music reviews
And Then There Is this
At just 21 years old, Amy Regan has the untainted swagger of youth, the confidence and bravado of adulthood, and the soul of the classic female music icons. On her debut EP, the classically-trained singer (as well as pianist and guitarist) commands your attention through six gorgeous tracks, dancing between angelic and dulcet tones, effortless harmonies, and even a successful skat interlude. On album opener “Everybody Needs Somewhere to Go” - in which Regan delivers the sage line “It’s not that you haven’t done your best / Baby, I just miss my loneliness” – she gives a nod to Fiona Apple with breathy vocals that and subtle restraint that hints at controlled chaos. On “So in Love,” Regan directs dramatic strings and a brushed snare to follow her vocal turns. And in case you weren’t already rapt, she proves her a capella ability for a dramatic pause. Regan is at her best, though, on “Nighttime Bird,” where she transports the listener back to Ella Fitzgerald’s era, using the piano’s melody as a formality and showing skat skills that show her admiration for Ella and her peers.
www.amyregan.com
Band of Silhouettes
A former theater major at Julliard, Kristen Gass is not stranger to dramatic turns and pauses and it shows on her debut EP, Band of Silhouettes with stunning results. That Gass takes chances here is an understatement - her haunting melodies, whispered vocals, and experimental instrumental turns scream nonconformity. Her album opener, “Ode (for James),” is an entirely instrumental, gripping guitar piece, while “Dog Days” is driven by an ominous bassline punctuated by jarring electro-fuzz bursts and Gass’ signature hushed and haunting vocals. On “Colorado” Gass’ vocals are so whispered and light the listener instinctively leans in to make sure not to miss a moment of whatever wisdom she might be imparting. “Posted” could be a simple acoustic folk track were in not for the subtle flute in the background, snippets of buzzing electricity, and poignant lines like “So this is what love is / a brutal harmony, a knock-kneed child that is a well / that only dries when it cries too long.” On “Ziploc Torso” an electric guitar riff persistently tries to press its way into the foreground, held in place by Gass’ unassailable vocals. Rather than a complete introduction to Gass, this EP seems to just hint at what the musician can and will achieve on her first full-length. Listeners will be eagerly waiting for more
www.kristengass.com
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That's The Day
On his debut four-song EP That’s the Day, Rick Seibold presents a sort of grown-up college coffeehouse sound, with songs about love, learning and coming of age – no surprise since the singer has spent the last few years living from a suitcase, traveling, and, well, learning about life. “Mary,” with its bongo-driven beat is about a girl who “claims shopaholic as a disease” and who will soon find “everything you need your cash can’t buy.” “Can’t Go On” is an acoustic guitar-led track with observatory lyrics like “what good is life if it ain’t with friends” and “what good is life if it ain’t with friends.” Seibold also has a knack for smart and often catchy melodies as on “That’s the Day,” which is highlighted by lush instrumental and is by far the most textured song on the project with a smooth keys and swirling harmonies and the EP’s closer, “Take it Slow.” A fitting way to end the debut, “Take it Slow” is a sort of stripped-down radio-friendly pop song, a calling card to A&R men - with its raw strumming, guitar slaps and lyrics like “Baby would you tell me those secrets you’ve got locked inside / Cause baby I want to tell you some of mine,” it’s sure to make any young female listener swoon.
www.myspace.com/rickseibold
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music for a bright moon sky
A former a cappella singer and frontman for a Buffalo-based band, Andy Mac’s debut solo album, Music for a Bright Moon Sky, shows influences from both experiences with lush harmonies, clever arrangements, and witty lyrics. Album opener “She Falls Away” is a Ben Folds-inspired track with gorgeous keys and delicate vocals, while “Rather Be Alone” borrows from the Guster school of harmonies. “An Afterthought” is indicative of Mac’s lyrical chops with lines like “I hate alone / You hate it too / But you hate anything that isn’t new” and “What I did was put my life beside me to start my life with you,” layered over melancholy strings and guitar-slapping a cappella breaks. Mac sets himself apart from his sensitive-guy-singing peers with wholly unique tracks like the buoyant, toe-tapping “Sara with No H,” the piano-driven “Best Believe” with its warm, swelling harmonies, and the “Small Everything” which starts with a harmonica introduction. Lest the listener think Mac is just a singer/songwriter type, the “Untitled” last track (not noted in the album liner notes) is a punchy break, opening with beat boxing, a rap interlude, and then a melodic guitar progression for an acidic track about hatred for a girl who “Sold my mom’s wheelchair on ebay and made her take a cab.” Calling Mac a multi-talented artist would be an understatement.
www.myspace.com/andymac
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amy regan
