Danny Milan “Bridge To Sky City”

Posted on February 3, 2012 by Chris

With Bridge to Sky City Danny Milan has created a unique album that seems tied to a number of diverse styles of music. It has nods to styles like jazz, musical theater, blues, progressive rock and even classical. It might be a bit too AOR or theatrical for some listeners. Still, there is a definite 1970s vibe at play that works well. Comparisons to Chicago, Billy Joel, Steely Dan and The Doobie Brothers would be appropriate.

Piano starts “Lay It on the Line” and Milan’s vocals come ever the top. He’s joined by Becky Ciocca and there’s a bit of a jazz ballad texture here combined with a soulful feeling. This is not far removed from musical theater, and it also feels a bit like Billy Joel. The keyboard-laden instrumental section in the tune feels a bit like something Rick Wakeman might have done. “Only Grey” has a bouncy, rocking sound to it. It feels like some of the AOR related rock that was coming out in the 1970s. This is closer to something from the early era of Chicago or even Steely Dan.

An easy listening kind of bouncy groove opens “Falling for a Fantasy.” It has a 1970s pop rock texture and features Jennica McCleary providing the female half of the vocal duet. Comparisons to Billy Joel are again appropriate and there are musical theater hints here. A mellow, soulful ballad with some hints of jazz, “Take Off” really feels a lot like the soft rock that was common in the 1970s. While “Silence” is more or less a keyboard oriented power ballad, there’s a lot of jazz and some musical theater in the mix. It’s one of the stronger pieces.

Based on a rocking, yet still fairly mellow, retro rock motif, “Blind Alley” is arguably the best song on show. It’s got a lot of that 1970s texture to it, but somehow it just works much better here than anywhere else. Comparisons to The Doobie Brothers and Chicago could be appropriate and the soulful vocals really sell it.

“Dark Eyes” is mellower and balladic. It has more of a musical theater feeling, while a good song, seems a bit lackluster compared to the one that preceded it. “Star” is more dramatic. It definitely has a lot of that theatrical texture to it, but it’s also got a great jazzy groove that has a lot of retro texture. Some of the keyboard work on the piece is exceptional and there’s an especially dramatic jazz meets progressive rock instrumental section serving as the outro.

Acoustic guitar opens “The One That Got Away” and the track builds as a folky ballad from there. As it builds eventually other instrumentation is added, but the basic elements remain the driving elements. In a lot of ways, it’s a lot like some of the folk oriented progressive rock that came out in the 1970s. With a real “slice of life” feeling on the lyrics, “Don’t Put the Fire Out” is the most “musical theater” oriented cut on the set. A lot of how a listener feels about this tune will be based on how he or she feels about musical theater. It features a duet with Julia Hunt.

“Ophiuchus’ Fantasy” is a piano solo and while the title might make one think it’s classical music, there are other elements present, too. In fact, parts call to mind jazz and blues. In a lot of ways it’s not that far removed from something Rick Wakeman or Keith Emerson might do. A bouncy, rather jazzy, AOR format makes up the music of “The Bridge.” It again calls to mind groups like Steely Dan or Chicago but feels even more like The Doobie Brothers. There’s an especially tasty, jazzy keyboard solo on the piece.

“Sky City” features Barry DeBois and continues the general musical themes. It’s a dramatic cut that does a nice job of combining progressive rock elements with jazz and theatrical textures into a poignant ballad. It’s a good way to end the disc in style. There’s a harder rocking section later that’s particularly effective. It is definitely the most epic tune on show and it’s also one of the strongest. It has more changes and alterations than anything else on the disc. Considering the killer guitar solo section (that feels at times a bit like David Gilmour of Pink Floyd), it also one of the harder rocking cuts on the set. It’s certainly the most progressive rock oriented.

All in all this is quite a satisfying release. It probably won’t appeal to everyone, but then again, it doesn’t seem like something that would offend anyone, either. This is accessible music that is at times extremely strong. Sure, it does feel a bit dated, but the retro thing has a charm all its own.

