While there are many people out there in the music industry who want to be the ultimate “Rock Star,” there are just as many musicians who would be just as happy to take the path to popularity by simply being known as a “singer-songwriter”. James Taylor. Warren Zevon. Van Morrison. Tom Waits. These are just some of the musicians who are known more for their writing ability than they are known for being rock stars. And while these men are known to the music world, there are many, many others who have made a career as singer-songwriters but have not yet become as well-known as these four.
Jacob Carver is one such musician who would fit into the singer-songwriter category. Jacob released his first album of music in 2007. That album, “Done Gone,” was the typical “one man and his guitar” released that introduced the world to the writing style of that solo musician.
With that 2007 release, Jacob was known as a solo singer-songwriter. However, all of that changed one year later. In late 2008, Jacob Carver released his newest album, entitled “Only Too Well”. This new album not only showcases Carver’s writing style, it also proves that he has become a talented frontman as well, as he now has been joined by a group of talented musicians who have helped transformed his compositions into full-fledged songs.
On his new release of “Only Too Well,” Jacob Carver’s songs have been given new life with the help of Tom Albers on guitar and lap steel, Darren Ross on bass, David Warburton on drums, and Alex Mandel on piano. Along with some other friends who have added some finishing touches to the album, these musicians make Carver’s songs complete. While earlier, solo versions of these songs might have sounded very simple with just Jacob and his guitar, the full, fleshed-out versions that appear on “Only Too Well” have a richness that would’ve been missing had this been just another solo effort by Carver. And while the songs do include the bass, drums and electric guitar, there is still the simple singer-songwriter feel to the album.
With the standard grouping of acoustic guitar, electric guitar, bass and drums, “Only Too Well” from Jacob Carver could be considered a rock release. However, there is also the piano, lap steel, cello, and occasional folk rock feel to the songs that make the album more of an “Americana” release. And since the songs started out being written by a singer-songwriter and not your typical “rock star” musician, the Americana label fits the music perfectly.
The Americana label also fits with the topics that Jacob has chosen to write about on “Only Too Well”. There are songs about traveling, remembering years gone by, and struggling through the day-to-day; all things that have to do with life. “Only Too Well” features 11 songs by Jacob Carver. Some of the best tracks on the release include “Bourbon and Blood,” “Bitterhanded,” and “Highway Miles”.
Like James Taylor, Warren Zevon, Van Morrison, and Tom Waits, Jacob Carver is a singer-songwriter. And like these men, Carver has the talent to make it big with his songs someday. You can find 11 of his songs on his newly released album of “Only Too Well”.
To find out more about Jacob Carver, you can find him online at www.jacobcarver.com.
Reviewed By Matheson Kamin
