There’s no doubt about it—Earl J Rivard was meant and destined to belt it out with his gifted set of formidable pipes. In pristinely clean and clearly enunciated delivery, his highly disciplined vocals shine brightly into our ears. Mr. Rivard’s powerful execution includes expert exercise of vocal dynamics with precision, and are never shy to gently milk the dramatic element. From delicate fade-ins to vaulting vibrato blasts, routinely laced with artfully delicate and subtle gospel riffing, he spans the gamut. Following in the stylized footsteps of Gino Vannelli, Michael Bolton, and other manly types, this voice hails from the rigorous school of confident, direct and assuredly in-charge performance. The theatrical bent in most of his performances suggest that Earl has spent some time on the live stage as an actor. He’s surely got the voice and projection needed to pull it off.
The production here gets high marks, with a cohesive vision that rises well to the challenge of tying all this diverse material together into one unified album. Not an easy task, given how wide the genre range that is being covered. There is a distinct SF bay area flavor to be found throughout, largely due to much of the electric guitar stylings.
The overall songwriting is highly respectable, though do not look for an abundance of groundbreaking innovation, as the tried and true paths are nearly always adhered to. And considering the always classic, strict lead vocal style, it is perhaps fitting to be so.
Let’s take a word ride through each track:
- “Underground Railroad” opens with a disclaimer for those sensitive souls who can’t get past a slight touch of f**king grit ingredient, totally appropriate in the context of this passionate and tragic message. Urging America to reconsider its heartless policy of mother and child separation in some situations, may this important social message be heard deep in hearts for good change.
- Arriving a bit early relative to conventional track flow practice, “Till I Met You” quickly sets us down into its pensive and sensitive mood. In the same ultra-loving, one-woman-worshiping spirit of track-12, praises are meant to be sung with a wide-open heart.
- “Coldest Place” maintains the slow pace, but adds a soft rock rhythm section to help transition back up into higher energy following. Based on the first few seconds of guitar strumming, one might expect Neil Young to arrive next. But Neil Young is far from where Mr. Rivard’s sensibilities source. Slightly Journey-flavored, this pop piece laments and declares the loss of love in what was apparently once a relationship more along the lines of tracks 2 and 12.
- Higher energy does indeed arrive in “The Sun Finally Rose,” an assertive love song lauding her bright and welcome arrival onto his “darkened roads.” Kicking along in a proper rocking manner, this one is likely to bring everyone out onto the dance floor.
- Production takes a teeny bit more risk in “Nobody Knows.” A gently lilting waltz, its moody and slightly Scottish vibe wistfully carries our dream bodies aerially across the highlands. With a fine sense of longing and sadness very well-suited to Earl’s voice, this is the shortest track on the record at under 3-minutes. Some deeper feelings are inspired, and as he sweeps us away, our hearts feel that it would have been nice to extend the journey for another few minutes.
- The “Magdalena” lyric is unintelligible for most of us, but romantic and indicative of Earl’s multi-lingual talent. This slow, pleasant piece softly and inoffensively bops along, regardless of whatever the heck is being said.
- Every songwriter deeply relates to the standard writer condition in “Unfinished Songs.” As close as this CD comes to country and 50′s rock-n-roll, again we pleasantly bop along. Listen for the abrupt and humorously clever surprise (lack of) ending.
- “Lady, Sweet Lady” ventures back into semi-modernized Euro-folk waltz land, this time in a traditional “Greensleeves” manner. Whimsical with plaintively plucked guitar, historical harpsichord and flute, the stock chord progression for the genre expertly wafts along, lyrically alternating between the Lady and the Poet, back and forth in refined and bittersweet fashion.
- Fluent language skills demonstrated again, ” Vuélvete ” has verse music that might be suitable for a gently rappin’ hip-hoppy Mick Jagger to lay down a track on top of, and a chorus that seeks to tug heartstrings much like Paul Young’s “Every Time You Go Away” and Lennon’s “Woman.” Clean, clear guitar and electric piano make the soft bed in which we lay.
- “This Time Around” is the most directly rock-n-roll offering contained herein. Competently performed, as all else on this record, it is decidedly not the preferred style for Rivard’s vocals. He is too much a kind and disciplined gentleman to pull this one off in the definitive manner that so many have before. It’s likely included here to show a reach for versatility.
- Now it’s a foray into a bit of Simon-Garfunkellish folk with “Sometimes Love,” a sparse and naked guitar/vocal. Again, impeccable enunciation rules, with every word easily understood in this most poetic story song full of wise advice and sage caution.
- Unabashedly romantic, “Yours Eternally” is a somewhat gushy love song that croons to melt the heart of those women receptive to its style of desirous promise. Undoubtedly sincere, this florid and dreamy expression promises an infinity of commitment to just the luck woman to whom it is sung. The full minute of silence at the end may represent his endless devotion?
- “Underground Railroad” (radio version) cleans it up for mass consumption by blanking out (just the one?) teeny spot giving rise to the legally required parental discretion advisory.
Review by Mike Ososki