Review by G. W. Hill
Rating:  4 Stars (out of 5)

Posted in Gary Hill, Reviews | Tagged | Comments Off

Danny Milan “Bridge To Sky City”

Posted on February 3, 2012 by Chris

Bridge To Sky City is the follow up album to Danny Milan’s 2010 album Cast Away Mariners and The Nostalgic Time Travelers.  Those who haven’t had the good fortune to listen to Danny will pick up on the influences of the two great “piano men” of the 70s, Elton John and Billy Joel.

This album really focuses on Danny’s growth both as a pianist and a singer.  Danny is just twenty years old, but he is vocally ahead of many of the performers in his age group.  Even when he rocks out on “Blind Alley,” you’ll notice how theatrical his voice is.  He fits in better with artists like Josh Groban or Michael Buble than John Mayer.

There is a maturity to Danny’s music that is lacking in most of the pop music flooding the airways.

Call his sound adult contemporary or pop vocal, but what he’s really presenting you with is a collection of songs that sound like they could have been pulled from a Broadway show.  The duets with Becky Ciocca (Lay It On The Line), Jennica McCleary (Falling For A Fantasy), Julia Hunt (Don’t Put The Fire Out), and Barry DuBois (Sky City)  really show off the theatrical side of his voice.  These songs sound like they could have been pulled from a show such as Rent.

These duets really stand out.  So many duets feel like they are just two voices singing in different places, and the only reason they’ve come together is through production.  That’s not the case here.  “Sky City” is a powerful song that is made that way because of Danny and Barry’s vocals.  Both voices are strong, but they aren’t competing. They share the song, and in doing so they give it life.

This album is a wonderful example of fine playing, good songwriting and fine vocals. Danny treats us to the best of all the worlds, but if you truly appreciate piano playing “Ophiuchus’ Fantasy” is the song for you.  It is the only instrumental on the album and it lets Danny show off his skills at the piano in a way that a pop song simply can’t.

Danny has a voice that is perfectly suited for love songs.  John Barrowman is perhaps the only other voice out there that has the same quality—that “he could sing that New York City phone directory and make it sound romantic” quality.

The songs aren’t all hearts and flowers.  “Silence” is about a relationship that is struggling. The lyrics—” Your silence is killing me quickly, without a sound.  No one has asked you to fix me.  All I am asking is that you…Answer me please, please.  Oh, damn the silence”—are heartbreaking.

Danny Milan knows how to bring emotions through in his music.  When he sings, you feel the love or the heartache.  The most heartbreaking song is “Dark Eyes.”  The lyrics are full of the pain of breakup.  “You’re impossible, impossible.  I hope you leave this night, and find the sunshine of the day.  But you won’t.  For your dark eyes, dark eyes shield the light.  You push all those who cared away.  Dark eyes, dark eyes, what a night.”

By the time you finish listening to an album by Danny Milan you will be emotionally charged. His songs will affect your heart and soul.  Bridge To Sky City is Danny’s fifth album. That’s quite impressive when you take into account his age.

If you are the type of person who is looking for an album of finely crafted pop songs, look no further than Danny Milan.  Bridge To Sky City should be on everyone’s wishlist this year.

Review by Andrea Guy
Rating:  5 stars (out of 5)

Posted in Andrea Guy, Reviews | Tagged | Comments Off

Danny Milan “Bridge To Sky City”

Posted on February 3, 2012 by Chris

Though Milan is a mere 20 years old, his album Bridge To Sky City does not portray that in the least. By his music alone you would absolutely never guess that Milan is as young as he is. By having the same overall sound as Billy Joel and Elton John in their hey days, the album as a whole has a genuine oldies feel about it, giving you reason to believe that Milan is from an older generation instead of being a child of the ‘90s.

