Zach Williams And The Reformation - A Southern Offering

Zach Williams And The Reformation - A Southern Offering
2011, Zach Williams And The Reformation

Zach Williams And The Reformation proves that growth is a good thing on their impressive sophomore album, A Southern Offering.  The band's previous effort, Electric Revival, was written solely by Williams.  This time out, Williams brings lyrics and his soulful rock voice and the rest of the band crafts the music.  The result is a stunning ode to the history of southern rock n roll, displaying the influence of bands such as Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Allman Brothers, Molly Hatchet and the Black Crowes.  In the process, Zach Williams And The Reformation has created a vibrant and modern album.  Producer Kevin Beamish (REO Speedwagon, Stevie Wonder, Elton John) helps capture the dynamic sound of ZWR with a live energy and a sense of polish that brings out the rough beauty of the music.

A Southern Offering opens with the vibrant southern friend rock n roll of "Gravy Train", a joyous number full of all the panache of bands like Lynyrd Skynyrd and .38 Special.  "Mason Jar" is a solid piece of songwriting with a mildly soulful vocal from Williams.  "Fool's Moon" plays like it could be a Bob Seger outtake, and has a melody that will stay with you.  "Picture Perfect" is a mellow rock ballad that makes the most of Williams' soulful voice against a blues backdrop that does the title justice.  "The Fix" opens with a guitar riff that sounds like something cooked up by ZZ Top, and blows up into a full rock sound on the chorus that's infectious.

"Motels And Highways" is a world-weary lament of a man who makes his living on the road.  ZWR picks up steam on "Rock N Roll Me", a blues rocker that sounds like a southern fried Zeppelin tune if David Coverdale were sitting in for Robert Plant.  There's real energy in this tune, which is among the best on the album.  "PO Box And A Postcard" is a speculative number building off the ideas in "Motels And Highways".  ZWR sounds a lot like the Black Crowes here, as Williams ruminates on love lost.  "Wishing Well" and “Sky Full Of Treasure” close things out in consistent yet unsurprising style.

Zach Williams And The Reformation impress on A Southern Offering.  With a sound steeped in classic southern rock yet updated with a modern edge, ZWR stands to capture the attention of several generations of classic and southern rock fans.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Zach Williams And The Reformation at www.zwrnation.com or www.myspace.com/zwreformation.  A Southern Offering is available digitally from Amazon.com and iTunes.

The Belle Brigade - The Belle Brigade

The Belle Brigade - The Belle Brigade
2011, Reprise Records

Brother and sister Ethan and Barbara Gruska are the heart of The Belle Brigade.  Releasing their self-titled debut today via Reprise Records, the pair have earned comparisons to Simon and Garfunkel and Fleetwood Mac.  The Belle Brigade displays a band with a distinct sense of melody, but moreover a pair of voices that blend in nearly supernatural fashion.  It’s no surprise, music runs in Ethan and Barbara Gruska’s genes.  Their father is composer Jay Gruska, and their father is non other than the incomparable film composer John Williams.

The Belle Brigade opens with "Sweet Louise", a catchy, low-key folk rocker with country accents.  The song is a simple declaration of love you won't be able to shake, full of great harmonies and driven by the exceedingly pleasant vocals of Ethan.   "Where Not To Look For Freedom" is a catchy rocker reminiscent of early Elton John in style and energy.  It's a vibrant, active tune that grabs your attention.  "Losers" shows off a notable skill at orchestration, but the incessantly repetitive chorus wears thin.  "Shirt" features Ethan and Barbara in a distinctive duet.  Barbara stands out for pure sound, but when the two voices combine they wrap around each other like lovers.  This blend is sonically appealing and helps build the song from into an urgent and edgy rocker.

"Lucky Guy" follows the series of lucky rolls that grow out of an inauspicious beginning of life.  The active folk/rock arrangement is appealing, and The Belle Brigade offers it up with great energy without going over the top.  You won't be able to sit/stand still through this song.  "Lonely Lonely" features the sort of great pop chorus that turns into chart gold.  The Belle Brigade changes things up with the moody and introspective "Punch Line", exploring feelings of being forgotten as a child.  Ethan delivers a highly emotive vocal here that drives the weight of the song home.  Barbara takes the mic on "Rusted Wheel" in a memorable performance aided by a brilliant melody line.  Listeners will want to hear more of her.  The Gruskas combine again on "My Goodness", blending their voices once again in a low key but ultimately accessible number that's likely to be a fan favorite.  The Belle Brigade bows with "Fasten You To Me".  Barbara brings listeners to the door with an exquisite performance in the surprisingly mellow closer.

