something special. Particularly the lyrics “we sang the night away”, referencing my memory of many enjoyable nights with Jo at Copenhagen’s late night bodegas.

The following 10 days I wrote intensely from the bedroom in San Sebastian. Quickly songs like “Better Days”, ”Gold Fever” and “Poison” appeared. I remember doing the improvised vocal take on “Better Days” and shortly afterwards thinking, this might be one of the best songs I’ve ever written, but simultaneously feeling a bit careful of spoiling the magic. As the Christmas holiday closed in – I had to travel back to Mallorca to spend time with my family – I felt irritated because it seemed like this trip could potentially mess with the flow of the creative process. For the first time in a long time I felt like I might have a shot of completing a new album of songs. At one point, shortly after Christmas day, I had to accept the situation and the constant family plans, and almost mentally “let the album go”.

But then something unusual happened. One night I had a strange dream. I dreamt that I was suspended in the air surrounded by an intense white light. In the dream I received a sort of instruction or message that told me something like: “Don’t worry about the songs, your creativity, your ability or your inspiration. There is an infinite amount of songs that are contained within this light. And all the songs have already been written. They are all waiting here for you to use whenever you need them. They will be here in a day or in 10 years, the time doesn’t matter. You don’t have to struggle to get them. There is only one thing you need to do to access them.”

And then the dream followed with a simple but powerful realization: “All you have to do to access these songs is to let go of your skin. The idea of who you think you are.” In the dream it was like my skin fell off. And I felt an incredible amount of peace. The next day when I woke up I felt like all the irritation from the Christmas “interruption” was gone. And I no longer worried whether I was going to be able to channel something creatively. I felt as if everything would always be there waiting for me to be used.

From then on the songwriting picked up pace in an incredible way, and I was pretty much writing a new finished song a day. But most importantly, the process was so much fun. The last week of recording I spent shouting loud choir vocal stacks at my grandparents old village house. Singing “Rocket To Hell”, “Fire”, “Tunnel Lights” and “Canyon Of Dreams” in front of an old fireplace from the early 20th century.

I’m very proud of the album and I look forward to trying these songs live. I really feel they channel some powerful feelings. I’m grateful that I still get to write new music and to have had these powerful experiences. I want to reach out to anyone out there who feels like they are struggling with their artistic practice and I want you to know that you are not alone. I’m sure you will find a way forward and I hope you will find peace and discover your own way. Sometimes things turn out in unexpected ways, we get disappointed and discouraged. But there’s plenty of light out there and I hope that we all get to receive its beauty and power.“

I find it fascinating that a guy who grew up in Denmark and Mallorca, with a stint in London, would conceptualize an album with a theme partially set in the American Old West. But after all, Italian filmmaker Sergio Leone directed some of the finest Western films ever, including The Good, the Bad and the Ugly and Once Upon a Time in the West, so who am I to question? Kristian told me the American West concept was inspired by the “Peacehammer” movie universe, but also from listening to a lot of American music as a kid and watching Westerns with his grandparents.

Ghost Town Riders opens with the title track, a strange and sometimes chaotic five and a half-minute long fantasia that sets the overall tone for the album. Kristian’s mix of spoken word, chanted and sung vocals are accompanied by all sorts of sound effects and musical instruments ranging from guitars, horns and organ to gnarly industrial synths and tribal drumbeats. The lyrics cover a lot of ground, with him singing about friendships, familial and romantic relationships as the music and tempo continually change: “I was afraid to leave town, I was afraid to let you down. I thought you loved me before./ I’m not a fan of ghosts, ain’t never been a fan./ I’m sitting in the corner, and minding my own business. I don’t give a damn about any of your business./ Why don’t we call each other once in a while? I know you’ve been worried about the future and all the darkness in the world. But we can find a better way./ We sang the night away, and that’s a beautiful way to spend some time.”

One of my favorites is the second track “Gold Fever“, a cool song both musically and lyrically. I love the mysterious synths, twangy guitars, sharp percussion and tribal drums, all set to a hypnotic driving beat. The lyrics speak to man’s inherent greed and eternal quest for the precious metal of gold, which was a long-running theme that played out time and again in the development and exploitation of the American West: “The answer to the goal is always gold. Gold fever is always on your mind. And you cry at night because you’re out of cash./ Gold fever, it’s getting to your head./ We need gold to get more gold./ Such a sexy type metal. It’s heavy metal.” Kristian does a pretty good job singing like an old man with a quirky mix of a Western and Southern accent.

He’s also a handsome guy, but he’s turned himself into a scowling and rather scary-looking old man in his videos.

“Poison” opens with the provocative line “All aboard the bullshit train. Next stop, poison, Jersey and killer sharks…” before launching into a The Who-esque flourish that then segues into a deep bass riff reminiscent of “Bad Guy” by Billie Eilish. The song eventually settles into a discordant foot-stomping rocker, highlighted by some terrific Spanish guitar, aggressive percussion and lots of abrasive sound effects.

“Better Days” is a poignant and lovely folk rock song that sees Kristian reflecting on his experiences growing up and living in different countries, meeting and making friends and also seeing loved ones pass away: “You know that it’s difficult to grow up. You know it’s difficult to move away from home. But along the trip, we made some beautiful memories. I know you’re worried on your own. It’s been a long time since we hanged out. And these busy times they get to my nerves. Makes me sad to see people go, to see people die. Tomorrow is a better day.” The beautiful twangy Western-flavored and shimmery guitars make this another of my favorites on the album.

One of the more interesting tracks is the 6:45-minute long “Junkyard Tower“, a dark and at times otherworldly song that would make it a great candidate for sci-fi movie soundtrack. Halfway through, the music transitions from an exotic Eastern-flavored vibe to a hip hop-infused alt-rock song. The lyrics seem to describe someone who’s so totally cynical about life that he’s fully checked out: “I see myself as bad parent to my kids. Abandoning them. I see myself as a selfish person, taking advantage of my friends for my own personal interest. Love is not real. Friendship, I guess you can call it a benefit. Time, my most valuable asset. I’m not going to share it with anyone, but you. Junkyard tower. It’s a beautiful place. It’s the place I know. It’s the place I love./ Getting me out of the goldmine. Getting me out of the tough times. Getting me out of the lockdown.“

Another track that especially resonated with me is “Spotify“, a denunciation of the unfair and predatory practicies of the music streaming behemoth. Accompanied by just a solemn piano riff, Kristian laments: “Spotify, doesn’t pay me for my music. It’s been a long time like this, I can’t take it anymore. You might think it’s funny to be a musician living with your parents. And do some hard work on the things no one listens to. And then you don’t get paid. Music doesn’t have any worth./ We can make a change right now. End Spotify somehow.” I’m sure virtially all independent artists and bands would relate to this song.

