Kevin Wilson has been an integral part of the Florida heavy metal scene for more than a decade, writing and playing guitar for Liar, Astaroth and Lucian Blaque, which was nominated by both the Tampa Bay Music Awards and Tampa Bay Metal Awards as Metal Band of the year two and three times, respectively. Wilson himself was nominated once for Metal Guitarist of the year.  As most things do, Lucian Blaque ran its course, and Wilson found himself in a period of reassessing his goals.  The result of that contemplation is Wilson’ debut solo album, Self Portrait.  Comprised of fifteen original songs, Self Portrait features Wilson’s softer, singer-songwriter side on nine tracks, but also shows his hard edge on the six tracks on the second disc.

Self Portrait opens with “On The Lake”, a solid slice of melodic rock with great lead and harmony vocals.  “On The Lake” has great energy but doesn’t bowl this listener over with it.  It’s a song of reverence for time and place, with hope, peace and comfort wrapped in one focal point.  “Winter In Paradise” shows off some guitar muscle in the middle of a fairly gentle rocker.  Wilson has great feel on the guitar, culling musical streams out of the arrangement as if peeling back layers to show you what is beneath.  “Scars” is a mellow acoustic rocker that sounds a bit like a power ballad but never explodes into full sound like many power ballads do.  The vocal harmonies here are tremendous.  Wilson takes his cue from some of the big triad harmonies popular among arena-rock bands like Styx, Journey, Asia and Kansas in a song about salvation and moving on.

“Self Portrait” is rather bland for a title track, lacking real energy and suffering from a whiney vocal line.  Wilson’s guitar work is a highlight here, however.  “What If” explores existential angst about the future in contemplative fashion, using a mellow arrangement that hides country music threads in the musical seams.  Wilson seeks rebirth and renewal on “September Comes”, a song about moving beyond the restrictions and fears we trap ourselves in.  “September Comes” features a light airy melody that is almost a foil to the heavy emotional makeup of the song.  This irony is enhanced as Wilson seeks rebirth in a season known for the beginning of decay.  “Pictures” is lush, but not dramatically so, again going for the big vocal harmonies in an Asia-meets-Alan Parsons vibe that’s surprisingly good.

Disc two features material that will feel more at home to Wilson’s fans from his heavy rock and metal days.  He starts out with blues based rock n roll on “Whiskey”, an entertaining monologue decrying the spirit’s effect on him.  It’s a solid tune that’s likely to be a live favorite.  “16 Days” keeps the blues/rock sound, but adds a somewhat darker tone with real movement and energy that’s an enjoyable listen.  “Hellhole” finds Wilson digging into a heavier sound.  Lyrically and melodically the song is average, but Wilson’s guitar work is very much worth checking out.  “Who I Am” and “Angry Again” continue the barrage with darker tones and heavier guitar work, culminating in “A Tale Of Woe”.  “A Tale Of Woe” wants to be a heavy metal anthem and has all the needed elements.  Wilson has stripped the song down a bit, perhaps to avoid overwhelming the folks who enjoyed the mainstream lean of disc one.  The true metal heads out there will appreciate “A Tale Of Woe”, but you’ll be wishing for a louder and heavier take.

You might expect that Kevin Wilson’s heavier material would be more outstanding than the lighter fare, but Self Portrait defies expectations.  Wilson shows himself to have a keen ear for melody and harmony while stripping away the metal accoutrements he generally creates with.  Wilson calls on the influences of his youth, blending a mellow mien with the sounds of 1980’s rock scions and a bit of guitar muscle to create a sound that’s not exactly new, but novel enough and well-crafted enough to catch your ear.  The heavier material on Self Portrait is surprisingly mundane; Wilson seems to abandon his more melodic tendencies here but also strips the sound down, robbing the songs of their more vociferous and angry natures.  Self Portrait is likely to gain Wilson a number of new fans, but may not satisfy some of his established followers.