His song “Only Grey” is a clear representation of his older style. And to draw yet another parallel to the two artists and Milan, the song employees a piano within it, giving it all of the typical characteristics of a song by either one of the two. Due to the tempo and melody though, it draws a faint similarity to Elton John’s “Sad Songs (Say So Much)”.

Though Bridge To Sky City was created primarily by Milan, he does feature a few other artists on a handful of his songs. “Don’t Put The Fire Out” is one that especially stands out. The song features a female vocalist, Julia Hunt, who shares vocal duties equally with Milan throughout the song. The song is structured upon a peppy piano melody, and this one, like many of his other songs, has a slight Disney movie quality about it, such as Beauty and the Beast or The Little Mermaid, due to the female/male harmonies and the higher pitch in some areas of the song. Nonetheless, it is cute love song that happens to be very catchy.

As a pianist, it only seems natural for Milan to feature a piano instrumental within the album as well called “Ophiuchus’ Fantasy”. It comes as an interesting and unexpected break from the rest of Bridge To Sky City. Its’ rises and falls are quite beautiful if you have the time to relax and to really soak them in. Milan is an incredibly talented pianist, which becomes even more evident through this song.

The last two songs of the album together make up the album’s title, “The Bridge,” and “Sky City.” Like the title suggests, “The Bridge,” is actually about a bridge. But instead of being about an actual bridge it is about a metaphorical one. Milan sings, “So break away, this is yesterday.  You have to cross that bridge to know.” “Sky City” is another song that features an additional artist within it. This one features Barry DeBois within the chorus. The song and vocals are light and airy, but holds a sense of solemnity within it once the lyrics are accounted for.

Having already independently released four full-length albums through iTunes since the age of 14, Milan is off to a quick start. His music is not overly enthusiastic; however, it is not incredibly dull either. It reaches a happy medium, having the perfect amount of overall energy to it. But once again, Milan’s age is a wow factor for this album. It is so rare to hear someone so young compose and play such intense piano melodies as well as to sing and write the way that he does.  It is as if you have taken a time machine back to the 70s. The music is not mainstream, nor is it going to be popular with the majority of younger people today, but Milan’s music is mature, and is something that can potentially be enjoyed by all ages.

Review by Alec Cunningham
Rating: 4 stars (out of 5)

 

Posted in Alec Cunningham, Reviews | Tagged | Comments Off

Culture Canute & The Rockstone Players “Culture Canute & The Rockstone Players”

Posted on January 28, 2012 by Chris

Dancehall continues to have a major impact on the reggae scene; many reggae artists who aren’t dancehall in the strict sense are incorporating dancehall elements and drawing on dancehall’s gruffness and aggression (as well as hip-hop’s gruffness and aggression, in many cases).  But there is still a market for old-school roots reggae as we knew it in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, and this self-titled release by Culture Canute  & the Rockstone Players definitely has an old-school roots reggae aesthetic. Canute Davis, a.k.a. Culture Canute, is hardly a newcomer to reggae; the Montego Bay native has been active in reggae since the 1970s, and he maintained his reggae focus after moving from Jamaica to San Francisco in 1996.  In other words, you can take the Rastamon out of Jah-maica, but you can’t take Jah-maica out of the Rastamon.  And Canute is quite faithful to that old-school reggae perspective on earthy, spiritually minded offerings such as “Straight Safe Line,” “Lift My Spirit,” “Whom Shall I Fear” and “Peace of Mind.”  Anyone who fancies the classic roots reggae of artists like the Mighty Diamonds, Sugar Minott, the Abyssinians and Burning Spear should have an easy time getting into this album (which often has an ethereal and very mystical quality).