“Fire” is an exilarating, hard-driving track with super grungy riffs, a chugging bassline and lots of distortion. I’m not certain what the song’s about, but I like it, plus the chaotic video’s a trip. Kristian repeats the line “Before the future runs over your head, shake it, shake it“, so one guess is that the lyrics allude to the general chaos of life.

“Canyon of Dreams” is a meandering and trippy six and a half-minute long tour de force that nicely showcases Kristian’s wild imagination and knack for incorporating a mind-blowing array of musical styles, textures and sounds into a single track. And on “The Tracks“, he once again employs several change-ups in tempo and vibe to create a compelling soulful song. And for the wonderful video, he uses some older footage from his time in England, including a few images of him and his former From the Cave bandmembers.

Kristian turns sentimental on the mellow, jazzy and poignant piano ballad “Someone New“, his vocals sounding world-weary as he plaintively croons to a former loved one now that their relationship has ended: “It’s just like we traveled through the darkest stars, the dark times. And you cannot keep up with that lack of trust./ It’s just like we belong in this world. And I know that you will find someone new.”

He closes out Ghost Town Riders on an upbeat note with “Dead or Alive“, a rousing, bass-driven romp with a garage rock feel, courtesy of frantic jangly guitars, insistent drums and even a bit of cowbell for good measure. The lyrics speak of a crazy woman who’ll stop at nothing to get what she wants: “She’s completely crazy, she’s out of her mind./ She wants to make out, dead or alive. And you might just as well be surprised. Be surprised. A tequila shot to the head, it’s a bloody mary massacre. You’re bleeding all over the bar. In Spain, there’s pain. Get it, get it, get me out of this place.”

Well, I think I’ve gone on long enough so in closing, all I can say is that Ghost Town Riders is an epic work showcasing Kristian’s vivid imagination, intelligent songwriting and masterful musicianship. I’ve long been impressed by his immense creativity and prodigious output, but he’s taken both to a whole new level here. While this album might not appeal to everyone, there’s no denying the incredible originality and thought that went into this thoroughly unique work. I’m quite fond of Kristian, and it’s been a joy to follow along with him on his musical journey over the past seven-plus years.

JOE PEACOCK – EP Review: “The curse of the mind”

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews8 Comments

Joe Peacock is a British singer-songwriter and musician based in Birmingham, England. Describing himself as “a genre-hopping storyteller, whose music has been compared to Bowie, Blur and Costello”, he cheekily adds “all money from the digital sales of my music go into paying producers/mixing & mastering engineers.” As I do for all music artists or bands I’m writing about for the first time, I read all I could find about him on his own social media pages, as well as other websites and blogs, and listened to a fair amount of his substantial music catalog. In the process, I learned that he grew up in rural Herefordshire, went to university in Stoke, and spent seven years living in St. Petersburg, Russia before settling in Birmingham. Not only is he a hard-working and talented songwriter and musician who’s not afraid to continually experiment and push himself beyond his comfort zone, but also a thoughtful family man who cares deeply about the environment, social justice and inequality, things he spoke passionately about in a January 2022 interview with COOLTOP20 music blog.  

According to his bio, Mr. Peacock rediscovered his creative spark during the Covid lockdowns, and began writing and recording songs at home, handling all aspects of performance and recording. From what I can tell, the prolific artist has released a tremendous amount of music in less than three years, including three albums – I’m Only Here, in April 2021, Before the robots told us where to go, in December 2021, and Mirror Neuron Generator, in July 2022 – as well as two EPs and numerous singles. In addition, he’s also one half of art-folk duo The Missed Trees, his side project with singer/fiddle player Louisa Davies-Foley, who released their three-track EP Animals in April. Now he’s back with a new EP The curse of the mind, featuring four marvelous tracks written, performed and recorded by him, and beautifully mixed and mastered by Adam Whittaker.

The first track, “Thought Camera“, is a magnificent and complex tour de force that, to my ears, sounds like David Bowie singing a Radiohead song that was arranged by Pink Floyd. Incorporating elements of alternative, progressive and dream rock with a stirring orchestral arrangement, Peacock creates a gorgeous cinematic fantasia. His dramatic instrumentation, particularly the haunting piano notes, soaring strings, gnarly guitars and tumultuous percussion, are truly spectacular.

The searing lyrics explore aspects of privacy and mind-control, which he elaborated on in a Tumblr post: “it’s about privacy and the desires by the powerful to monetise our thoughts. Nikola Tesla had an idea for a thought camera, which would project our thoughts onto a wall. Now social media is big business – monetising our anger from us posting our thoughts online. I wonder why Elon Musk is so keen to throw money at Twitter – he named his car company after Tesla, so does he want to use that to help control our thoughts?” He sings “Could we light the world up with the electricity generated by your hatred? /These electrical impulses should be put to use! How will we know if this is all an illusion? You can think deeply and be quite insane. Are there signs we should look out for? Mr. Orwell might be quite amazed by the surveillance, but we still don’t have a mind-reading machine. So I can make sense of your world, I need the thought camera that Nikola dreamed of.“

On “Poltergeist“, which Peacock states was inspired by The Haunting of Alma Fielding, a book by Kate Summerscale that explores a case where a woman reported being haunted by a poltergeist, as well as what he calls “a few bits of personal experience on exploring the supernatural at an impressionable age and (probably unrelated) psychological problems”, he touches on mental health issues: “Scaring everyone like a poltergeist. Have you opened the door into another mind? Can you tell me what’s wrong?” As the title suggests, the song has a haunting quality, yet Peacock employs some melodic touches like a breezy melody, soothing orchestral strings, warbly guitar notes and falsetto vocals to lighten the mood a bit.

