JD Pederson – It Seems Like Only Yesterday

JD Pederson – It Seems Like Only Yesterday
2010, JD Pederson

Every singer/songwriter is a sum of his or her influences.  For JD Pederson those influences are solid ones.  Whether it’s the San Francisco sound of Boz Scaggs and Tower Of Power, or the style of artists such as The Eagles, Jackson Browne and Van Morrison, Pederson has developed a strong personal style based in classic sounds.  What makes Pederson special is that he’s taken these roots and catalyzed them into something new and unpredictable.  It’s there in Pederson’s live shows; you never know what he might come up with next.    You’ll find the same feel to Pederson’s debut album, It Seems Like Only Yesterday.

Pederson opens with “We Go Way Back”, inhabiting the space between country and rock n roll with an easy-listening mien.  It’s a song of reminiscence with a nice melody, and shows off Pederson’s easy-going voice in style.  “My Favorite Sunset” is a vaguely saccharine ballad that captures a moment in song.  Pederson injects an island feel into the song, and in spite of the slightly trite feel you’ll leave with the impression that such things are born of true emotion rather than a cynical attempt to inspire feeling.  “Learn The Dance” is all about growing up and taking responsibility for yourself.  Pederson exhorts listeners to dig into life and take what it has to offer; an anthem to personal responsibility with a dose of carpe diem thrown in.

“Call Me” finds Pederson sounding a lot like Ezra Idlet of Trout Fishing In America.  It’s a down tempo love ballad that’s sorrowful, yet still somehow motivated by hope.  “Kiss & Tell” shows more energy; a catchy tune with a sense of mystery and remorse.  This is a sharp, clean arrangement with great guitar work that shows a slightly different dimension to Pederson’s songwriting.  “Welcome To The Party” is a musical dissertation on graft, politics, and the internal machinery that keeps the political process out of the hands of the people it represents.  The observational style of songwriting shown here displays sharp and incisive lyrics with plenty of wit in a funky, blues-rock arrangement.  “No Good For You” is a dirty blend of rock and blues that’s highly enjoyable.  It’s a classic story in the first person about a friend waiting in the wings for his friend’s girlfriend to her eyes his way.  More than that, he’s actively working to put himself into position to steal her away.  The guitar work here is as filthy-good as the premise, and the song is full of delicious piano licks and fills.

“Peace Of Mind” is a bit simplistic and plain, but features some great guitar work and a decent melody.  The sound here is a bit too inside of itself; wanting to explode and be larger than life, but never quite gets there.  “The Sound Of Goodbye” is a flat, Adult/Contemporary Ballad.  The song itself is decent, but the production here misses the boat.  The vocals are too low, the piano too high, and the guitar solo is too far out in front.  This sounds more like a patchwork of musical parts thrown together in a slipshod manner than a cohesive piece of songwriting.  Pederson closes with “Headed Home”, once again involving a mismatch in the production booth.  Pederson’s pleasant but soft-spoken voice gets lost in the mix. 

JD Pederson’s It Seems Like Only Yesterday lives up to the classic singer/songwriter mantle it bears across the first seven songs.  Pederson shows a competency in lyrics and arranging that places him above the pack.  His gift for melody and creating a story environment in his songs is notable, and at times he rises to the crest of brilliance.  The last three tracks seem more like filler, and are a disappointing epilogue to what is otherwise a very strong effort.  It Seems Like Only Yesterday certainly will give listeners motivation to see what JD Pederson does next.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about J.D. Pederson at http://www.jdpederson.com/.  It Seems Like Only Yesterday is available from Amazon.com as a CD or Download.  The album is also available from iTunes.

Christine Marie - Christine Marie [EP]

Christine Marie - Christine Marie [EP]

2009, Christine Marie

Christine Marie is a California girl with southern intentions.  A singer/songwriter not yet out of her teens, Christine Marie is already a member of the Nashville Songwriters Association International and BMI, and is planning to move to Nashville as she starts college in 2011.  In 2009, Christine Marie released her self-titled debut EP, a 3-song collection of pop country inspired by the likes of Garth Brooks, Leanne Rimes and Keith Urban. 