Review by Wildy Haskell

admin Reviews, Wildy Haskell Kevin Wilson, Self Portrait

Waking Ugly is the long-running covert operation of musical secret agents Lydia Gardner and Darren Pace.  The Melbourne, Australia-based duo are set to blow their cover this fall with a five-song self-titled EP full of some of the tastiest pop music to emerge from down under in a generation.  The seeds of Waking Ugly were germinated back in 2004, with Gardner and Pace tiring of the same old pop formula offered up through popular media and resolving to change the world.  With an unspecified November release date for the EP, Waking Ugly appear set to go from unknown to full-blown practically overnight.

Waking Ugly opens with what will be the EP’s first single, “You Know You Wanna”, a super-charged pop/rock hybrid that’s pure gold.  Waking Ugly reminds listeners it’s never too late to chase your dreams in a sugar-coated electro-pop/rock arrangement that could find a home on pop, dance, and rock charts.  Lydia Gardner is an amped front woman with a voice you could listen to for days on end.  The instrumental bed that Gardner and Pace establish here offers a full sound that imparts melody without the aural clutter that often accompanies modern pop music.  “Must Be Love” is an altruistic love song full of the romance of young love over a mild dance beat.  The mix is interesting, as Waking Ugly show a knack for crafting viable pop songs that don’t give in to cliché and are as catchy as the flu in an elevator.

Waking Ugly call out the modern consumer culture on “Zombies”, noting how society blinds itself to experience in a storm of consumption and greed.  This serious subject is given an ironic touch and delivered in a pure pop/rock arrangement that will stick in your head for days.  “Girlfriend” blends Europop and rock in a song about attraction for all the wrong reasons.  “Girlfriend” is the edgiest track on the disc, with a heavier sound than Waking Ugly has shown to this point, and may be the sleeper hit of the bunch.  Don’t be surprised if a licensing agreement lands this song on a movie or television soundtracks on multiple continents.  Waking Ugly says goodbye (for now) with “Guess It’s Over”, a breakup song of epic proportions.  It’s a mature and measured look at the aftermath wrapped up in a monster melody and delivered in a reserved and poignant arrangement that should light up program director’s imaginations at adult rock and pop stations across the globe.

Waking Ugly is the real deal, a throwback to the days when pop music was fun to listen to.  Even when they injects social conscience into their songs, the arrangements are so infectious and enjoyable that you can overlook the severity if you’re so inclined.  Waking Ugly offers something for everyone here, and shows a depth and maturity that’s unusual in such a pop-oriented debut.  Waking Ugly has been toiling in their laboratory for six years now, and it seems likely that there’s a lot more where this came from.  We’ll be waiting with bated breath.

Review by Wildy Haskell

admin Reviews, Wildy Haskell Waking Ugly

The artwork to Leyla Fences’ Liars, Cheats & Fools CD includes the saying, “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me!”  The package also disclaims, “The stories in the songs you are about to hear are true. The names have been changed to protect the not-so-innocent.” Fences pulls no punches.  She is hardcore, Texas country, and no foolin’.

Coming out shooting, Fences resists a former lover who cheated and lied to her in “Love Doesn’t Work Like That”, affirming that love is a dysfunctional family that doesn’t always work out quite the way we want it to. With “Let Him Go”, she advises her girlfriends to give up on guys that are just not worth the trouble. On “This Close” she announces, “I just called to say I’m not coming home.”

Good intentions are sometimes not powerful enough motivators to get one past a bad relationship, however. On “Gettin’ over Him”, Fences finds herself smoking, drinking and trying to look cool because “Beer is not strong enough for all he’s done.” A large part of Fences’ frustration in this case is that her ex is doing a much better job at moving on. “There’s no getting’ over him like he’s getting’ over me,” she complains. Drinking also plays into “Upside Blues”, where Fences promises to drink until she’s washed a man out of her life, so to speak.