Although Canute gets some inspiration from the roots reggae and rocksteady of the 1960s, the 1970s are a much stronger influence on this album.  For one thing, he can be quite sociopolitical; Canute gets into sociopolitical subject matter on “Big Stick,” “A Better Place” and “Middle East Conflict.”  And he takes a decidedly pro-marijuana stand on “Ganja Herb.”  It isn’t that reggae was devoid of sociopolitical songs before the 1970s or that no reggae artists smoked weed before the 1970s; however, it was during that 1970s that reggae became overwhelmingly sociopolitical and became so closely identified with the Rastafarian movement (which openly advocates the use of marijuana).  And in that sense, this album is closer to 1970s and 1980s roots reggae than it is to 1960s roots reggae from the rocksteady era.  But Canute isn’t always sociopolitical.  “Heart Desire” is a perfect example of lovers’ rock.

For the uninitiated, lovers’ rock is a term that is used to describe roots reggae that favors romantic lyrics rather than sociopolitical lyrics; lovers’ rock gets a great deal of influence from the romantic northern soul that came out of Detroit, Philadelphia and Chicago in the 1960s and 1970s.  There are definite parallels between what Canute does on “Heart Desire” and what African-American soul artists like the Delfonics, Blue Magic, the Dells and Chi-Lites did in their heyday; reggae, of course, has a different beat, but melodically and harmonically, it’s no secret that lovers’ rock has a great deal in common with romantic northern soul.  And for that matter, someone who is really knowledgeable of both classic soul and classic reggae should be able to see the parallels between “Middle East Conflict” “A Better Place” and “Big Stick” and the sociopolitical songs that came from the O’Jays, Marvin Gaye, Curtis Mayfield and Gil Scott-Heron back in the day.

The closest this album comes to a commercial type of song is the lighthearted, somewhat poppy “Come Party with Me,” but even that track isn’t overly slick.  For the most part, Canute avoids slickness on this 2011 release.

Although hardcore dancehall isn’t an influence on this release, Canute does include eight dub tracks during the latter part of the album and shows his appreciation of the classic dubwise style.  Even then, he keeps things old-school.   Dubwise (as in U-Roy, I Roy, Big Youth and King Tubby) preceded dancehall, and when this album shifts into dub mode, Canute acknowledges the softer dubwise sound of the 1970s rather than the rugged, abrasive, in-your-face dancehall that Lieutenant Stitchie, Shabba Ranks, Nardo Ranks and Ninjaman (just to name a few) are known for.

Canute’s album doesn’t pretend to point reggae in any new directions; he is old-school all the way, and fans of 1970s/1980s Jah music will find it to be an agreeable and pleasing listen.

Review by Alex Henderson
Rating: 4 stars (out of 5)

Posted in Alex Henderson, Reviews | Tagged | Comments Off

Culture Canute & The Rockstone Players “Culture Canute & The Rockstone Players”

Posted on January 28, 2012 by Chris

Reggae music is seemingly everywhere these days. You hear it in TV commercials, as well as within multiple musical genre combinations, such as reggae-pop and punk-reggae, even. Although it’s wonderful that this island style didn’t stay landlocked on Jamaica forever, its explosive international expansion has many times watered down the original aural ingredients so much that it’s lost some of its natural beauty. Reggae oftentimes gets tagged as fun music, with its practitioners stereotyped as those crazy Jamaican Rastafarians. Yet such spiritual musicians don’t grow their hair in dreadlocks merely to make a fashion statement. Rather, these cord-like strands are there to symbolize how seriously they take their faith.

With Culture Canute & The Rockstone Players’ self-titled album, you get a healthy dosage of the real thing. Culture Canute is a Montego Bay, Jamaica singer, and The Rockstone Players is a three-piece dub/rock/reggae band from San Francisco. The album they’ve created together is a whopping 20 tracks worth of reggae and dub. With the straight reggae songs, Canute’s sweet, lover’s rock voice shines, while the dub versions of these songs spotlight the trio’s instrumental skills.

