Gregory Douglass - Lucid

Gregory Douglass - Lucid
2011, Emote Records

Gregory Douglass defines the modernconcept of an Indie artist. The Burlington, Vermont singer/songwriter releasesalbums through his own record label, Emote Records. He's also maximized his fanbase over eight albums, with fans funding some or all of his last five albumsthrough pre-orders and donations. Douglass' 2008 album, Battler,inspired by a particularly dark season of HBO's Six Feet Under, was acollaborative effort. Douglass worked with Righteous Babe Records' AnaisMitchell and singer extraordinaire Grace Potter to craft an album that resultedin universal acclaim. The album spawned a video for "Hang Around"that charted for six consecutive months on LOGO TV's Click List Top 10Video Countdown, and appearances with artists such as Jason Mraz, ReginaSpektor, Margaret Cho and Melissa Ferrick. Gregory Douglass' latest album, Lucid,is a much more personal affair. Long a fan of dream interpretation, Douglassdecided to put his dreams to music. But this time out Douglas worked with AbletonLive, creating electronic layers and depth around his compositions,resulting in his most sonically ambitious work to date.

Lucid opens with "The Night", a dark, dream-likesoliloquy that plays like a lullaby for those who cannot rest. It's anintriguing start, simultaneously soothing and subtly disturbing."Lucid" is a solid album track. This is the first time Douglassreally digs into his more electronic sound, and the song is compelling for thechoices he makes as he layers sound upon sound. Like most first steps, the songhas some rough edges, but Douglass' distinctive ear wins out in the end."White Out" blends soul, electro and rock in compelling fashion,although there is an overly recursive nature to the tune that asserts itself.

Douglass strips things down a bitfor "Naysayer", building on a simple arrangement in subtle fashion.This is the most sonically compelling piece on the album. Listeners will sitand wait for the big breakout that never comes, but Douglas continues to buildin small, almost imperceptible detail, fulfilling the social contract of thesong but always leaving you wanting a bit more. It's brilliant. Lucidfalls into a bit of a rut in the middle, recovering on the intriguingmelody of "Raven”. Douglass creates tremendous movement in the melodyline, buttressing it with the dark timbres and shading of the starkarrangement. This musical climax winds down slowly through two additionaltracks, "One True Thing" and "From Now On", both musicalaperitifs that slowly draw the album to a close.

Gregory Douglass brings hisintriguing voice to bear against the stark backdrop of dreams on Lucid.The result is downright compelling at times. Douglass creates musical intriguewith a newfound love of electronic layering, but this is a double-edged swordat times, as it also fills in the nuance of his songwriting at times, levelingthe sonic landscape and creating a sense of continuity that is, at timesoppressive. Like many experiments, Lucid has its moments of grandeur andglitz, as well as moments soon forgotten, but the album marks the continuedevolution of Douglass as an artist. There's little doubt that Douglass learnedas much from this project as listeners will from listening, and will continueto build on those lessons as he moves forward. For now, Lucid, remains acompelling experiment from a prodigious artist; one very much worth exploring.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Gregory Douglass atwww.gregorydouglass.com or www.myspace.com/gregorydouglass. 

Grace Stumberg - To Whom It May Concern

Grace Stumberg - To Whom It May Concern
2011, Popadelic Records

Grace Stumberg is a 22-year old singer/songwriter from Buffalo, New York who proves that appearances can be deceiving.   But when you hear the big voice that emanates from her 4’11” frame you will be floored.  Stumberg, a graduate of Robbie Takac’s (Goo Goo Dolls) Music In Action career training program, is ready to take on the world with her debut album, To Whom It May Concern.  Showing a depth of songwriting talent you don’t often find in one so young, and a presence that recalls some of the great singer/songwriters of the past, Stumberg is just a break or two away from national recognition.

To Whom It May Concern opens with "Change The World", an anthem of inspiration and aspiration about making dreams come true.  Stumberg shows solid pop sensibility on what turns out to be the weakest offering on the album.  Commitment overcomes the arrangement.  The high point of the song is Grace Stumberg's voice, a gorgeous, velvety alto that works well for folk, pop and rock n roll.  "Happier Side" is a bluesy rocker looking for the bright side in a rough start.  It's a great tune, with big energy and an even bigger sound.  By the end of the tune you'll be thinking may Stumberg is the real deal.  By the end of "To Whom It May Concern" you won't even question it.  Stumberg goes for a more Americana setting this time around, with accordion, violin, acoustic guitar, bass and drums.  Stumberg sings for her own dreams here, declaring a trajectory she won't back down from; her voice is gorgeous and Stumberg creates a moment here.