Christine Marie opens with delicious pop/country of "Boy Behind The Radio", tracking the dreams of a young girl with a crush on a singer making her own dreams come true by becoming the girl behind the radio and someday meeting the voice.  Incredibly catchy, Christine Marie works the song for all its worth.  The song is universally appealing as there isn't a person out there who hasn't entertained a similar dream at least once in their life.  "Let's Do Somethin' About It" comes from the same country/pop lineage.  Christine Marie offers up a dynamic vocal performance, singing lead and harmony vocals on the EP.  There's a bit of a Jackson Browne-meets-Shania Twain aesthetic here that's hard to ignore.  Christine Marie closes with "It Starts Today", a musical resolution to go out and grab life by the horns and take what the world has to offer.  Once again a highly catchy turn, all the more appealing as the song (and the rest of the EP) hasn't been glossed over with the sort of high production values that steal life from the music. 

There's so much to consider in thoughts of who will "make it" and who will not.  Who you know and luck are big components of bridging the gap between being great and being famous, and such things cannot be predicted.  From a talent standpoint, from voice to sound to affability, Christine Marie displays the tools it takes to become a household name.  The songs offers on Christine Marie are catchy and accessible, with the sort of energy that tends to light up the request lines at country radio.  It might not happen right now, but don't be surprised if Christine Marie makes it big someday.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Christine Marie at http://www.christinemariesings.com/ or www.myspace.com/christinemariesings.  Christine Marie is available digitally through Amazon.com and iTunes.

Kathryn Williams - Relations

Kathryn Williams - Relations
2010, One Little Indian

Not too long ago we received Kathryn Williams' The Quickening, a charming album that showed a deep sense of songwriting acumen and a highly focused performance style that digs deep into the moment of each song. On October 12, 2010, Williams returns with Relations, a collection of thirteen cover songs that finds Williams channeling her performing energies into the muse of others. In the process, Williams seems to get in touch with the inspiration of each songwriter and song while bending and blending each tune to make it uniquely here own.

Relations opens with "In A Broken Dream" (David Bently), with Williams delving into human emotions with a clinician’s eye. Her delivery is both feeling and clinical at the same time in a lyric, melancholy arrangement that captures and lulls the listener. "Birds" (Neil Young) is given a lovely reading here. Williams sticks with a simple arrangement of guitar with just a breath of strings now and again. It's a beautiful moment where the Young's poetry and the poetry on the instruments converge and intermingle as equals. Williams lights up the night with a cover of Big Star's "Thirteen", culling the innocence, angst and loneliness of a teenager in both Alex Chilton's lyrics and her own voice.

Williams takes Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" to another level, interpreting it as a reverent, secular prayer that's both carnal and at peace. Williams has already shown a talent for playing on dichotomies, and excels here in a remembrance of events both violent and tragic; human and divine. Williams throws listeners a delightful curve with Ralph Rainger's "A Guy What Takes His Time", teasing with gentle innuendo and the subtle delivery of an ingénue in a blues/folk arrangement that's absolutely memorable. Williams transforms Lou Reed's "Candy Says" into a dreamy art house ballad, surfing the musical seams of the song with a grace and strength that is impressive.

Stephen Malkmus' "Spit On A Stranger" is surprisingly charming and well-performed; you can almost hear Williams straining at the bit to break out and give this song a more solid airing out - the sort that can really only happen on stage. But the energy and the tension in this song are significant, making for an enjoyable listen. The most surprising, and gratifying performance on Relations is Williams' take on Nirvana's "All Apologies", a baroque lamentation on the pointlessness of life and human institutions that's even more stark and affecting that the original. While Nirvana's version was angry and wracked with social guilt, Williams makes it a sonic diagnostic with personal implications, both of the moment and outside of it. "Beautiful Cosmos" (Ivor Cutler) explores the atmosphere and comfort of knowing you are loved; a pleasant but somewhat awkward transition to the closing track, "These Days". Williams makes the most of the Jackson Browne tune in a love cover that amplifies out fear of change and our tendency to build shelves around our lives. Williams shows a British detachment and grace here that's both charming and distinctive.

Kathryn Williams makes friends on Relations with some under-represented nuggets from an impressive list of singers/songwriters. Perhaps the strongest quality Williams possesses with regard to covers is her ability to pay tribute to the original while crafting interpretations that are distinctly her own. Some of the songs here you might be hearing for the first time, and if so you'd never guess they didn't come from Williams' heart. For the songs you know, Kathryn Williams offers you an opportunity to re-imagine what you've heard and see it in a different light.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Kathryn Williams at http://www.kathrynwilliams.net/ or www.myspace.com/kathrynwilliams.  Relations will be released in the US on October 12, 2010 on CD, but the album was originally released in 2004 in the UK.  You can pre-order the CD from  Amazon.com, but the import version is actually a dollar cheaper than the US pre-order.  Digital is available from both Amazon.com and iTunes.