The Belle Brigade is surprisingly subtle and nuanced on their eponymous debut.  Rock n roll, pop and folk music influences inform the songwriting on The Belle Brigade, driven by a distinctive ear for melody and interplay and the fine voices of Ethan and Barbara.  The Belle Brigade don't create the initial impression of a band who will catch fire right away, but rather an act that will warm up slowly and burn for a long, long time.  The intricacies of the songwriting process are very much alive on The Belle Brigade, but this is a band that is still figuring out just what they are capable of.  This is a great start.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about The Belle Brigade at www.thebellbrigade.com or www.myspace.com/thebellebrigade.  The Belle Brigade is available from Amazon.com as a CD, on Vinyl or as a Download.  The album is also available via iTunes.

Seth Glier - The Next Right Thing

Seth Glier – The Next Right Thing
2010, MPress Records

Boston-based singer/songwriter Seth Glier is all of twenty-one years old and is already preparing to release his second album on MPress Records.  Twenty-two in years alone, Glier shows a depth and maturity of songwriting that seems antithetical to his youth.  Glier’s next album, The Next Right Thing is due on January 11, 2011 and features a guest appearance from Edwin McCain.  Glier writes from a deep well of experiences both personal and observed, and certainly appears to have taken things to the next level with The Next Right Thing.  Seth Glier has appeared on the main stage at the Falcon Ridge Folk and Kerrville Folk Festivals, and has shared stages with the likes of McCain, Mark Knopfler, James Taylor and The Verve Pipe.

The Next Right Thing marks Glier as a rising star.  The title track is a dynamic soul/gospel tune with a beating heart of urgency.  “Walk Katie Home” is a song of devotion about the lengths we’ll go for love.  The song is beautiful in its unadorned love and purity of thought.   On “Lauralee” Glier provides us with a literate and mature view of love using wondrous imagery; sounding more than a bit like a young Billy Joel in the process.  “First” is poetic and romantic; capturing the moments or experiences that can make love feel like new again.  “Down With This Ship” makes ethical and sociological observations about the point of impact between faith and deceit.  It’s a dynamic bit of songwriting that is certain to capture younger and older fans, as Glier seems to phrase the sort of problems that hit many in midlife in terms that are universal and accessible.

“I Don’t Need You” takes a look inside the life of someone who sees all of her friends passing her by while she stands still.  The song expresses the mix of frustration and need in muted tones of resignation and is amazingly well written.  “What Others Have Done” follows a soul who seeks himself in the whims and fancies of others; through the brief highs and the lengths of emptiness that ensue.  The piano ballad style here is reminiscent of a cross of Billy Joel and Elton John.  “Beauty In the Breakdown”  seeks the silver lining in human pain.  Glier displays a quietly dramatic sense here, and the arrangement is among the most complete and beautiful on the album. 

“Book Of Matches” is simply brilliant.  Glier turns the tragedy of losing a home into opportunity, finding the sense of freedom of no longer being encumbered with possessions, burdens or expectations.  The imagery here is deep, and could have multiple interpretations (fire, divorce, death, etc.), but this proves the genius in the songwriting.  “No Place To Land” captures the loneliness and displacement of someone who has been on the road so long it’s become the only home he knows.  The extrapolation from what are Glier’s experiences playing 200 shows per year to a way of life is a logical leap that goes beyond your typical pop song.  Glier closes with “Soul, Skin & Bones”; an incredibly poetic memorial in song that’s stark in its imagery but ultimately deeply loving.  The palindrome simile Glier uses here is eye opening.  This is how you close an album with an utter “Wow” moment.

Seth Glier is the sort of singer/songwriter that allows you to throw in a CD and get lost for an hour.  Musically, he writes in subtle tones, crafting near-perfect settings for the stories he tells in song.  Lyrically, Glier is an old soul, writing well beyond his twenty-two years in both poetics and depth of human understanding.  The Next Right Thing is beautiful; brilliant; breathtaking.  Glier sets the bar high for 2011.  The Next Right Thing is a Wildy’s World Certified Desert Island Disc.

Rating: 5 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Seth Glier at www.sethglier.com or www.myspace.com/sethglier.  The Next Right Thing drops on January 11, 2011.  You can pre-order the CD and Download from Amazon.com.