Of Sins Present and Past is the debut album from Alt Americana Rock musician John Aulabaugh, a man with a mission to use the healing power of music in the treatment of the bumps on life’s rocky road.
Having seen personally the life-destroying effects of alcohol and drugs on others, John has released his album with the drive to financially support the organizations he works with, such as Transitions, a non-profit that provides recovery treatment services.
While all of his tracks feature soulful vocals and varying mixes of violin, guitar and drums, there are some that stand out more for me than others. The first is “Elasticity”, a shortish track at under three minutes but one that utilises a catchy hook in the form of many lines beginning with “There’s a…” This helps the track carry the listener along, especially with the repetition of words like “It’s gone it’s gone it’s gone.” I really like this lyrical device and enjoy the way it adds heft to the words. The next track that really caught my attention was “Undone”, a track with a languid pace, echoing vocals and a dreamlike quality with lyrics like “My baby, she fell on my gun” and “She’s come undone”. An introspective track that echoes around your mind.
“Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore” is another track full of great images conjured by the lyrics. There are more than a few nods to childhood stories like Alice in Wonderland with the lyric “Chasing little rabbits down the tiny rabbit hole”. The lyrics seem quite sad yet the song is quite upbeat in tone, to me at least. I quite like that. The final track I want to highlight is “Awake”, a track full of echoing guitar notes and a more distorted sound. I particularly enjoy the “wailing guitar” solo just after the midpoint of the track; it seems to embody the night-time funk felt in the rest of the track and hints at the strange qualities that night can sometimes contain.
I didn’t find much at all to dislike amongst the other tracks. The only thing I noticed was that in “It’s Coming”, the chorus lyrics struggle a little against the background music in volume. This is only noticeable because the majority of the tracks have a very strong chorus sound. It’s a minor difference but I would like to hear this chorus as crisply as in the other tracks.
Of Sins Present and Past is described as an anthology with themes of hope and empathy and I certainly get that from the sometimes quite dark lyrics. John is joined by Dave Krusen on the drums and Jessy Greene on the violin, the mixture of the three creating a great album containing tracks that feature a variety of pace, tone and sound but that all manage to hang together and make it an album well worth a listen.
You can visit John Aulabaugh’s website at this link for more information.
Their first album “Another Time” was released in 2012 and received some great acclaim. They have since been joined by guitarist Buddy Speir for their latest album “Half Written Story” which released in June 2015 and on which the bulk of this review will focus.
The Seattle-based band is made up of Ron Hippe, Jan Ciganik, Dennis McCoy and Chip Reno, and sites influences from artists including Pink Floyd and Chromeo. They have had a number of albums released since 2007, DigiBites being their most recent.
The main guitar riff that underpins the track in general certainly gets stuck in the ear, the pace of the notes sitting really well with the slower extended notes that surround it. The lyrics sung by Majentta’s powerful voice are no less intricate, the hook laden chorus filled with questions and lingering words that almost makes the listener feel rude not to answer her.
A self-taught multi-instrumentalist, Chand has created a tremendous E.P called The Solar Bliss, five tracks that revel in all that is great about the guitar. If you are a fan of the Carlos Santana school of guitar-based melody, Chand will certainly put you in mind of Carlos.
“China Man Blues” is another great track, the early plucked guitar notes soon moving into lots of vibrato as the slow beat carries it all along. “Zetetic” is a more melancholy track that has all the qualities of the end credits after a film in which the happy ending didn’t quite pan out as people had hoped. “Trouble in Paradise” is another track that made me think of TV or film, its ominous heavier undertones and distortion making me think of criminals about to do a heist. That tone did seem to shift later in the track however, the feelings turning to the prospect of things being resolved. The final track “Daydream” is a good track to end the album on with a punchy beat and a slightly heavier sound brought about by distortion and a more prominent use of the drum cymbals.
Scott Mahoney’s song “What I Want When I Want” is based on the less desirable side of relationships, the break-up, and it handles it in an upbeat way, the lyrics reveling in the freedom of separating from someone that you no longer want to be with.