He addresses brainwashing and thought-control by authoritarian regimes on “Cult of fake heroes“, using the Soviet Union as an example. He further explains on his Tumblr post: “I use the story of Pavlik Morozov, who, according to the propaganda of the time, informed on his father for anti-communist activities and was a model soviet citizen brutally murdered by others in his family for what he’d done. His story was then told by Stalin’s regime (despite the dictator being scathing of him when he initially heard the story) to inspire others to inform on family, friends and neighbours during the red terror and he inspired patriotism in pioneers and schoolchildren.” He expresses this story thusly: “Every school kid learned his name. The storyline was powerful. At the time they needed heroes. From a village in Siberia got his dad into trouble. Murdered and made an icon.”

I love the track’s intense jangly guitars and emphatic drumbeats, punctuated by stabbing rhythmic flourishes, which Peacock created using an odd 5/4 time signature, which he said gives it a slightly strange, unbalanced feel.

“The Outsider“, which Peacock says is about the outside artist Henry Darger, is for me the most unusual track on the EP, both from a musical and lyrical standpoint. He elaborates about the artist on Tumblr: “He suffered traumatic events in his childhood, which affected his ability to interact with people. He had very few friends and mainly kept himself to himself, working as a janitor and then locking himself away in his room. It was not until he became very ill and was moved into a hospice that his artworks and graphic novels were discovered. He’s acknowledged as the archetypal outsider artist.” He tells Darger’s story with his colorful descriptive lyrics: “15,000 pages of fantasy, in the realms of the unreal. 9-foot-long drawings on both sides, his panoramic sagas. Emotionally arrested, he didn’t know what to do with freedom. He wrote about the weather, when not in fantastic battles in his mind.”

To create the unsettling but darkly beautiful soundscape, he used fragments of guitar parts he chopped up and then put back together. He layers them over a droning melody, accompanied by harsh industrial synths, chiming guitar notes and a strong synth bass groove. That, combined with his array of echoed vocals, otherworldly chants of “ah-bah-suh-duh”, and menacing whispers, the song would be a perfect fit for the musical Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.

Given it’s rather unusual song structures, creative arrangements and unique instrumentation, it took a couple of listens for me to fully appreciate the magnificence of this remarkable EP. With The curse of the mind, Joe Peacock has pushed himself to create an exquisite piece of musical art, and I’m so happy he reached out to me about it!

Connect with Joe:  Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

Find his music on Bandcamp / Spotify / Apple Music / YouTube / Soundcloud

ALEX SOUTHEY – Single Review: “Never Listen”

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews8 Comments

Still focused on Canada (having just written about two artists from the Vancouver area), today I turn my attention to Toronto, the home of singer-songwriter and guitarist Alex Southey. The talented musician has released a lot of music over the past four and a half years, including three albums, three EPs and numerous singles. His sound can generally be described as alternative indie folk, sprinkled with elements of rock, pop and shoegaze. But like all creative artists, he’s not afraid to experiment with his music by exploring different genres and styles outside his comfort zone, and as a result, each of his albums and EPs sound quite different from one another. His thoughtful and intelligent lyrics about life, love and socio-cultural issues of the day are delivered with his beautiful distinctive vocals.

Photo of Alex by Steven Medeiros

I’ve been following Alex since the beginning of 2021, and have previously written about him three times on this blog, most recently this past January when I reviewed his superb EP Common Fantasies. One of the tracks from the EP, “Soften”, spent three months on my Weekly Top 30, peaking at #5. Now he’s back with another terrific single “Never Listen“, his first release of 2023. 

For its recording, Alex played acoustic and electric guitars and sang vocals, assisted by fellow musicians Christina Dare on bass & backing vocals, Gab Lavoie on Korg synths, and Craig McCann on drums & percussion. All three also played on four of the tracks on Common Fantasies, and support Alex for live shows. The track was produced, mixed and mastered by Alex Gamble.

Alex’s wonderful strummed acoustic guitars have a rather mysterious quality as they guide the song forward, accompanied by Christina’s subtle bass line, Craig’s measured drumbeats and Gab’s delicate spacey synths. Alex’s beautiful chiming electric guitar that appears later in the song adds an enchanting layer of color and texture to the proceedings, creating a vibrant, arresting backdrop for his bewitching vocals that alternate from smooth heartfelt croon to ethereal falsetto. His and Christina’s harmonies in the choruses are simply stunning, nicely complemented by the aforementioned chiming guitar notes.

The lyrics speak to those who refuse to acknowledge or accept the warning signs all around us, using as examples our over-consumption of natural resources, the consequences of our continued burning of fossil fuels on our environment and climate, and repeated injuries resulting from violent sports like football: 

Heating everything I'm about to eat
Plants and animals - and motor oil

Learn to love the A
Learn to love the B
The part that slips between
Is gasoline

You just never listen
You just never listen

We can spend our time
Outside evening-walking
With smiles to hide behind
The never talking

Some come on so strong
It's the only way they know how to do it
It's all they really want
Nothin' much to it

You just never listen
You just never listen

After the CTE scan said
"You're never listening
You're never listening at all."

During the drive home
Close your eyes
Somebody's mother said it's fine
Somebody's brother died that summer

You just never listen
You just never listen
You just never listen
You just never listen

Alex will be performing “Never Listen”, along with several of his songs, tomorrow night (Friday, July 14) at the legendary Horseshoe Tavern in Toronto. Details below:

Connect with Alex on Facebook / Instagram

Find his music on Bandcamp / YouTube / Soundcloud

Artist Spotlight on Florida’s Orange Creek Riders

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Artist Spotlight7 Comments

Orange Creek Riders are a terrific indie rock band from central Florida I learned about several months ago when I heard one of their songs played on fellow blogger and musician Marc Schuster’s weekly Tweetcore Radio Hour. The band is also very supportive of other musicians and bands – something I find admirable in musicians – and since I really like both them and their music, I decided it was about time I featured them on my blog.