Although Canute has a pure, Gregory Isaacs-like voice, he rarely sings about love and romance. “Heart Desire” speaks about needing the comfort and love of a good woman, but it’s a rare example of praise for the opposite sex. Canute is also not much of a party animal during this recording project, either. Granted, there is one song titled “Come Party With Me,” but it’s the only party song on the album. When you listen closer, though, you realize the latter song is actually more about friendship than wearing lampshades on the head. Also, don’t be fooled by “Ganja Herb” because marijuana is not a party drug in the Rastafarian culture. Instead, it’s a spiritual aid. This song in particular, is sung like a love song to the drug.

There are plenty of spiritual messages to go along with those, uh, spiritual aids. One is called “Lift My Spirit,” while another is titled “Peace of Mind.” “Peace of Mind” is noteworthy for its memorable and appropriate keyboard work. “Whom Shall I Fear,” in fact, is a phrase taken directly from The Bible. With God on one’s side, to paraphrase the scripture, there is nobody at all to fear.

Canute also has politics on his mind. With “Big Stick,” he seems to be calling out oppressive governments. More than we’d like to admit it, governments around the world tend to rule with force rather than fairness. Speaking of governments around the world, “Middle East Conflict” speaks to the troubles in the Middle East. Sadly, this song could be written and performed at almost any time in history or the future, and still be relevant. Maybe there will be peace in the Middle East in our lifetime, but don’t hold your breath for it.

While straight, traditional reggae is the general auditory rule for this CD, “Come Party With Me” works in some upbeat, party synthesizer into its groove. “Dub My Spirit” is the only dud in the bunch, due to the incorporation of Auto-Tune on the vocal. However, only one dud out of 20 is a pretty darn good success ratio.

Yes, you can find reggae music everywhere, but if you’re out for something a little more authentic, a little less overtly commercial, Culture Canute & The Rockstone Players will give you plenty of the good, real stuff.  Those that may only associate reggae music with Jamaican vacation advertisements might be in for a surprise when these listen to this album.  It’s not just the soundtrack to drinking rum and doing the limbo. In fact, you might receive more cultural education from this CD than you would during a seven day Caribbean cruise.

Review By: Dan MacIntosh
Rating: 3 Stars (out of 5)

Posted in Dan MacIntosh, Reviews | Tagged | Comments Off

Robert Lauri “Oh No”

Posted on January 27, 2012 by Chris

The gritty and rustic vocal stylings of France’s Robert Lauri are exemplified by a classic throwback to Euro-Country pop and rock.  The latest single, “Oh No”, sung in English, showcases Robert’s musicianship in an appropriate and engaging manner.

The opening of the song wastes no time with a wailing guitar line backed by drum-kit.  The result is a bluesy, reverberating guitar piece with some country leanings.  Robert’s gritty voice adds another layer of music, while the guitar wavers between a light and full sound.  Bell tolls interrupt the twanging guitar sounds with some swishy percussion noises.  Robert’s vocal delivery possesses German and Russian characteristics, though the lyrics are wholly English.  The country-esque and alternative folk-rock sound resembles the music of America’s Douglas September.

The latter half of the song features more wailing guitar, bell tolls, swishy percussion, and languid vocals that contain a relatively low melodic range, but the music suits the voice perfectly.  Robert’s vocals are an exact parallel between Douglas September and Ersatzmusika. The rhythm guitars are accompanied by some keyboard noises with a cascading sound resembling wind.  The end of the song pulls everything together with drum-kit cymbals and a guitar outro rounding out the song.  Robert’s few repeating lines at the end of the song stops abruptly without a fading outro.

Robert Lauri’s “Oh No” is a unique musical composition that draws upon Euro and Country pop and rock with a dose of alternative folk thrown in for good measure.  Importantly, the song possesses a somewhat brooding musical melody without much melodic variation or range.  The music contains alternative leanings from German and Russian sources.  Whether or not the geographic references are purposeful; they are fitting.  All in all, the guitars and percussion are well-balanced with the vocals with no ill effects.  Anyone with a passion for rock and pop music containing French, German, or Russian musical arrangements should give Robert Lauri a listen.

