Tuesday, January 31, 2017

Nick Black - Deep Blue


Nick Black - Deep Blue 


Deep Blue is the second album from young vocalist/songwriter/guitarist Nick Black. Pure talent propels Black’s quick ascension into the top rank of modern soul and R&B musicians. The songwriting certainly recalls classic material, but Black and his collaborators never sound outright imitative. Some might find the songs a little too clever by a half, but most will hear this collection for what it apparently purports to be. Nick Black’s ten tracks on Deep Blue insist on staking out their own territory. These are songs that rarely, if ever, risk any self indulgence or affectation. Instead, Black confidently steers them through cuts often cresting on a wave of vivid changes, fiery lead guitar, and an irrepressibly clear sense of melody underpinning much of the playing. The production qualities are exceptionally clear and render Black’s vision for each of the songs with warmth and a across the board balance. 

He doesn’t completely turn listener’s expectations on their heads, but he’s happy to put them on their side. Songs like the opener “Ocean” are plentiful on Deep Blue trod familiar musical and lyrical themes, but there’s an unusual spin given to these elements thanks to the ability of Black and his musical collaborators thanks to their talents for turning the R&B form’s customary textures towards different ends. The brass contributions are a little muted on the album’s second song “Grownups”, but there’s a rambunctious sense of playfulness to this style of R&B lacking on the first song. Whatever genre credentials it may or may not have, “Grownups” is a fantastic pop song as well that writes about a ageless topic in a slightly new, inventive way. “Falling in Life” has a sharper attitude than the aforementioned songs and kicks off with a super slinky groove with Black delivering an evocative vocal over the top. There’s a lot of variations and changes in direction during this song and it isn’t hard to wish Black would settle for one direction on songs like this but, to his credit, his basketful of directions are never boring or predictable, even if their sheer variety is a little dizzying. “D.I.Y.” is quite a contrast. This is an elegantly turned and minimalist composition utilizing just enough of the right elements to paint a picture for its audience. The highlight of the piece is twofold – the expert touch that the drumming and piano work demonstrate guiding the way musical is superb and Nick Black’s vocal ranks among his best performances on the album.  

Many will flock to the song “Let’s Be Glad”, but some will be put off by how much it strains for its musical effects. The wisdom of so deliberately plotting out a pastiche to particular styles is that you risk sounding too premeditated and “Let’s Be Glad” certainly checks off all the boxes for southern gospel influences. Others, however, will hear an artist and accompanying musicians building their own splendid variation on the form without it ever sounding like pandering. The lyrics in the song’s second half are particularly strong. “The Worst You Can Do” has a great build as well from its beginnings as an acoustic guitar and singer alone into a full-stop theatrical stunner with Black confidently in front and riding out a variety of crescendos with the band on point behind him at every step. Deep Blue ends with the rhythmic showcase “All Over Again” and it’s a good, muscular familiar for the recording. Nick Black wants to exit on a high note musical and this song does so without ever over-exerting himself. It’s a microcosm of the album as a whole – there’s just the right amount of artistry, just the right amount of force, just the right amount of fun.  

8 out of 10 stars. 


William Elgin 

Tuesday, January 24, 2017

Dave Vargo - Burning Through

 
Dave Vargo - Burning Through 

Primary URL: http://davevargomusic.com/ 
 
A New Jersey native who has played with and alongside some of the pre-eminent musical talents of our time, Dave Vargo’s full length album debut Burning Through is truly a personal effort. His skills as a guitarist helped make him one of the most in-demand live and studio musicians around, but the eleven songs on Burning Through offer vivid evidence of Vargo’s songwriting talents. He also shares production duties on the album with drummer and percussionist Tim Pannella and surrounds himself with steady cadre of talented musicians who help him bring these songs to life. The songs are often atmospheric, but never garishly, and well balanced between electric and acoustic textures. Vargo’s first solo album is obviously the product of years playing with some of the best musicians in the world, but nothing here feels too studied or lacks the sort of verve one might expect from someone’s debut.  
 
Burning Through opens with “Come Take Me Home”. The song is built around acoustic guitar ornamented with tasteful electric guitar touches and builds incrementally. Everything here is nicely balanced and the disparate sonic elements flawlessly dovetail into one another. Vargo’s voice is warm and patience, emotive without ever lapsing into histrionics and it enlivens the obvious sincerity of the sometimes painfully earnest lyrical content. “Good Enough” amps up the rock and roll side of Vargo’s musical character without venturing too far afield of the template laid down on the opener. His voice isn’t classically beautiful by any measure, but it has enormous appeal and listeners will trust it immediately. The smoky, weathered quality of his tone helps put over these lyrics about hard-won wisdom without any theatricality – it’s just unvarnished honesty coming through and his band members ably conspire to turn this into one of Burning Through’s most propulsive tracks.  
 
Outside of some ghostly electric guitar fills swelling from the mix, “Wishing on a Star” is a beautifully lyrical acoustic guitar piece about an individual’s dreams. Vargo and backing vocalist Kim Boyko bring their voices together in a very entertaining fashion on the song “Finding My Way To You” and, despite the primarily acoustic nature of this performance, it has some of the same propulsive energy we heard in the earlier “Good Enough” and perfectly measured organ fills from bassist and keyboardist Erik Romero. Vargo’s songwriting frequently tackles weighty themes, but “Too Young To Be Broken” is one of the most heartbreaking moments on the album and the amount of sheer empathy pouring out of Vargo’s performance will undoubtedly affect many listeners. It is, once again, a primarily acoustic outing that Vargo adorns with some understated percussion and occasional haunting electric guitar fills. Tim Pannella’s drumming sets an interesting quasi-march tempo for “Waiting” that complements the vocal melody and the acoustic guitar work, as always on this release, shimmers with tremendous evocative quality. 
 
Burning Through concludes with “Pieces of My Heart”, another illustration of the value Pannella’s drumming brings to the material on this debut. His rolling tempo is a perfect fit for Vargo’s guitar work and Vargo brings equal parts assertiveness and sensitivity to the vocal. There’s a lot of clearly singer/songwriter oriented material on this album, but there’s an irrepressible rock and roll spirit peeking out from many of the arrangements that gives it a welcome added bite. Dave Vargo’s turn in the spotlight is a rewarding listen for any serious music fan.  
 
9 out of 10 stars 
 
Jason Hillenburg