Formed in 2013 and based in and around Orlando, the band is comprised of singer-songwriter and guitarist Darren Soto, harmonica player Darren Vierday, bassist Jeff Jordan and drummer Jeff Sudbury. Their pleasing style of music is influenced by an eclectic mix of genres, including alternative rock, folk, Americana, new wave, punk and ska.

(Soto also happens to be a United States Congressman, representing Florida’s 9th district. Currently serving his third term in Congress, he previously served four years in the Florida Senate and five in the Florida House of Representatives. He’s also a progressive Democrat, a good thing in my book, as it’s encouraging to know there are still reasonable politicians left in Florida, not to mention that I abhor the monster the present-day GOP has become. Anyway, how he’s managed to juggle making music with the demands of his political career, not to mention his family, is mind-boggling to me!)

The first few years after forming, Orange Creek Riders played local venues and festivals, such as Orlando Fringe Festival, Planned Parenthood’s Rock and Roe Concert, Delandapalooza, as well as various political events. earning them the title of “Best Congressional Folk Band” by Orlando Weekly. In October 2018, they released their debut album Oranges and Grapefruit, a respectable work featuring lighthearted folk/Americana style songs inspired by Central Florida’s citrus grove and cattle ranch heritage. Some of the tracks include “Orange Kings”, “Sweet Clementine” and “Giddy Up My Love”.

They followed a year later with their second album Back to the Grove, offering up songs of a similar theme, once again sprinkled here and there with songs about the oft-covered minefield of love and relationships. Like Oranges and Grapefruit, it was also produced by Jason Woods. One of my favorites from this album is “Goldilocks”, a bouncy love song highlighted by Jordan’s gnarly bass groove and Vierday’s spirited harmonica. Soto has an earnest and pleasing vocal style that generally sits in the low tenor range.

Their third album. Rockin’ Horse, consisting of previously unreleased songs written by both the band and Soto, was released toward the end of the pandemic in late 2020. The self-produced album features a mix of musical styles, including the lovely folk/punk “Already Gone”, the moody, Americana-inspired “A Moment in Time”, the epic Neil Young-esque title track “Rockin’ Horse”, highlighted by some amazing guitar runs, and the introspective and haunting “Return of the Rider”.

Since 2021, Orange Creek Riders have released a series of singles arranged in groups, sort of like EPs, but released as individual singles. At this point in their career, they seemed to be expanding their sound beyond folk-Americana toward a more pop-oriented sound, though it was still steeped in folk, alt-rock and punk elements. One of my favorites among their next batch of five songs – “Guardian Angel”, “Bonfire on the Beach”, “Shadows in the Light”, “Overjoyed” and “Not My Girl” – is the latter tune, a languid and melancholy kiss-off song that still comes off as pleasing. Soto wistfully croons “If I should fall to pieces a thousand on the floor, know that you’re not my girl anymore.”

Their next batch of three songs, released between September 2021 and January 2022, included “Ferris Wheel”, “Daydreamer” and “Drifting On Away”. My personal favorite is “Ferris Wheel”, which reminds me of songs from the 2000s by such acts as Plain White T’s and Owl City.

In 2022, they dropped a series of three breezy singles celebrating Florida’s sunny environment (though “Sunnyside” speaks of trying to break free of the gloom of depression and finding joy again after the pandemic). The first of them, “Big Wave”, is probably my favorite of all their songs thus far. An exuberant tune extolling the joys of surfing, it has a delightful Beach Boys/Jan and Dean vibe, but with a definite punk sensibility. I love the song’s lively, head-bopping groove, terrific guitar noodling and Soto’s wonderful vocals. The song has become their most popular to date, garnering over 376,000 streams on Spotify.

More recently, they’ve been releasing what they’re calling the “Key Singles”, featuring a more retro, synth-heavy darkwave sound that’s a strong departure from their previous songs. The first in the series was “Oblivion”, a deeply impactful song released last December about the brutality of the war in Ukraine. Soto’s high-pitched vocals are quite arresting as he wails “When the sky has fallen, and the leaves they are never green. In a world that’s broken, and blown apart. We can wait for an oblivion. We must take or it’s hell to come.”

This was followed in March with “The Key”, a haunting but catchy synthpop song in the vein of some of the great songs by The Cure and New Order. I especially love the strong, driving beat, piercing synths and chiming guitars. Their latest single “On A Train”, released on June 14th, was inspired by the 2022 film Bullet Train, starring Brad Pitt as an assassin who battles fellow killers while riding a bullet train. The song is an exciting, synth and guitar-driven gem that evokes the drama and peril of the movie’s subject matter.

So there you have it, a nice selection of tracks that give my readers a decent taste of Orange Creek Rider’s impressive music catalog. I look forward to hearing what they have in store!

Connect with Orange Creek Riders:  Facebook / Twitter

Find their music on Spotify / Apple Music / Reverbnation / YouTube

WISE JOHN – EP Review: “The Mr. Love Sunset Show!”

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews11 Comments

Wise John is a talented, amiable and relentlessly charming singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who’s originally from Southern California and now based in Brooklyn, New York. I learned about him last fall when I read a post on the Audio Mirage Studios blog about his wonderful song “Marry Another Man”, and became in instant fan. I love his pleasing, laid-back style of soulful folk-rock, characterized by memorable melodies, colorful instrumentation, and intelligent, relatable lyrics delivered with his beautiful warm vocals.

Though he’d long had a love of music in his veins, Wise John pursued a career as a computer/aerospace engineer. He still kept one foot in music, however, and in June 2021, released his terrific debut album A Wonderful World. The following January, finally realizing that the life he’d planned out for himself and worked so hard to achieve was making him miserable, he took a leap of faith and quit his engineering job to pursue music as a full-time career. Since then, he’s released more music, played gigs around the New York area, and has continued to build a base of loyal fans.

