DownTown Mystic is Robert Allen on vocals and lead guitar, acoustic, electric 12-string, and piano, Steve Holley on drums and percussion, Paul Page on bass, Bruce Engler harmony and slide guitar, and finally, Lance Doss on guitar, mandolin, lap steel, baritone guitar, and banjo. Their new CD, Standing Still, is one of the finest collections to come my way in quite some time. It is a compilation of thirteen original songs, all of which were written by Mr. Allen save for one, “Backdoor”, which was co-written by Mr. Allen and G.T. Sullivan.
You will hear the obvious inspirations. The veteran band POCO came to mind on several tracks, but especially on track 4, “Standing Still”. I would call it more if a tribute to the band. They certainly have a Jim Messina sound to them as well. Therefore, their claim of being influenced by bands such as the fore mentioned band POCO, along with bands such as The Byrds, Buffalo Springfield, The Beatles, and The Rolling Stones, is an accurate statement.
On “Standing Still” Mr. Allen’s vocals are outstanding as it is on most tracks. He has a wide range and is able to bring life to his songs. The harmonies are perfect as well. You can feel the emotion they are emitting from their tunes. This is the true test of a good song; when a tune penetrates into your soul, generating chills, then you know you have just heard something great.
Likely my favorite song on the album is “Too Many Times”. It is another song that will remind you of POCO and Buffalo Springfield, sonically pleasing and sporting phenomenal lyrics. Mr. Allen’s lead guitar is impeccable as is the band’s rhythm section. Again, the harmonies are there to bring the song together and compliment Mr. Allen’s expertly performed lead vocals.
The very next track is “Rise and Fall” bringing its familiarity with it but with a flair all its own. Allen’s extremely organic vocal tone fits his music to a tee making it all so very listenable. I believe he could sing whatever came his way, whether it is blues, country, folk, or pop. In fact, he accomplishes just that on nearly every track on this exceptionally superb CD.
Track 10 is “History”, a very cool little tune paying tribute to Rock ‘N Roll. If I’m not mistaking, I’m nearly positive I hear a little Keith Richards along with a smidgen of Chuck Berry to top it all off. It is definitely a floor stomper.
Closing the record, “Shade of White Bluegrass” is certainly rock ‘n roll, but played with a hint of zydeco. The electric mandolin adds a flavor to the song that will cause the listener to think of The Grateful Dead and the late-great Jerry Garcia. It was truly a fastidious way to wrap the whole thing up, leaving me to do just one thing; listen to the entire CD again.
So much of today’s music sounds so canned with nothing to set it apart from anything else. This is not the case with Robert Allen and DownTown Mystic, as every song is expertly written, performed, and produced, enticing the listener into anxiousness for the next track.
I just returned from a badly needed sabbatical, in a location where there was no music, no cell phones, and no computers. It was incredibly uplifting to open the inconspicuous white envelope containing this album, placing it in my player and then hear these astonishingly first-rate sounds escape from my speakers. It’s revitalizing to know there is still talent out there that is not afraid to take something a little familiar and mold it into their own creation. That is precisely what Mr. Allen has done with this brilliantly conceived piece of musical art. I truly loved it!
Review by Rod Ames