Fences is as pretty as a picture, but she sure doesn’t sound too vulnerable when she sings. At least not the way Rhonda Vincent and Alison Krauss can. Instead, she has a Reba-like toughness in her voice, which serves all losers and pretenders notice that she means business. With “The Other Side”, she imagines a different life than the one she lives. She wonders what it would be like to be a stay-home mom, and while she realizes the grass almost always looks greener on the other side, that doesn’t stop her from fantasizing. She then takes the concept further than most artists would, peeking into the life of a housewife who is as equally frustrated as her unencumbered counterpart.

Liars, Cheats & Fools doesn’t tell us anything we don’t already know or give us country sounds we haven’t heard.  But this CD is not about doing or saying anything new.  It’s about delivering common sense in country style that speaks to the truth of love and losers that everybody knows.  For the most part, Fences sings these songs straight, along with plenty of guitar and pedal steel. Nevertheless, “The Fool” nicely incorporates some girly backing vocals, which gives it a little extra silliness.

Although Fences comes off as a cynic much of the time, she has not completely given up on love. The song “Maybe” looks at a particular man in a realistic light. He might be Mr. Right, but then again, he may not be the one she’s been waiting for. Saying “maybe” is not the same as saying “yes” or “no”. It holds out hope that something good could still happen. Just maybe.

If you like real, honest to goodness Texas country music, you can’t go wrong with Leyla Fences. This CD won’t ever be confused with pop-country, country-rock, or any other over hyphenation of the style. If you take your country like your whiskey, straight with no chaser, then this is the disc for you.

Review by Dan MacIntosh

admin Dan MacIntosh, Reviews Leyla Fences, Liars Cheats & Fools

Leyla Fences is an Argyle, Texas singer/songwriter who strives to get back to the roots of modern country music while writing lyrics that are up-to-date and relevant to day-to-day life.  Eschewing the “happily ever after” tone of modern pop-country, Fences uses her music to talk about real life situations, broken hearts, cheating partners, and losing life to work while keeping the female perspective front and center.  She doesn’t have a perfect voice, and doesn’t varnish it with corrective software, keeping her performances as real as her lyrics.  For all these reasons, her debut album, Liars, Cheats & Fools is refreshing.

Liars, Cheats & Fools opens with “Let Him Go”, a highly danceable bit of rockin’ country about cutting your losses and moving on.  It’s an entertaining opener and has enough life to it to catch the attention of country radio program directors.  Fences is in fine voice on the opener, although her sound shows a lack of training and breath control.  In this case her vocal idiosyncrasies do more to make her memorable than turn listeners away.  “Hardly Livin’” is an ode to working class perseverance and the sacrifices it brings.  It’s a mildly danceable tune with a solid backbeat and some impressive piano fills around the edges.  “The Net” is a positively themed song about taking chances to make your dreams come true.  It’s a decent tune, although it smacks of self-help cliché.

Fences gives the kiss-off to a two-timer who has come around again on “Love Doesn’t Work Like That”.  While the vocal line shows off Fences’ weak spots, the song is catchy enough and has enough guts to become an anthem for those who have been part of a romantic yo-yo relationship.    “Dancing With You” is a mellow country love song, solid and a bit typical of the genre.  It’s a decent song but the pacing feels heavy.  “Upside Blues” is a pure drinking anthem for the sore-hearted, danceable with an anthem feel, allowing for whatever methods it takes to get over a loss.  “The Other Side” voices “the grass is always greener” from the perspective of a mom, and offers one of the more difficult vocal lines to listen to on the album.  The song itself is heaped with cliché; well-written, but predictable to a fault.

“The Fool” touches on infidelity and tit-for-tat exchanges in a cynical game of one-upmanship that feels somewhat flat.  The arrangement is energetic enough, but the lyrics and vocal line don’t quite have the vitality to match.  “Maybe” is classic waffling over a relationship.  It’s one of the more emotionally authentic songs on the album and reflects well on Leyla Fences.  “Two’s A Crowd” works well as a declaration of self, espousing the concept that you don’t need to be in a relationship to be happy.  “Two’s A Crowd” has an innate pop sensibility that will inspire you to hit repeat.  Fences closes with “Life Is Funny”, a mildly catchy tune that’s too straight-forward to really hit with the listener.