On May 5th, he released a delightful EP The Mr. Love Sunset Show! which he calls “a retro love song EP designed to heal your heart and sharpen your soul, rendering the feelings, failings, and fallings of romance from four very different angles.” Featuring four tracks, the EP was written, composed, and performed by Wise John with the help of producers Quinn Devlin and Alex Strahle, mixed by Sahil Ansari, and mastered by Joey Messina-Doerning. The various songs feature contributions from an array of guest musicians and vocalists, including Elise Trouw on vocals and drums, Daniel Chae on strings, Kumara Robideau on bass, Shaun Valentine on drums, Quinn Devlin on bass, drums, piano, electric guitar, alto saxophone and percussion, James Wyatt Woodall on pedal steel, Andy Shimm on bass, Dylan DeFeo on organ, Justin Garcia on guitar, and Keara Callahan, Berit Bassinger, Daniela Silva on backing vocals.

The first track “Afterglow” is a lovely but sad song, with bittersweet lyrics about falling for someone who’s not interested in becoming involved in a committed relationship “You made me say I wouldn’t get confused. It’s only play, I shouldn’t feel so used. A love vacation, a toy you didn’t choose to sleep with. Feeling sick in the afterglow.” The arrangement and instrumentation, highlighted by Daniel Chae’s achingly beautiful strings, create an enchanting backdrop for John’s incredibly vulnerable croons.

“Atlanta“, with captivating dual vocals by Wise John and Elise Trouw, tells the true story of how John’s parents got married. Elise sings from the perspective of John’s mother who, frustrated by his father’s (who was then her boyfriend) inability to commit to her, leaves him “I got way too much to lose to let you walk on me that way. So now I’m ridin’ down the road to Atlanta, Georgia towards my peace of mind. Oh I’m ridin’ down the road to Atlanta, Georgia, to leave your halfway love behind.” John sings from his father’s perspective, who after two years has a change of heart: “I’ll speak honestly and tell you I can’t stand being left behind. So now I’m ridin’ down the road to Atlanta, Georgia towards my peace of mind. Oh I’m ridin’ down the road to Atlanta, Georgia to leave my halfway loves behind.” Musically, the song has a soothing guitar-driven melody, and the marvelous pedal steel by James Wyatt Woodall gives it a lovely country folk vibe.

My favorite song on the EP, “Marry Another Man” is a poignant and beautiful love letter to the one that’s getting away. Wise John implores his girlfriend to reconsider her plans to marry someone else: “We could get married in the springtime, or tonight for all I care. Long as I have you for a lifetime. I would speak the vows in city hall with no one there. All that matters is I’m the one to take you home. I’m the one to hold you when we’re finally alone. So please darlin’ don’t marry the other man.” The official video shows Wise John performing the song in Quinn’s living room along with Elise Trouw on drums, Andy Shinn on bass, Dylan DeFeo on organ and Justin Garcia on guitar.

The wonderful lyric video for the song, filmed by Berit Bassinger, shows John as Mr. Love, forlornly walking the streets of New York at night.

The final track “Mr. Love” is a delightfully upbeat ode to Wise John’s alter-ego that, in his own words, “offers a bird’s eye view of the landscape of love from the pits of loneliness to the sunny meadows of romance.” The song is pure pop goodness, with a breezy melody, sunny instrumentals, exuberant vocals and hopeful lyrics: “Who ate all your sad day sorrows? Only Mr. Love can do. Took an endless tune of blue tomorrows, wrote the hook to a dance for two.  When it’s cold outside, you’ll feel warm in the light.”

The lyric video, also filmed by Berit Bassinger, shows Wise John as Mr. Love, walking along the seacoast and spreading his positive love vibes.

I could keep gushing about this great little EP, but since I’ve already overused the words ‘wonderful’, ‘marvelous’, ‘beautiful’, ‘delightful’, etc., just give it a listen and hear it for yourselves. Better yet, fork over a few dollars and buy it on Bandcamp!

Connect with Wise John: Facebook / Instagram

Find his music on Bandcamp / Spotify / Apple Music / Soundcloud / YouTube

KEWEN – Single Review: “Chapters”

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews7 Comments

Kewen is the solo music project of British singer-songwriter Callum Kewen, who plays a pleasing style of folk rock inspired by such acts as Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, the Beatles and Bruce Springsteen. Based in Northeast England, the busy young musician is also frontman and lead vocalist of soft rock band Kewen & The Crosswalks, and does oral music reviews of local artists on his Facebook page.

He’s been releasing music as a solo artist for six years, beginning with his debut singles “This Feelin’” and “This April Day” in April 2017, followed that September by his first EP Chimes. He followed that EP with more singles, culminating in the release of his second EP A Little Bit of Magic in 2019. He dropped a lockdown single “Freedom” in 2020, then a single “The Line” in 2021. Since then, he’s been working on his debut album Chapters, due for release in September. He just dropped the album’s title single “Chapters“, an upbeat song of optimism and hope for a better future.

Kewen elaborates on his inspiration for writing the song and album: “This album has been 2.5 years in the making and I’ve put my heart and soul into it. I wrote ‘Chapters’ not long after I went through a breakup in my personal life. I took myself off to the Lake District in the UK for a night of wild camping on the mountain side, and wanted to get into a different frame of mind which is something I had never done before. This was one of two songs I wrote up there that day, and I think they may be some of the best stuff I’ve ever written. I very much felt at that time in my life that I was moving onto the next chapter in my life and I knew I wanted to title my next project in relation to that. The song started writing itself once I got pen to paper and it was probably done within the hour.“

For the recording of the song, Kewen played acoustic rhythm guitar and sang lead and backing vocals, with additional contributions by several of his fellow musicians: Oliver Cobb, who produced the track, played electric rhythm and lead guitars, Kewen & the Crosswalks bassist Hannah Ward played bass and sang backing vocals, Jack Herron played drums, and WayneOnSax played the wonderful saxophone. Primary backing vocals were sung by Teah McCafferty, along with Hope Laverty, James Brown and Eddie Hogg.

I really like the song’s bouncy melody and infectious toe-tapping groove, highlighted by lots of cheerful guitar noodling, exuberant percussion and that marvelous wailing sax. Though he strains a bit on the higher notes, Kewen’s plaintive vocals are pleasing as he fervently sings “I can feel the chapters closing in, I can feel the chapters of life. I can feel the chapters, and everything’s alright. I can feel the pages of this worn-out book, I can feel the new pages rise.” The delightful backing vocals, especially those of Teah McCafferty, nicely complement his. “Chapters” is a fine single, and a promising glimpse of what we can expect on the forthcoming album.