Review by Matthew Forss
Rating: 5 stars (out of 5)

Posted in Matthew Forss, Reviews | Tagged | Comments Off

alchalant “alchalant”

Posted on January 25, 2012 by Chris

Alchalant has released a disc that’s really two discs in one. The first half of the album consists of new recordings by the artist known as “alchalant.” After some silence mid-disc, a second album, a recording of the band Nonchalant (with alchalant as lead singer) is presented. Where the first half seems to be very DIY in terms of production (and sometimes sound) the second half is more classic punk rock.

After a short rhythm section intro, “Better Off Dead” powers out into a hard rocking, punk cut. Although the central song structure is set in an old school punk motif, there are some bits of keyboards that lend a different sound and a guitar solo movement is almost art-rock in style.

While the arrangement on “Control” seems more stripped down and DIY in terms of production, the anger and power of the cut stands above the previous number. There’s a real crazed feeling with some of the spoken vocals later. It feels very psychotic in some ways. There’s a killer instrumental section later, too.

“LL” is the title of the third track and it stands for “Loco Land.” It’s a fun and very short piece. It’s less punk rock and more just weird. “Binary” follows and has a real indie rock texture to it. It still retains some of the odd charm of the previous number, but is more accessible. It’s also a lot longer. There are even bits of space rock in the arrangement.

“National Blues 2011” is like hardcore punk. It’s a real screamer both in terms of the vocals and the pace. “Nightmares” is closer to an emo sound. It would be easy to imagine this getting airplay. The bass line is killer in the way it wanders around in the backdrop and this one feels more polished than a lot of the other stuff.

The bass guitar is really out front and impressive on sections of “Dawn.” Although a lot of the album is set in a punk rock motif, this tune feels almost like a progressive rock number. It’s got some intriguing keyboard sounds and fairly complex arrangement. Acoustic guitar meets a real punk rock sensibility on “Bronchitis.”

Now, “Lyle’s Song” is more like old school punk rock. There’s a short little intro jam and then they launch into some smoking hot punk from there. It definitely has more of a “professional” mix. That makes sense because it’s the first piece from the Nonchalant album.

“Bandaids” is one of the coolest tracks on the set. It pounds in with an alternative rock kind of jam before launching into an angry punk rock arrangement. It’s high energy and extremely tasty. “Our Dreams” continues in the same basic vein, but it doesn’t have the same energy or charm. Still, it has a more accessible, nearly emo, chorus.

The next cut is here is the original version of “National Blues.” It still has all the hardcore punk energy and oomph and it’s a great. “No Fight No Win” has a real punk sound, but it also leans towards emo. It’s certainly not up to the same level as the previous tune. It does have a cool, more melodic, instrumental section.

The fast paced vocals on “Neglect the Heartbreak” are particularly noteworthy. The song has a solid punk rock sound that’s not as high energy as some of the others stuff, but is still strong. It’s got some seriously melodic elements to make up for any lack of energy and an interesting vocal arrangement. “Fee for Free” is full of punk fury to close this thing in style. It includes both an almost Black Sabbath-like grind and a tasty melodic interlude.

Punk rock can be a limited musical endeavor in terms of scope. The music here stretches the limits beyond punk, but still manages to remain consistent. Certainly fans of punk rock and emo are the most likely target audience for this set, but alternative rock fans could find a lot to like here, too. If there’s a problem, it’s with the production on the first half. Then again, with this kind of music, that can be a plus, adding charm and credibility.

Review by G. W. Hill
Rating:  3.5 Stars (out of 5)

Posted in Gary Hill, Reviews | Tagged | Comments Off

alchalant “alchalant”

Posted on January 25, 2012 by Chris

The history of alchalant dates back over 10 years to the band Nonchalant, the first punk rock band helmed by guitarist/vocalist Alex Matijow. Nonchalant had some minor success before going dormant and coming back to life as alchalant. The new name derives from a combination of Matijow’s first name and “chalant”.

