Joshua Ketchmark - Under Plastic Stars (2017)

OFFICIAL: http://www.joshuaketchmark.com/
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/josh.ketchmark

Written by Daniel Boyer, posted by blog admin

“We Were Everything” begins Joshua Ketchmark’s Under Plastic Stars on a decidedly elegiac note, but this isn’t a dreary collection of songs. Ketchmark’s first full fledged solo effort, self-produced and written by Ketchmark, finds this longtime musical cohort of some of the music world’s biggest acts stepping out on his own with considerable talent and finesse. The primarily acoustic slant to this album is adorned with other touches like keyboards and even some occasional swaths of steel guitar, but you can’t comfortably consign it to a particular genre. “We Were Everything” has strong melodic virtues that continues with the second song “Every Mystery”, but the arrangement is a little more inventive and less straightforward than we hear from the first song. It doesn’t veer too far, however, from the tendencies established with “We Were Everything”.

The steel guitar present in “Let It Rain” is so thoroughly integrated with the rest of the arrangement that it never calls ostentatious attention to itself and, instead, proves to be just another color in Ketchmark’s toolbox. It’s easy to single this tune out as one of the undisputed high points on Under Plastic Stars and the emphatic nature of Ketchmark’s singing signals he views the song in a similar manner. “Lucky at Leavin’” sounds like it might be some classic country cut, based on title alone, but it’s actually a lush and carefully wrought acoustic number, folk for the most part, that benefits from a swell of keyboard color strengthening its sound. Ketchmark’s singing hits another high water mark with this tune that will, undoubtedly, linger in listener’s memories long after the song ends. “Hereafter” is particularly effective thanks to Brad Rice’s sinewy electric guitar lines crackling throughout the performance and another impassioned vocal never risking overwrought theatrics.

“Get Out Alive” has a little more of a rough hewn gait than the earlier tunes and owes its roots to the blues much more than anything else so far. It’s an evocative piece lyrically and Ketchmark brings just enough gravel into his voice to make this character dissection all the more convincing. He hits another high point with the commercial potential of “Saturday Night”, but Ketchmark isn’t a performer pursuing the path of least resistance. Instead, he throws himself into this tune for all he’s worth and it reaches heights the earlier songs never explore. “In Harm’s Way” is a largely solo acoustic tune incorporating more sounds in the second half and has a pleasing melodic core that will draw many listeners into its web.

“Sweet Surrender” takes some of the same template we hear with the song “Saturday Night” but, instead of relying on guitars, brings piano in to great effect and Ketchmark’s voice responds in kind with a showstopper of a vocal. The near orchestral sweep of this song stands out from the rest and makes it one of Under Plastic Stars’ more memorable moments. The last track “The Great Unknown” adopts a busier tempo than we’ve heard with much of the album and, thus, brings the release to an energetic close. Joshua Ketchmark’s Under Plastic Stars is an obviously personal work, but the entry points for listeners are numerous and inviting.  

Sarah Morris - Hearts in Need of Repair (2017)

OFFICIAL: www.sarahmorrismusic.com

FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/sarahmorris10

Written by David Shouse, posted by blog admin

Minnesota songstress Sarah Morris unleashes a potent doozy of an album in the form of her 3^rd release Hearts in Need of Repair.  Fantastic songwriting, knockout instrumentation and Morris’ soaring voice are the glue that holds together an upper echelon recording that doesn’t have a dull moment in sight.  There’s groove and soul to spare throughout Hearts’ 11 rousing tracks with each tune being worthy of endless repeat plays. 

The title track is a punchy, catchy opener drenched folk influence with just the right amount of countrified acoustic guitar licks and Sarah’s skyward pushing vocals.  Morris also handles some of the acoustic guitar playing alongside regular band mate Thomas Nordlund while Aaron Fabbrini contributes exotic pedal steel.  Fabbrini carries over his smooth playing to the next cut, “Good at Goodbye.”  Lars Erik Larson interjects some percussive smacks thanks to his locked on work on the snare and the band’s regular producer Eric Blomquist ladles on a third acoustic guitar for a very vibrant, full sound that creates multiple melodies to follow. 

“Cheap Perfume” enters on a dusky, scrappy blues grind that eventually alters its mindset into up-tempo country.  Andrew Foreman’s electric bass grooves furthers the high noon shootout atmosphere as Morris’ vocals utilize husky lower registers that only highlights her many vocal personalities.  The wispy “Helium” moves at a slower clip and glows like the dying embers of midnight pyre with beautiful acoustic guitars glide above the supple support provided the bass lines.  The stringed instruments construct a rock solid foundation for Morris to paint hymnal vocal melodies upon.  