Connect with Kewen: Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

Find his music on Spotify / Apple Music / deezer / YouTube

THOMAS CHARLIE PEDERSEN – Album Review: “Employees Must Wash Hands”

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews15 Comments

Hailing from Copenhagen, Denmark is Thomas Charlie Pedersen, a thoughtful and earnest singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who calls his pleasing style of music “chamber folk”. It’s a fitting description, as his sound is characterized by intricate melodies, understated yet lush arrangements, beautiful instrumentation and comforting vocals.

Thomas has been making music for nearly 20 years (he must have started out when he was 13, as he still looks quite young!), both as a solo artist and as part of alt-rock band Vinyl Floor, which he formed in 2004 along with his brother Daniel and a third member who recently departed. Vinyl Floor has released five albums since 2009, whereas Thomas has released three under his own name, beginning with his debut album Second Hand War in 2016, followed four years later by Daylight Saving Hours. Now he returns with Employees Must Wash Hands, a lovely work featuring 15 tracks. The album is being released by Vinyl Floor’s own label Karmanian Records.

Thomas actually recorded two albums in 2021, this solo record as well as Funhouse Mirror with Vinyl Floor, which was released in September 2022. He explains how Employees Must Wash Hands came to be: “The Covid lockdown situation was a highly creative period for my brother Daniel & I. Alongside the Vinyl Floor tracks, I found I had written 15 more songs but I didn’t exactly know what to do with them. Daniel and I had been working on and off on band demos for quite some time, and when I suddenly was isolating at home I found myself writing even more stuff on my acoustic guitar & piano. I lived with these songs alone for a while, and late at night I could work on the lyrics for hours on end. At one point, our studio time with the band in Sweden got postponed – leaving us with 5 months of practically nothing to do but wait.

To keep ourselves on our toes, we decided to record almost the entire ‘Employees Must Wash Hands’ album and we wrapped up the additional recordings once we got back from band sessions in Sweden. What you have here is the other side of the ‘Funhouse Mirror’ sessions – a quieter and somewhat more introverted and reflective album, but also showcasing a more arranged and ‘band-like’ feel than my previous solo efforts. Some of these songs deal with man’s relationship with God and God ́s relationship with man. Who has abandoned who? And is there any faith or spirituality left? They also deal with isolation, self doubt, and all the other stuff on my mind during the strange time that was Covid lockdown.”

The album, whose title is a cheeky nod to that strange pandemic time, serves up 36 minutes of introspective indie folk-pop goodness. Most of its 15 tracks are less than three minutes long, making for a quick and very enjoyable listen. Thomas’s brother Daniel had a major hand in the album, helping out with everything from arranging the songs to recording, producing & mixing them. He also sang backing vocals and played instruments on most tracks.

It opens with “Yesterdays And Silly Ways“, a pleasant track with a buoyant melody but somewhat darker lyrics about hiding behind an upbeat façade that hides less happy truths: “You tried your best, it was not your fault. Don´t try to delay me, your concrete walls proceed to retain a lonesome feeling. Yesterdays and silly ways.” Keeping with a similar theme, “Oh Whatever” seems to be spoken from God’s perspective to people and their tendency to fall prey to greed and ignorance: “Oh, my children, the sky is painted blue, but all you do is lying and denying every clue. Oh, my lost children, where money and mistrust is king. It´s sad to be the relayer, since I brought you everything.”

On the melodic “Slow Passage” Thomas sings of finding a bit of rejuvenation for his soul: “I might opt for a peaceful retreat or a lone walk in the woods, ‘cause a break from the wilderness will surely do me good“, with a catchy toe-tapping beat and some great guitar noodling.

One of my favorite tracks is “Rains On Saturn“, a beautiful piano-driven song that seems to speak of people who search for something better, while not appreciating what they already have: “You may prevail in your zeal for new horizons, but the sky you had was clear and when it rained, it rained diamonds. Drought for forty days, for golden times you yearn, just like when it rains on Saturn.” I really like the song’s lovely piano melody, accompanied early on by subtle sounds of rockets shooting through the heavens, then later by stirring strings. Thomas’s pleasing vocals are backed by his and Daniel’s enchanting harmonies.

“Coarse Rasp of Yours” is a wonderful folk-pop song of remembrance and affection, with poetic lyrics containing the album title: “Employees must wash hands. It’s weird to feel oppressed by reality. A few emotional feeds, painted infinity. There are only a few things left which I truly still adore, a real blonde and that coarse rasp of yore.”

Several tracks have a strong classical sensibility: “Mass in D Minor” is a somber dirge-like song about being stuck in a state of depression and ennui: “I’ve become a regiment of drugs, booze and cigarettes. My smile’s just a cry in disguise. Life is just a sentiment, a motion of silhouettes. The sun is now a cloud in my eyes.” “Fiddler & the Travesty” is a hauntingly beautiful song with melancholy piano and hopeful strings, and Thomas and Daniel’s lovely harmonies as they lament “Fiddler and the travesty, can’t escape his destiny. Singing his heart out to no one. He must not sing forever.” And as it’s title suggests, “Organ Prayer (in E Flat)” is a church-like hymn with great lyrics calling out sanctimonious posers and phonies: “I´ve had enough of your dense accolades. Choose side or fall flat with the crowd. A prayer must lose some effect when it comes off too proud. Tell your lame friends to go screw themselves.”

One of the sweetest tracks is the poignant “You Can’t Have it Both Ways” a Beatles-esque song with lovely strummed acoustic guitar and a wonderful organ riff, accompanied by the guys’ sublime harmonies. “Sooner Than You Think” has more of a rock feel, with a driving beat and grungy guitars. The lyrics speak of trying to regain trust in a troubled relationship: “Recycled trust, we should aim for something new, but you long for the past and, honestly, I do too. I will gaze at your beauty without a nod or a blink.We may face the truth sooner than you think.”

I like how Thomas builds his songs around a particular instrument. Case in point is the lovely piano melody of “Tremble and Reel“, with what sounds like a recorder adding some nice touches, or “Beach in Vietnam“, a sweet 47-second-long love song consisting of a simple but impactful piano riff, accompanied by his heartfelt vocal. Strummed guitars form the basis of the beguiling love song “Night of Stars“, and the uplifting folk song “Worry Beads“, both of which also feature the guys’ delightful harmonies.