Leyla Fences has a voice that you’ll remember after you’ve heard it once.  It’s most-always a pleasant one to listen to, although Fences does show a lack of vocal training in trills, runs and anywhere else where her vocalizations require a high level of breath control.  Her deep alto and distinct nasal qualities create an intriguing sound, and from a songwriting perspective, much of Liars, Cheats & Fools is solid.  Fences may not be the most poetic or romantic lyricist in the world, and her style may not fit the CMT paradigm these days, but the classic sound and unvarnished approach is going to appeal to a lot of the regular fans out there that wonder “what happened to country music?”

Review by Wildy Haskell

admin Reviews, Wildy Haskell & Fools, Cheats, Leyla Fences, Liars

Leyla Fences puts the “C” in country music.  From the first bars of “Let Him Go” on her debut album, Liars, Cheats & Fools, it is obvious that this isn’t country pop that is played on every radio station. Leyla’s country is more traditional and comes with a Texas twang and lyrics that really tell it like it is, whether it’s about staying single, some cheating guy, or getting drunk. The best part is, Leyla makes these songs real. The focus is on reality, and not always the shiny, happy, white picket fence reality.

Songs like “Love Doesn’t Work Like That” show feminine strength.  There’s no way that Leyla’s going back to that cheatin’ guy.  As she belts out the chorus, “You cheated and I cried. Trusted you, you lied. As good as I was to you. You found better things to do,” you can picture a crowd of women adding their voice. Songs like “Hardly Livin’” shouldn’t be so darn peppy when you give the lyrics a careful listen and realize that it is about a woman working hard but not getting anywhere.  But that’s what makes it great.  Leyla sings about hard knocks and she makes it sound fun.

On “Two’s A Crowd,” the litany of breakups and the reasons for them will bring a smile to your face and may make you think about Terri Clark’s “Girls Lie Too.”  She shares a similar wit with Clark when it comes to her songwriting, which is very empowering.  She also makes the crappy things that happen in everyone’s lives seem not so bad.  The best cheatin’ song has to be “Upside Blues,” where Fences sings about trying to stay strong while seeing her guy with another girl. Also hitting close to home is “The Other Side,” a consideration of the age-old cliché that says the grass is greener elsewhere. In this song Leyla illustrates her point of view beautifully with the line “I count your blessings because I can’t see mine.”

There’s one thing that you won’t find in abundance on this album, and that’s love songs.  She does come close with the wistful “Maybe,” a song that has a lot of hope for a potential relationship.  Leyla doesn’t do hearts and flowers.  What she does do is heartbreak, like “Dancing With You,” a bittersweet song about a relationship that has come to an end, even though one part of the couple isn’t ready for it to be over.

Leyla is proof that honky-tonk is still alive and well and fun to listen to when done well. Liars, Cheats & Fools makes you want to grab a cold beer and dance a two step and then tell off an ex, but maybe not in that order. At a time when country music doesn’t sound like country music, Leyla Fences is a breath of fresh air. Liars, Cheats & Fools is a country album that proves that some of the nastiest things we have to deal with in life can make the best songs.

Review by Andrea Guy

admin Andrea Guy, Reviews & Fools, Cheats, Leyla Fences, Liars

When you listen to Wait ‘Til Midnight Ends you may feel a sudden calmness take over you.  It is a quiet album, much like the time just after midnight when most of the world is at rest. June’s has a voice that is both sexy and gentle at the same time. Her style is a cross between Diana Krall, Madeleine Peyroux, and Ella Fitzgerald, giving the listener a delightful taste of something modern and something old fashioned at once.