The band plays a diverse brand of poppy punk rock that fairly bounces off the walls with energy and spirit. The major drawback to alchalant’s material is that it has all been done before many, many times. One doesn’t need doses of space rock, polka, bagpipes and dubstep to make punk rock work, but a little innovation wouldn’t hurt.

The first eight tracks here comprise alchalant’s new material for 2011-2012, while the generous helping of 7 bonus tracks is actually the first Nonchalant record released back in 2002. The newer material is smoother sounding and a bit more melodic, but there’s no real drastic difference between the old and new material.

“Better Off Dead” is quirky pop punk with the emphasis on the pop instead of the punk and some odd touches of electronics around the fringes. “Control” has a leaner, sparser sound with more punk energy and very strong hooks. It sounds like its being played by an altogether angrier band than “Better Off Dead” and these more aggressive songs are really where alchalant shines. The album’s diversity becomes apparent on the next track “LL”, which is almost a ska/cowpunk mixture and very brief in duration.

The remainder of the “new” material flies all over the map. “Binary” and “Bronchities” are very snotty, melodic punk with rather trite and overdone vocals from Alex. He sounds much more natural and less forced on the thrashy rager “National Blues 2011″ and bouncy “Nightmares”.  Then “Dawn” is a stripped down, smoky cut with appealing melody

After 12 CD tracks of silence, the older Nonchalant material shows a rawer version of alchalant that is not quite so diverse but perhaps more appealing to the straight up punk because of that. “Bandaids”, “Fee For Free” and the earlier version of “National Blues” are all fast, rough and ready, sounding like a band that just wants to plug in and rock out.

It’s all delivered efficiently and with a lot of passion, but so many bands are already treading the same territory as alchalant, it’s going to be hard for these guys to really make a mark.

Review by Mike Korn
Rating: 3 Stars (out of 5)

Posted in Mike Korn, Reviews | Tagged | Comments Off

Dawson Cowals “Stop the Sun”

Posted on January 20, 2012 by Chris

When the festive holidays come ‘round and the days count down till Christmas, most guys are at a loss for what to give their best girl.  Many will spend hours perusing the shelves of shops, looking for just that right little bauble or that perfect piece of jewelry that will set her eyes afire on that glorious morning.  Others still will find themselves battling it out on Christmas Eve, fighting over the last Chia Pet and sweeping cheap perfume into their baskets in a frantic, last-minute rush.

While there are many of us that can identify with those tales, Dawson Cowals is a guy who takes it to a whole ‘nother level.  In December of 2009, Cowals set out to write a song as a first anniversary present for his wife, Jessica.  Cowals snagged the assistance of “producer/musician extraordinaire, Nick Garrett-Powell,” and hammered out the track in literally one day in order to have the gift ready for his beloved on Christmas morning.

Two years have passed and “since that time live drums, harmonies, and other tracks have been added” but the heartbeat of the track is still the same.  “Stop the Sun” is a track influenced by both of the artist’s loves, the Scriptures and his wife, and that shines through each and every lyric.  Cowals draws inspiration from Joshua 10:9-14 (a passage where biblical hero, Joshua, implores God with passion to stop the sun and stay the day and God acquiesces, bringing a great victory) and infuses his track with allusions to the story.  Yet, he neatly interweaves the thought of being able to stop time in order that he could “hold you forever.”

Sonically, the song builds from a gentle coffeehouse singer/songwriter vibe and then bursts forth with solid bolts of electricity, building into a full-on pop-rock ballad.  The acoustic serves as a bridge throughout but Garrett-Powell’s influences on electric guitar and bass fuel much of the action here, bringing the passion to a pleasantly fevered pitch.  The artist’s vocals are strong and distinct yet very approachable.  And it’s that vocal delivery that keeps his music in his wheelhouse, together with some nice harmonies again provided by Garrett-Powell.  Cowals’ publicity materials describe the track as a mix of Lifehouse’s “You and Me” colliding with a Howie Day song and that’s just about right.