A duo of harder, more rockin’ tracks appear with the back-to-back attack of “Falling Over” and “Course Correction.”  Nordlund’s electric guitar is a centerpiece of both; bouncing off the numerous acoustic counterpoints that fill this part of tunes with life and soul.  “Empty Seat” draws the blinds, blocking out the sun with a dirge-y acoustic jam that’s equal parts engagingly melodic and heartbreaking.  Returning to hard rocking abandon “Shelter or the Storm” lives up to the “storm” part of its namesake by drilling electric guitar riffs into your cranium and offsetting with just the right amount of harmonic nuance.  The rhythm section explodes like a powder keg all throughout and the triple guitar attack is at its most ruthless right here.  This is easily the album’s heaviest, hardest cut and certainly shakes up the atmosphere like a vial of nitroglycerin.  The record comes to a close with a melodically contagious trio of acoustic leaned tracks with “Nothing Compares,” “On a Stone” and the piano-slicked, epic closer, “Confetti.”  Though the music throughout these songs is similar, each one has its own unique vibe. 

Hearts in Need of Repair is an astounding album and probably Sarah Morris’ finest offering to date.  The turbulent toss n’ turn of acoustic and electric guitar and bass, the generous amount of melodies and texture, the addition of dobro, piano, lap and pedal steel as well as Morris’ picture perfect vocal stylings yields an album that’s airtight in its construction.  Anyone with an ear for rustic rock, country, blues and folk will be unable to stop listening to this disc…it’s simply THAT good.

J.Briozo - Deep in the Waves (2017)

OFFICIAL: http://www.jbriozo.com/

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/jbriozo/

Written by Daniel Boyer, posted by blog admin

Jeff Crandall’s work over two studio releases and numerous live appearances with Minneapolis’ Swallows has positioned him as one of the indie scene’s best vocalists on the rise, but his first solo album as J.Briozo, Deep in the Waves, should gain him further renown as a songwriting powerhouse and compelling performer away from the auspices of his full time band.  He tries his hand at multiple forms with this collection and achieves across the board credible results without ever straining listener’s acceptance. There’s a rare level of confidence coming off this release for a debut solo album and one can only ascribe that to the likelihood that Crandall began recording these songs with a sure idea of what he wanted the final results to sound like. There’s little question that he’s pulled that off with considerable aplomb.

There’s obviously a lot of thought and consideration given to these thirteen songs, but there’s ample evidence of a loose, spontaneous approach as well that’s capable of capturing true studio magic. This balance is heard strongly in the album opener “Blind” with its keyboard propelled arrangement and the measured duet-like aspects between Crandall’s voice and the artful instrumentation. There’s none of the acoustic musing in the opener that we hear in the album’s title and second track “Deep in the Waves”, but it also features a much cleaner and accessible approach than Crandall adopted with the first tune. The folksy strum of the song’s foundational acoustic guitar pairs up very nice with his voice. The alt rock confidence coming from “Spinning Out” makes good for Crandall and his listeners thanks, in no small part, to how much the mileage the song gets from its title and the steady fundamentals that enable the track to go deeper than most. It’s one of the few tracks on Deep in the Waves to show off some lead playing, as well, and it punctuates the song to magnificent effect.

“The Big Parade” betrays some bluesy influences while still following the acoustic template that’s been established a few songs in on Deep in the Waves. It’s one of the album’s most involved lyrics and comes off well, colloquial yet eloquent, yet the language manifests a rough and tumble quality we don’t get from the stylish and satisfying arrangement. There’s just enough hint of the epic in the song “Catalonia” that helps it stand out from the pack and the obvious work put into realizing the vocal arrangement leaps out as one of the song’s true highlights. Influences from psychedelia rear their head at various points during the recording and one of the best examples of that strand in Crandall’s musical tapestry comes to life with the song “Firefly” and its focus on atmospherics never plays strained. The tune “Santa Cruz” opens with a mix of ambient electronica before spartan acoustic guitar swells out of the mix alongside Crandall’s dreamlike, smoky mid-register singing. It’s one of the album’s shorter tracks and pairs up well with the next song and album closer “Sun Sun True”, a practically raga-like electric guitar workout with big, ringing chords and an inspired vocal from Crandall. This song closes Deep in the Waves with much of the same individual air surrounding the songs from the first cut onward. Anyone who appreciates fine, stylistically diverse songwriting will find much to admire on this release.

Gregg Stewart - Twenty Sixteen (2017)

OFFICIAL: http://greggstewartmusic.com/

TWITTER: https://twitter.com/gstewartmusic

INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/thatgreggstewart

Written by Pamela Bellmore, posted by blog admin

It’s scarcely possible to imagine a better collection of cover tunes than Gregg Stewart’s Twenty Sixteen. Gregg Stewart avoids one of the common pitfalls of the form by never opting for naked imitation – his re-interpretations of other people’s material truly reorganizes these songs to his specific vision while staying faithful to the guiding initial impulse that drove the writing of the songs. He, likewise, doesn’t go for the obvious songs in their respective oeuvres – it isn’t just for novelty factor, as well, because the selections show a wide knowledge of music that Stewart’s solo work and music with the band Stewboss doesn’t really hint at. He gets these performances over with an immense amount of charisma that never asks too much of the listeners. It varies enough too, from song to song, that Twenty Sixteen takes on more of a character than just being a concept cover album with songs from musicians who died in 2016. Instead, it becomes much more of a statement about who Gregg Stewart is.  