Some modern rock/metal bands seem to throw everything and the kitchen sink into their music. Something that may be overlooked in their zeal is the guitar solo: sometimes short, sometimes long and meandering, but both give space in the track where someone can truly shine. Shred guitarist Xander Demos doesn’t overlook this and hearing him play reminded me of what other bands sometimes gloss over.
The paper-weights on my desk are still dancing, riveting on the groovy rhythm. My mind still looks for some signs of conclusion. Still unable to admit, I try to find some info about the band ‘Whoa Mama’, but there isn’t much; except the three released songs. Finally, I contacted my editor and –to my pleasure- I was told that ‘Whoa Mama’ is actually a new band, not some uncut rough diamonds from the 1970’s.
The first song I heard ‘The Way You Do It’ is a gut wrenching ballad, with intoxicating and dreamy vocals. It is more like messy love making and frantic day dreaming, packaged in a crazy but lucid flowing vibe. Apart from vocals, I absolutely adore the guitar chops… riffs, sweet phrasing with articulate runs, and an enchanting tone on the top of it.
Their latest EP Matters Of Heart And The Will To Burn is made up of five songs. With first track ‘Lunar Transmission’ immediately alluding to a sound similar to predecessors such as You Me at Six by jumping in the deep end with a more pensive, intense sound that really hooks you in. In the next two songs ‘The Forge’ and ‘Boardwalk’, Nick Villars proves why his vocals are perfect for this genre of music and immediately throws in some impressive and diverse range, with the perfect amount of harmony mixed in.
I just went through the debut EP ‘Stay Young, Trust Me’ by Best of Enemies: the first thing that rings through my mind is that it must be a real worth listening to them live. Not to say that they are any way behind when it comes to studio recordings, the EP is very skillfully created and the production is on par with any modern outfit.
I’m not sure about anyone else but as someone who used to be an avid follower of 00s American rock bands such as Matchbox Twenty, I found it quite a pleasant surprise to be reunited with this sound in Second Chance Rising. The melodic harmonies of the guitar combined with a distinctly ‘old school’ rock persona certainly make for an uplifting message being sent to the listeners. This is of course alongside a very clear religious resonance, which is undoubtedly the directive of the band’s set up, which some people may chose to take or leave if they are just interested in the music itself.
Sentinel tick the boxes for me when it comes to giving an opinion on a metal band. I love brutal music and harsh, shouted lyrics, but I always have a soft spot for a catchy and sweetly sung chorus. I guess I like the storm followed by the calm, before the next storm. Music without this dynamic grows a little boring and tedious for me. Sentinel avoid this pitfall and give the listener a saliva-filled gust of feeling, carried in the space that the more relaxed chorus gives.
The six-piece band from Leeds has created a fast-paced song with easy to listen to lyrics and a style that would easily complement any activity taking place in the summer sun, be it driving, bike riding or…bouncing around on an inflatable castle in someone’s back garden.
Reportedly, these five friends got together in the early 2014 to put forward their own blend of Punk/Indie/Rock sound, and it seems that they manage to get it right. It didn’t take them long to establish in the big league, right from the start, when they performed in a little pub in Northampton back in the early 2014. The inspirations are quite wide: from Nirvana to The Clash and from Queens of Stone Age to White Stripes.
Firstly, the stand out factor for me is that, having been born and bred into the world of music at an incredibly young age, Brook actually writes her own music. With the world of pop in the state that it is in this day and age this is something of rarity, not to mention incredibly refreshing. She also happens to play the piano and the guitar so fans of her music can definitely expect to hear some unique all-encompassing hits in the next few years.
Like all great Alternative outfits, rhythm section is providing a solid ground for the punchy guitar work over it, but my interest lies in the beautiful (and natural) tone of the vocalist Sharon Clancy. She has a gifted voice, and in my opinion, she could have picked any genre and her voice would have adjusted to it; it has a certain feel to it. No wonder a huge number of listeners are drawn to it. That also explains the growing number of followers for The Amplifires, on the both sides of Atlantic.
On the other hand, if your musical choices go beyond easy listening, and if you are looking for something that is as interesting and as compelling like the Milky Way, then you have reached the right planet.