The album closes on a beautiful note with the stirring piano instrumental “Stagnant Pools of Sorrow“. The combination of gorgeous piano and orchestral strings gives the track a classical feel as well. It’s a fine finish to a truly wonderful collection of carefully-crafted songs. So just sit back in a comfortable chair, close your eyes, and let them wash over you.

Here’s the album on YouTube:

And on Spotify:

Connect with Thomas:  Facebook / Twitter 

Find his music on Spotify / Apple Music / Soundcloud / YouTube

Artist Spotlight – Chris Mardula

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Artist Spotlight11 Comments

I seem to be in a pattern of writing about British artists lately (this is my seventh in a row!), but truth be told, they reach out to me about their music far more often than artists from any other countries, including the U.S. Today, I’m shining a spotlight on Chris Mardula, a singer-songwriter from Durham County in Northeast England. His music style is strongly informed with elements of folk, indie rock and blues.

A seasoned musician, he’s played in several bands over the years, but often felt frustrated by uneven levels of commitment by other members. He told me that with everyone having other responsibilities, it was often difficult getting everyone on the same page. Sick and tired of having to rely on other people, he eventually decided to move forward on his own as a solo artist. “I’ve had all of these songs just sitting there doing nothing for years. I thought to myself, it’s time I do something with them and get them out there to be heard. If there’s only me, there’s no excuses. So I built myself a little studio in the house and got busy making a few demos and writing some new tracks.”

Last November, Chris began releasing songs at the rate of one per month, starting with a lovely demo titled “Don’t let me down“. Consisting of just his strummed acoustic guitar and heartfelt vocals, the song is a poignant folk ballad about a fragile relationship. He assures his partner that he’ll be there for her, imploring her to not let him down: “Please stop complaining over things that I do. If you’re not so happy, you know what to do. Said I’d be there, I guess I always will. Just don’t let me down, C’mon now, don’t let me down. Cause this time is gonna be the last.” Listening to his pleasing vocals, I could easily be convinced that Chris was from Nashville or Austin instead of Northeast England.

He followed in December with his first official single “Take It Or Leave It“, which is my favorite song he’s released thus far. Written several years ago, Chris says the song is about living in a small town, making the most of it and finding your way forward while getting through the drag of everyday life, and how things usually turn out alright in the end. For this song, he layers beautiful programmed strings and vibrant percussion over strummed guitar notes, creating a stirring cinematic backdrop for his warm vocals as he fervently sings “Taking chances on the outside. I’m on the outside looking in. See my friends and see their faces. And all the places that we’ve been. So take it or leave it. Seen it all before. Take it or leave it. Cause you know you wanted more.”

In January, he dropped “Fade Away“, a beautiful rock song with a more powerful feel than his previous two. Chris’s guitar work is quite impressive as he unleashes an onslaught of scorching riffs over a background of strummed guitars, sweeping strings and riotous percussion. The lyrics seem to speak to the enduring pain over the death of a friend or loved one that refuses to fade away. “Days since he left me, was the day that he died. Still I can’t forget you, still here in my mind. Why can’t it all just fade away?” The song’s compelling video features footage shot by Chris, Craig Addison and Ella Brown.

February saw the release of “Catch a Fire“, an impactful rock song about not continuing to waste our precious time, and to keep pushing forward through the obstacles and pain life throws our way, in order to achieve our dreams and become a better person. The song has a bit of a Southern rock vibe, thanks to Chris’s splendid mix of bluesy and twangy guitars.

His most recent release “Calm In The Storm” is a terrific bluesy instrumental, where his skills on the guitar, piano and drums are allowed to really shine.

While it could be argued that the music world has more than enough ‘guys with guitars’ to go around, I think the quality of his songs places Chris near the top of a crowded field. Based on the five tracks he’s released so far, I’d say that he’s a pretty talented songwriter, musician and vocalist with a promising future. I also like that each of those five songs sounds completely different, a testament to his ability to reach across genres. He’s now putting the finishing touches on his debut album Monumental Horizons, which he plans on releasing later this year.

Here are his songs on Spotify:

Connect with Chris: Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

Find his music on Spotify / Apple Music / Amazon Music / Soundcloud / YouTube

ALEX SOUTHEY – EP Review: “Common Fantasies”

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews6 Comments

Canadian singer-songwriter Alex Southey is a thoughtful and talented artist who makes some really outstanding music. Originally from Vancouver and currently based in Toronto, the busy artist has released a lot of music over the past four years, including three albums, three EPs and numerous singles. His style can generally be described as alternative indie folk, but it’s much more than that, as his sound is varied and eclectic, drawing from rock, folk, singer-songwriter and shoegaze elements. Like all creative artists, he’s not afraid to explore and experiment with his music, and as a result, each of his albums and EPs sound quite different from one another. I’ve featured him twice on this blog, most recently in September 2021, when I reviewed his exquisite EP My Nights On the Island. Last month (December 2022), Alex returned with a new EP Common Fantasies, containing six wonderful tracks.  

Alex recorded the EP with the help of fellow musicians Christina Dare on bass & backing vocals, Gab Lavoie on Korg synth & piano, and Craig McCann on drums & percussion, all of whom played on four of the tracks (they also support him for live shows). Production, mixing and mastering were handled by Alex Gamble.