The music combines jazz and blues, the kind of sounds you expect to hear in a dark martini bar, smoky and full of romance.  The song “We Won’t Let It Bring Us Down” sounds like something from the 30s or 40s.  “The Craziest Game” is a wonderful Spanish-flavored track that will the have the listener reaching for castanets. “Tattoo” is old school blues that you’d expect to hear on a street corner in New Orleans or maybe being played by someone riding on a boxcar traveling down the rails.

Just as those songs feel like they were pulled from another time period there’s “Make A Little Time For Love” where she sings about two lovers doing things separately such as watching TV or surfing the Internet. The song details a couple that is growing apart because they are busy with other things instead of their relationship.  June sings the song as a third person that is observing the couple. It is a little bit voyeuristic, in a helpful way. June is like a guardian angel, reminding them to make time for love.

“Lincoln Avenue” is an up-tempo number that has a very sexy sound, thanks to June’s vocals and the wonderful sax playing by Steve Eisen.  The music for the title track, “Wait ‘Til Midnight Ends” is a perfect fit for the lyrics. With your eyes closed you can envision a perfectly starry night as the tabla beats make you want to sway.

Each song on Wait ‘Til Midnight Ends takes you someplace different, whether you feel you are traveling back in time by listening or if it is to a particular point in a relationship.  June does this in the most soothing manner possible. Songs such as “Crazy Sue” are sung so sweetly that they really feel like a lullaby.  Even the way she plays the piano seems light and airy. Even the songs that are peppier are delivered in her gentle manner.

This is an album that takes all the stresses out of your day. It makes you want to kick back and sip a fine vintage and just chill, letting June’s lush vocals wash over you. It makes you want to snuggle close to someone you love.  This album will move you to slow down your pace, to sit back and just enjoy and maybe even do what one of the songs suggest, “Make A Little Time For Love.”

Review by Andrea Guy

admin Andrea Guy, Reviews June Shellene, Wait 'til Midnight Ends

If you can somehow imagine what Joe Cocker coupled with Jerry Garcia would sound like, with a dash of Neil Diamond and a sprinkling of reggae, you can perhaps, just maybe, get somewhat of an idea what Brian Ralston (aka Self Tort) sounds like.  It’s an odd mix, no doubt, but Brian Ralston, performing as Self Tort, makes it work exceedingly well.  The album Tortology opens with the track “Self Sufficient” and the listener is treated to a smooth rhythm that is reminiscent of the funky early 80’s or late 70’s groove.  Ralston’s voice is gritty in the best Joe Cocker fashion and it is clear that he is not hesitant to let loose.  The sound quality is exceptional and the effects that he uses capture the essence of this song well.  The lyrics positively scream of independence, as the title suggests, and the wind chimes during the break are a nice touch.  The guitar work is fantastic and it is made evident with the opening track of Tortology that Brian Ralston is a musician of the finest order.

“Ordinary Rendition” has a reggae flavor to it that will be sure to make listeners think of palm trees, the beach and the ocean.  The smooth gentle groove coupled with Ralston’s slightly rough voice is the perfect combination.  This piece shows the diversity that Ralston possesses and the fact that he is influenced by a variety of genres and musicians.  The head will be bobbing, the feet will be tapping, and this track will leave you feeling good and relaxed as it ends and “Holding Court in King Street” begins.  The listener gets a treat with this piece, as Ralston loses some of his rougher vocal edge and smooths it out a bit.  His voice in this piece resembles a young Neil Diamond at times and the rhythm is slow and calming.  This song is lyrically compelling and thought provoking as Ralston croons about the plight of the homeless.  A song of substance and emotion, this track is heartfelt and sincere and Ralston’s voice is warm.