Some of the odder or more unusual choices on the album will be the certain attention grabbers. He opens Twenty Sixteen with Dead or Alive’s “You Spin Me Round” and turns it into a tighly swaying, simmering acoustic track with more playfulness and less slightly skewered need than we hear in the original. “Raspberry Beret” retains more overt similarities to the original version than many songs do on Twenty Sixteen and this stems in no small part from his decision to keep the song’s famous melody intact and delivered with exquisite delicacy. The unlikely pairing of Maurice White’s “Sing a Song” and Leon Russell’s “One More Love Song” certainly isn’t accidental and the juxtaposition of Earth, Wind, and Fire soul influences heard in the former with the bluesy southern charms of the latter makes for an unusually satisfying one two punch. He also opts for a run through of Gene Wilder’s signature musical number of Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory’s “Pure Imagination”. It definitely has a much different sound than we hear from Wilder’s original, but Stewart’s choice to revamp it as an acoustic number is an ideal recasting.

Rather than opting for “White Rabbit” or “Somebody to Love”, Gregg Stewart pays tribute to the deaths of Jefferson Airplane guitarist/vocalist/songwriter Paul Kantner and the band’s original second singer Singe Anderson. In an eerie bit of coincidence, Kantner and Anderson died on the same day in 2016 and “High Flying Bird” is a sturdy acoustic driven number from the band’s pre-Grace Slick years that hangs together remarkably well in its new incarnation. Leonard Cohen’s “Leaving the Table” is another remarkable choice than goes with a song off his final studio album rather than mining the typical songs from his catalog for some predictable inspiration. “Starman”, one of David Bowie’s most beloved tunes, closes Twenty Sixteen with a remarkably faithful note that still keeps a lot of his character involved with Bowie’s hallmarks. This is much more than a first rate cover album; we get just as much of a sense about who he is after hearing this song that we do listening to any of his originals.  

Grace Freeman - Shadow (2017)

OFFICIAL: http://www.gracefreeman.net/

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/gracefreemanmusic/

Written by Lydia Hillenburg, posted by blog admin

This is a release that a lot of people will get behind without much persuading. Grace Freeman’s talents shine through on each of Shadow’s eleven cuts and she has a naturalness as both a performer and writer that is a rare gift in any era. Don’t make the mistake of lumping her in with the gaggle of female singer/songwriters who’ve appeared in the last two decades – Freeman possesses a singular, transformative talent that certainly takes in the right influences but, ultimately, speaks with its own certain and convincing voice. She brings in some other instrumentation on various songs, but Freeman confines much of Shadow to making its mark via her voice, piano, and acoustic guitar. These songs are so good that scarcely anything more is required. She inhabits these spartan musical landscapes like a knowing, generous spirit and unstintingly gives herself to the audience.

“Oliver” begins Shadow on a muted note, but the artistry is undeniable. Few songs of this ilk in recent memory share such an obviously sympathetic bond between the musical arrangement and vocal. Freeman’s voice locks into the guitar from the first and her phrasing varies enough at critical points during the performance to make for some interesting juxtapositions. “Shadow” has a quasi-classical air thanks to the inclusion of piano, but this soon gives way to the inclusion of drums and bass that takes the song into a more high brow pop direction. It’s one of the most successful tunes on Shadow and one can only assume Freeman agrees since it comes so early in the album’s running order. “Trying to Say Goodbye”, like the later “Dreams”, doesn’t overtly pursue the suggestion of pop in performance, but it certainly has commercial appeal in a way that other songs on Shadow do not. The pained lyrics take on an unusual quality, almost playful, when placed against the arrangement on “Trying to Say Goodbye”. The acoustic guitar has a near gypsy flair on the later “Dreams” and it prompts Freeman to respond with one of her most invigorating vocals on the release.

“Another Long Night” and “God Forbid” are two of the best songs on Shadow thanks to lyrics just as strong as the musical ideas driving each track. The former song focuses on the marriage between Freeman’s voice and entertaining acoustic guitar – the unusual bluntness of the lyric serves it quite well and Freeman makes no real attempt to sweeten its sentiments. “God Forbid” is reminiscent of Regina Spektor’s songwriting, but Freeman is a far clearer lyricist while still retaining the capacity for a poetic turn of phrase. This is a collection that will stick in the memory for some time to come thanks to the virtuosic songwriting clinic she puts on and the burning focus we sense applied to each of Shadow’s eleven songs. Grace Freeman has struck gold with this one.