With Valentine’s Day rapidly approaching and the season of love upon us, one could draw some solid inspiration from the romantically spiritual leanings of singer-songwriter, Dawson Cowals.  With the track set to debut on the upcoming full-length album, The White Album, soon, the work of Dawson Cowals might be just the thing to set that romantic mood this year.

Review by Andrew Greenhalgh
Rating: 3.5 Stars (out of 5)

Posted in Andrew Greenhalgh, Reviews | Tagged | Comments Off

Silentaria “The Beginning of the End”

Posted on January 19, 2012 by Chris

Cosmic. Trance-like. Hypnotic. Celestial. Mesmerizing. These are just a few of the sure-fire adjectives that will most likely be employed when describing Silentaria’s album The Beginning of the End. The music is synthesizer based, with layer upon layer of spacey progressive waves, apropos vocal injections, and multi-colored flashes of assorted beats, rhythms, and pulses. Like a trip through outer space and then suddenly experiencing a supernova, Silentaria take you on a voyage with plenty of surprises. Yes, it’s been done before, but that doesn’t mean that one can’t indulge once again in this trippy, new-age style of delicious sonic syrup.

The comparisons are plenty…Vangelis, Jean-Michel Jarre, Tangerine Dream, just to name a few. These resemblances hit home right away on “Emerge”, the opening track. A dancing rhythm and pulses of synthesizer beams painting colors in your mind, both combining and leaving you with a peaceful ease that is aided by the faint choral of “aaahhhs” that float by in the background. There’s a wonderful detached feel that arises from Silentaria’s style of music…a type of “comfortably numb“-ness that the band was aiming for and succeeded in accomplishing. The same can be said for the album’s title track, the next song in sequence, which adds a faint backbeat but still incorporates a lush, celestial-like bunch of keyboard swatches up front to keep with the mood.

“Return of the Lost” incorporates more of a mysterious feel to its body, sounding like the music being played in a suspense movie, chock full of short, sporadic bits of synth. “The Ruined Innocence” is haunting, almost Omen-like in its mood and soft yet sinister air. This pair of songs exhibit yet another color in the spectrum of Silentaria’s electronic music…a welcoming change to what could’ve been (but is far from) a set of tracks weighed down by similar rhythms, themes, and time signatures. They change gears once again in “Lament of Being”, a science fiction-like set of mechanical keyboard lines that sound purposely cold, lonely, and distant. The pace is picked up on “Beyond Destiny”, which sounds like it could have been used in the movie Blade Runner. Melodic and musically vibrant, the synthesizer is put to good use once again with its up-tempo pace and ethereal pastiches swimming about in mid-air.

“One Last Quest” has the listener visioning a barren landscape with a solitary voyageur trekking across its stark terrain…quite effective. “Hidden Utopia” is a shimmering barrage of pulsating rhythms, short and sweet, but merging together to create a kaleidoscope of electronic hues. In “It’s Time To Go”, the robotic voice that repeats the title of the track is nestled in amongst more mood-infused patches of chilly tones and tinges, while “Farewell” bubbles with frothy keyboard fragments and dazzling bursts of electronic sketches. The album ends with “Eastward”, a sort of clunky, Alan Parsons Project-ish track that doesn’t feel out of place from rest of the album’s topography.

To sum it up, Silentaria doesn’t really do anything new here. They don’t break new electronic ground or add any special effects for shock value. What they do, plain and simple, is create an appealing collection of electronic pieces that breed their own definite personality. Who cares about the comparisons, or what other artists their music reminds you of, Silentaria’s The Beginning of the End makes for a great escape into the wonders of electronic music, and they get full marks for making each track distinctive, individualistic, and eccentric.

Review by: Mike DeGagne
Rating: 4 Stars (out of 5)

Posted in Mike DeGagne, Reviews | Tagged | Comments Off