“One Hour With You” again proves Ralston’s diverse musical influences as this piece has quite a jazzy vibe to it.  A snappy little love song, this track is instrumentally simplistic which allows the listener to really focus on the vocals, which are delivered with perfection.  The lyrics are sweetly innocent and one may feel empathy while listening to this piece, perhaps remembering summer nights with someone special.  Snapping fingers are a must when listening to this one.  “Can’t Stop Thinking About You” opens with stellar guitar work that catches the attention immediately, especially following the soft beauty of the preceding track.  The melodic rhythm of this fantastically composed love song is wonderful and the lyrics are heartwarming.  Listeners will be sure to reminisce about their first love, or perhaps their second.  Ralston does a great job encompassing human emotions in this song and the slight reggae feel gives it a positive and uplifting beat.  “Son of John” is a slow number with excellent guitar work throughout and superb musicianship.  Ralston’s vocals are strong as well, making this a well-rounded piece that embodies much of what Self Tort is about and showcases the talent of Brian Ralston extremely well.

Tortology continues with “Dark Eyes,” a funky sort of jam that has a touch of blues, a touch of jazz, and something that can only be described as the entity known as Self Tort.  A nice beat carries the song throughout and Ralston’s voice is seductive and extraordinarily pleasing.  The saxophone is truly what makes this song phenomenal and gives it the bluesy-jazzy feel that will so endear it to the masses.  The sound is amazing and this track is exceedingly well-composed.  “Dark Eyes” is perhaps the signature Self Tort song, the one that comes immediately to mind when one thinks of Brian Ralston and the music he creates.  “A Day at the Races” is more of a Joe Cocker inspired piece and Ralston does a great job with the vocals on this one as well.  The beat is at times chaotic and at other times rather mellow.  The overall feel of this song is one of happily reckless abandon.  “What’s the Attraction” gives the listener a taste of Ralston’s sense of humor.  And what a great one it is.  Written about Paris Hilton, Ralston lays it all out there and sums up the Paris Hilton fascination perfectly.  An upbeat and snappy number with carnival-esque sound effects, this track will no doubt have listeners laughing while still tapping their feet and enjoying the genius of Self Tort.

“A Paris Tale” begins with some great organ work and has a bit of a Doors feel to it as it continues.  Ralston’s voice is strong and commanding during this piece, perhaps more so than in any other track thus far, and this is a dramatic piece with many change-ups and transitions.  Ralston even delves into the rap genre during this track, coupled nicely with some killer guitar work.  Once more, Self Tort has crossed musical boundaries that most would not even consider, and Brian Ralston has done it well.  “Salvation Carnival” has some of the best instrumentation on the album and the guitar work is simply spectacular.  The sound quality is stunning.  This track, while slower in tempo, is extremely powerful and emotional.  The listener can get a very real sense of Ralston’s own heart while rocking this tune.  Tortology begins to wind to a close with “That’s It I’ve Had Enough,” a fast tempo power ballad with lyrics that hit home to just about everyone.  This song is about the frustration of life and the hustle and bustle and the sheer overwhelming feeling of simply having enough – Throwing your hands in the air and saying, “That’s It I’ve Had Enough.”  Ralston’s sense of humor shows through in this piece as he sings about heading to the pub and getting more than a little drunk.  Nicely sung and well done.

The final track of the album, “The Jig Is Up,” ends the album with the same early 80’s and late 70’s vibe that it began with.  The sound effects are fascinating and it’s an upbeat number – A good choice to close with.  The guitar work is once again jaw-dropping and the final track of Tortology truly encompasses all that Self Tort, aka Brian Ralston, has accomplished throughout his career.  The sense of diversity and many various influences is evident throughout the album, but it is made abundantly so during the closing song.  It’s instrumental all the way and it is exceedingly well done.  Brian Ralston has managed to combine rock, jazz, blues, reggae, and psychedelic rock into an entity known as Self Tort, and he has done it fantastically well, as is evidenced by the album Tortology.  Most musicians chose one genre and stick with it, but Brian Ralston did not enclose himself in that box.  He decided to enjoy them all, and consequently, he has opened the door to many different forms of music to all who listen to the brilliant effort that is Tortology.