"Steady" starts from a simple, acoustic guitar led look back at how things and people change over time and turns into a polyphonic, multi-layered anthem of hope.  Stumberg builds the song by layering orchestration and vocal harmonies on a bit at a time, culminating in a grand crescendo of sound and melody that's breathtaking.  "The Roses" shows off the singer/songwriter side of Stumberg.  The ode to her grandmother or to a grandmother-like figure gorgeous details enough aspects of her life to make it real and is a compelling testament of love.  Before it's over there is a lovely, baroque-style orchestration that blends in to what is essentially a folk ballad, creating a moment of beauty so rich and touching you'll be moved whatever your constitution.

"Change My Color" is a live, in-studio recording that likens the changes of seasons to personal transformations, pointing out that both are as unstoppable as any other natural law.  The song features a pretty, singular and stoic melody that is unforgettable, and Stumberg's voice fills it out to perfection.  "Sticks And Stones" is a refreshingly poetic kiss-off song with a quiet undercurrent that is surprisingly catchy.  Stumberg's use of imagery and children's rhymes is novel in the context of someone finally opening her eyes to the truth.  This conceptual coming of age is buttressed by Stumberg's velvety, sultry alto.  It's an amazing piece of song craft.

"My Love", an internal exploration of love gone bad, is matter-of-fact in the telling, but underscored with a touch of regret that makes the song compellingly human.  Stumberg seems to have a knack for using each song as a vessel of truth, whether expressing views of the world around her or matters of the heart.  This ability to enliven ideas marks the great songwriters for who they are, and early indications are that Stumberg has the gift.  "Home" blends Americana, pop and classic rock in a Bruce Hornsby-meets-Bonnie Raitt mashup that's amazing.  It's a catchy, mid-tempo number about finding out where your roots belong.  Stumberg is in fine voice here, and listeners may be left thinking that Stumberg has found something of a home in this sound.  Refusing to be pigeonholed quiet so easily, Stumberg launches into the edgy rocker "Miscommunichicken".  The chorus is almost comical: "Don't spread yourself too thin, cause just like bread on butter you're only gonna get eaten".  Get beyond that, however, and you have a Ben Folds Five inspired rocker marked by heavily percussive piano and a correspondingly raw sound.  It's not Stumberg's best, but is an intriguing window on the breadth and depth of Stumberg's songwriting talent.

"Wartime" is a vibrant piece of rock n roll; full in sound and stark in melody.  What Stumberg has done with finesse up until now, she accomplished with inundating force of sound here.  It's an overloaded classic rock feast that will make a great jam tune for live shows, bordering on the neighborhood of progressive rock without losing the singer-songwriter pastiche.  There are hints of Neil Young here that are impossible to ignore.  To Whom It May Concern closes with "Change The World (Woody Mix)".  The mix is just Stumberg, her guitar, and occasional vocal harmonies.  The song is much more powerful in this stripped down setting, conveying the struggle to make a better world more powerfully as a solitary voice.

Wow.

Wow moments happen in music.  You might hear a certain song and be floored by the message, or the melody, or a turn of phrase.  But it's pretty rare to have that reaction to an entire album; to an artist as a whole.  Grace Stumberg is young and still lacks some of the polish of a seasoned songwriter, but she has a gift that most songwriters would kill for.  Stumberg makes her songs come to life for those willing to listen.  To Whom It May Concern lives and breathes from start to finish, touching on people, places, thoughts, emotions and events with a subtlety and grace that is surprising in an artist so young.  Stumberg can blow out the amps as well, when called for.  It's that knowing when to and not to that marks the dividing lines between a great songwriter and someone who might just be discussed one day in hallowed tones.  It's much too early to tell what Grace Stumberg's final trajectory will be, but she certainly seems to have greatness in her sights.  To Whom It May Concern is a Wildy’s World Certified Desert Island Disc.

Rating: 5 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Grace Stumberg at www.gracestumberg.com or www.myspace.com/gracestumbergmusic.  To Whom It May Concern is available from Amazon.com as a CD or Download.  The album is also available via iTunes.