Before I discuss the songs, I’ll share what Alex wrote about his evolving creative process for the EP: “There were a lot of iterations of this EP in my mind at different times. There’s a version where it’s a full album; another where it’s a double album! There’s a version where it’s just three songs. There’s also an option where – why put it out at all? (A classic part of the process, I realise over and over and over). This is the version I went with. I felt like by placing together two delicate acoustic songs along with four bigger, grander songs there’d be this push and pull of inertia. All my big ideas would have remained totally abstract if it wasn’t for Alex Gamble, Christina Dare, Gab Lavoie, and Craig McCann, who were able to come in and help shape these blue prints into songs with real personality. This happened all the way from practices to live shows to rehearsals for the studio, to the studio, to the mix after the studio.“

Photo by Ryan Brough of Zeebrah Media

Common Fantasies opens with “Come and See“, a mostly instrumental track that starts off with a pleasant little acoustic guitar riff accompanied by soothing synths, before bursting into a riotous cinematic soundscape of explosive percussion and dramatic synths. Alex croons “Come and see“, then his vocals soar to an impassioned falsetto with the music, leaving us breathlessly anticipating what comes next! He answers with the electrifying title track “Common Fantasies“, a glorious mélange of blazing gnarly guitars, driving rhythms and smashing drums. Alex and company really let loose here, making this one of the hardest rocking songs I’ve heard by him. I’m not quite sure about the song’s meaning, but the lyrics seem to address the conflict between self-preservation and giving oneself over completely to another in a romantic situation: “I’m caught in the in-between. Loving you and loving me. I’m right where the lightning strikes, like my anger might. And these are high highs. Sucker. And common fantasies.”

“Soften” is simply stunning, with a lush synth-driven melody overlain with marvelous jangly and chiming guitars, dreamy piano keys and snappy drums. But as beautiful as the music is, it’s Alex’s plaintive vocals that really resonate with me. I love his singing voice, which goes from an emotive croon to airy falsetto, all the while raising the hairs on the back of my neck. Christina’s backing vocals are wonderful too, adding tremendous emotional heft to the song. The lyrics seem to urge us to be kinder to the earth and, by extension, ourselves: “Soften the earth so we can grow up here. Caught in the surf. Caught it in just the right way. And if you believe, they’ll teach you to serve. Teach you the right way to pray.“

The languid and gentle “Twist It” is the first of two mostly acoustic tracks on which Alex played all the instruments – guitar, Roland Juno-60 analog synthesizer and piano. He describes it as “kind of a mini cliff hanger song in a way. At the end you feel an instinct to lean forward and there is nothing to catch you.” The lyrics start off with Alex taking a rather defiant stance “I don’t like to wait. Won’t learn your name. But I can always listen“, but by the end of the song, he’s come around to a more amenable approach: “We’re cool. It won’t hurt to wait. And it won’t hurt to listen. So seal your fate and come on and twist it.”

“Open Season” is another terrific hard-driving rocker that starts off with a bit of a Foo Fighters vibe (at least to my ears), but once those sweeping synths kick in, the song transitions to more of a new wave feel, only to be shattered by a blistering guitar solo at the end. And yet again, the lyrics are somewhat ambiguous to me, but my take is that they speak to issues of honesty and trust in a romantic relationship: “You don’t lie the way I do. In the blink of an eye. Let’s share clothes and attitudes, and swap our half lines.”

The EP closes with “You Want It Brighter“, a poignant track consisting of just Alex’s pleasing acoustic guitar work and melancholy vocals. He states that he “wrote the majority of ‘You Want It Brighter’ (which is a for-no-good-reason play on ‘You Want It Darker’, a late Leonard Cohen thing) maybe two or three years ago at an ex-partner’s place.” The bittersweet lyrics speak of a relationship that’s over, with the protagonist coming to terms with having to be the one who leaves his home and son behind: “I will wait. I will sit awhile and watch as the sun sets on my son. And I admit it’ll take a while to live in – and out – of this place./ And you’ll stay. And I’ll go ‘Cause you asked for this.”

To sum up, Common Fantasies is another superb effort by Alex, and I think it’s one of my personal favorites of all his releases. He’s an outstanding songwriter and musician, with a distinctive vocal style that effortlessly flows from comforting croon to emotion-packed rawness to soaring falsetto, all of which are on fine display. He and his fellow musician collaborators have much to be proud of here.

Those of you living in, or planning to visit, Ontario in February can catch Alex at one of these upcoming shows:

Connect with Alex on  Facebook / Instagram

Stream his music on  Spotify / Apple Music / Soundcloud / YouTube

Purchase on  Bandcamp

BLACKWELL – Single Review: “Six Figure Suitor”

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews9 Comments
Photo of Ryan and Brandon by Denis Cheng

Blackwell is a new Chicago-based folk rock act comprised of singer-songwriter and guitarist Ryan Loree and drummer Brandon Buffington. Ryan has previously released music under his solo act Draft Evader, which I’ve written about on this blog. The duo just released their debut single “Six Figure Suitor“, a hard-driving rocker that Ryan said has a heavier, poppier sound than many of the other songs they’ve been working on. The song was recorded, mixed and mastered by Joe Scaletta, who also played bass.

The song bursts open with a roiling barrage of Ryan’s grungy guitar, which is soon joined by Brandon’s aggressive drumbeats, along with a throbbing bassline that doesn’t let up. I’ve always liked Ryan’s songwriting and lyricism, and his guitar work and Brandon’s drumming are both outstanding here. Further, Ryan’s plaintive vocals have an honest vulnerability that’s really endearing, and keep sounding better and better as he matures as a musician and singer.

To my ears, the song has a bit of a Gin Blossoms feel, only heavier. I’m also impressed by the tight arrangement and economical production; the song immediately gets right to the point, knocking our socks off in the process, without a single superfluous note or wasted second. It’s rock’n’roll at its finest.

As to the meaning of “Six Figure Suitor”, Ryan told me it’s about two people jumping into a new relationship while still being completely consumed by their pasts. The relationship becomes abusive and toxic, with one partner imposing unfair expectations on the other.

I'm not a six figure suitor baby
And I don't think that I'll ever be
A sniper in the U.S. Army
He's content to dance on my grave
But he's got a six shooter waiting
He's been hiding in your driveway

And it won't be long, til we find God
Well he's been lost, but so has paradise

So I guess we've outgrown the honeymoon phase
But disappointment on your face
Tells a lyric I can't think of 
I'm not a six-figure suitor baby
And I don't think that I'll ever be
A sniper in the U.S. Army
 
And it won't be long, til we find God
Well she's been lost, but so has paradise

And it won't be long, til we find God
Well they've been lost, but so has paradise

“Six Figure Suitor” is a very fine debut effort by these two talented musicians. Ryan told me they have lots of songs ready to go, including an EP of acoustic songs, and I can’t wait to hear them.