Review by Rhonda Readence

admin Reviews, Rhonda Readence Self Tort, Tortology

Billy Pezzack is currently in Great Britain making a name for himself by sharing his musical knowledge on the guitar to the next generation of guitarists. With the talent that Pezzack possesses, it was only a matter of time before he took his ability to play many musical styles on the guitar and put that talent into making an album. So it comes as no surprise that the musician just released an all-original album called Your Blue Sky,

Your Blue Sky, the new instrumental album from Billy Pezzack, was recorded in two sessions with three other musicians that helped fill out the sound. Along with Billy on guitar, Paul Pezzack played the bass guitar, and drummers Iolo Whelan and Mark O’Connor provided the rhythm for the tracks. O’Connor played drums for the first five tracks, while Whelan helped out on the rest of the release.  Having two drummers for the release created two different feelings to the music. O’Connor’s style is slightly lighter while Whelan’s drumming style is a little on the firmer side.

Pezzack and the other musicians spent quite a bit of time playing jazz while making this album. The first track (which happens to be the title track of “Your Blue Sky”) finds the Pezzacks and O’Connor creating some smooth jazz.  A later track “Yep,” features the trio with Whelan as drummer creating a song that is a little more upbeat. That track is immediately followed by “Keeping Stones,” a jazz song that slows the tempo down.

Staying with the slower pace created by “Keeping Stones,” the brothers Pezzack create a beautiful song called “One Summer”. That song is followed by “Twinkle,” Billy’s loose interpretation of “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star”.

Jazz is only one genre of music created in the songs that make up the album Your Blue Sky. Sometimes the musicians led by Billy Pezzack create music that falls into other genres. It is on the songs “The Binf,” “Talking to Myself,” and “Billy’s Blues” that the musicians create some really good instrumental blues tunes. With “Vibro” and “Blackwater,” Pezzack, Pazzack and Whelan take the jazz they create and kick it up a notch by adding a rock edge to it. “Get A Proper Job” can only be described as “instrumental rock”. The versatility of all of the musicians allow for the lines to become blurred between genres and the variations of music created on Your Blue Sky keep the album interesting for the 50 minutes worth of music.

Most albums seem to feel as if they are very tightly organized, like each note has to be in a certain spot or it’s just not correct. However, this is one thing that separates Your Blue Sky by Billy Pezzack from most of the albums being created- the album has a very loose feel to it.  Pezzack and the rest of the musicians seem to allow the music to dictate where the songs end up. It’s the loose feeling that makes Your Blue Sky enjoyable.

Many aspects to Your Blue Sky make it a great release: Whether it’s the two sessions created with two different drummers, the variations of music that were created during the recording process for the album, or the talent of Billy Pezzack himself, the many different things that went into creating the release help to make Your Blue Sky by Billy Pezzack a pleasure to listen to.

Review by Matheson Kamin

admin Matheson Kamin, Reviews Billy Pezzack, Your Blue Sky

The song “Inside All Around” by John Littig is a sublime musical journey that begins with soft tranquil effects and a spectacular jazzy beat.  The cymbals are clean and crisp and it is evident that this is a finely engineered piece of music.  John begins to sing and his voice is smooth with a slight edge that brings a feeling of anticipation.  The lyrics are romantic and well thought out.  The rhythm of this track is one of tranquil smoothness and John has truly captured the spirit of avant garde jazz.

At roughly five minutes, the track “Inside All Around” never once lags or becomes monotonous.  John’s vocals are pleasing, the lyrics are thought provoking and vivid and the instrumentation and composition of this piece are exceedingly well done.  There are moments when John’s voice sounds like a very much more polished Syd Barrett and the overall vibe of this track is one of spectral elegance.  The sound is just stellar.  The lyrics are especially alluring as John sings “Stop time and hold my hand, Wake me up from this dream, When I look in your eyes, I believe I could be what you see.”  There are plenty of original and enticing lines such as that throughout the song and it’s clear that John is an extremely skilled writer of lyrics and composer of music.

While the song is a fantastic experience to behold, what will further endear listeners are the sound effects at the end of rain falling and cars driving by on wet city streets.  It’s a brilliant touch that adds the flavor of authenticity to what is already an outstanding track.  It is evident that John Littig has an exceptional understanding of music, how it should sound, and how he wants his own music to make people feel.  There was much thought put into the composition and creation of this piece and it has paid off in dividends.

“Inside All Around” is a song that can stand on its own without much fanfare or hype, which is exactly the way it should be for music that is good enough to simply be heard and listened to.  John Littig has created a piece of music that has an excellent sound and rhythm, lyrics that go straight to the head, and imagery that is vivid enough to make listeners feel like they are there on the city streets with John himself.  He has created not just a song by giving the world “Inside All Around.”  He has created a vibe that is almost alive in its essence.  This is truly a great piece of music that must be heard, not just with the ears, but with the mind as well.

Review by Rhonda Readence

admin Reviews, Rhonda Readence Inside All Around, John Littig

The Quick and the Dead’s songwriting team could all be distant cousins of the great Contemporary Christian Music pioneer Steven Curtis Chapman, with earthly lyrics that strike a chord with the common man without being preachy.  This is an poignant quality for a band that chooses to play on the streets and in crowded homeless shelters rather than staying in a comfortable church setting like so many of their contemporaries.  While the octet’s music is appealing to the upright Christian, it’s the poor and destitute that can benefit more from the message of 10:42, and the band caters to these souls by showing up on their doorstep instead of foolishly hoping that these folks will saunter into their sanctuary.

Band leader Laurie Schwab opens the album with “One More Day,” a well-crafted tune reminiscent of the innocent pop rock of the early 60’s.  Schwab’s delivery is clear and clean with excellent enunciation.  Her Mama Cass vocals sing through Christian lyrics with substance, a trait some CCM artists lack by being too high and lofty.  Unfortunately for this mostly good song, it gets a bit campy in the coda with the full repetitive chorus and the bass singer down in the low ranges.

In redemption, the male lead vocalist in the ballad “From the Moment” does a better job by not singing the slightly lilting melody too stiffly.  The keyboards employ a reed patch that adds a nice touch to the opening, colors the bridge, and expertly leads the modulation into the final chorus.  Another lovely ballad on the group’s debut is the duet “The Choice” co-written by Schwab and her husband Tim who handles the percussion duties for the band.  The song is well structured and all the vocal harmonies blend together eloquently.

The vocals in “J.C.”, however, are muddy.  This upbeat rock and roll BTO-sounding song driven by T. Schwab’s classic rock fills is too much for the layered vocals.  The lyrics are unclear and the electric guitar is sloppy with poor tonality.  The same problems seem to befall the group in the unexceptional cover of Robin Mark’s “Days of Elijah.”  The tempo is a tad too quick for everyone to keep up with, and the busy orchestration adds to the sense of chaos.  Between unison voices and guitars and keyboards all playing their hearts out, the music and the message gets jumbled.  In the coda, a soprano is singing a beautiful countermelody, but she can barely be heard over all the other instruments.  In “Fighting the Battle” the lead vocals again get covered up by the rest of the band and the tempo is noticeably unsteady.

The Quick and the Dead is a fabulous group of volunteers who are performing out of love for the music and the message they convey.  Some of the songs possess wonderful moments, like the tasteful electric guitar embellishments in the dramatic number “Fathers Wake Up”, and the intricate instrumental coda in “Listen To Him.”  The ballad “I Believe” boasts the best keyboard and electric guitar work on the entire album.

A little more polish could do The Quick and the Dead some good, but the originality of the songs.  They are to be commended for writing intelligent Christian music that can appeal to the masses.

Review by Kelly O’Neil

admin Kelly O'Neil, Reviews 10:42, Quick and the Dead