REVIEWS 2007
The Red Button "She's About To Cross My Mind" (Grimble)
"I knew the first time I heard this disc that it would top my list of the year. Like anyone who manages to live as long as I have, the 60's were a magical time. Not just because of the Beatles and their contemporaries, but because a generation was given the chance to sink or swim on its own. Turns out a life preserver was a handy thing to have more often than not, but we made it to shore. Before we even thought about food or shelter, though, we searched for a place to plug in our music. That decade turned out more classic music than any before or since.
But like anything we get in great supply and devour we still want more. This one off album is that one more album from the sixties that we have craved since the decade finally ended in 1973 with the release of "Dark Side Of The Moon." It's an intentional valentine to the era, most specifically the British Invasion aspect. It soars where it should have crashed and endures where it should have been forgotten after a couple of listens. The reason is simple: the affection for the music comes through not as a tribute, but as an extension of its origins. The lyrics and the melodies drift from the speakers like songs you already know but just forgot about. They never once wink at the crowd, roll their eyes or step off the high wire. This past year contained over half a million minutes (if my calculations are correct or even close). This single disc was responsible for the best thirty three I heard. Now it's your turn."
- Village Records / December 2007 -
Dave Gleason's Wasted Days "Just Fall To Pieces"
(Well Worn Records)
"This is Dave Gleason's 3rd album and like the previous two, it's packed full of honky-tonk weepers and country-rock swingers that'll have you crying in your beer, and bouncing round the dance floor. In a milieu that's damned by some pretty dismal pretenders, these guys are the real deal."
- Rock'N'Reel, UK / November 2007 -
Remmelt, Muus & Femke "The Long Way Round"
(Remmelt Records)
"Those of you who like pop, rock, country, vocal harmonies, Beatles, Poco, Neil Young and Sandy Denny should listen to this, at times phenomenal Dutch trio. If they were Dutch football players, we'd probably know them well. But Dutch folks who play American roots music, how big a chance of them being discovered? Even though the music is just as adventurous and full of fantasy as Dutch "fussball Total" once was. With the 'right' nationality, they'd top many charts. So, bully for you if you don't get to hear for example, 'Carina's Waltz', one of the most beautiful country tunes I've ever heard!"
- Dalarnas Tidningar / October 2007 -
Salim Nourallah "Snowing In My Heart" (Tapete/Dotshop)
"'It's good to be melancholy', Salim Nourallah explains and in one song title, concludes his entire, massive soft-rock deed. The big brother of
Faris Nourallah has been hooked on The Beatles since his childhood days, but even if the pop roots are exposed, his talent and the melancholy are his very own.
We've lost count on all of his albums, the previous one was released as recently as March, but we never lose the joy of a new one. He who's not already are on the Salim Nourallah-train, will jump on it now, and won't ruine himself from bying the whole catalogue in a couple of years' time!"
- Nöjesguiden / September 2007 -
The Red Button "She's About To Cross My Mind" (Grimble)
"What a terrific record this is! "She's About To Cross My Mind" by L.A. based singer-songwriter twosome Seth Swirsky and Mike Ruekberg manages to translate the best of the beat sixties in an infectious way into the here and now. There's beautiful two-part singing, shimmering guitars all over the place and above all truly fantastic songs, one being even better than the other. The Beatles regularly come to mind ("Cruel Girl", "She's About To Cross My Mind", "Free", "Hopes Up"), but also The Byrds ("Can't Stop Thinking About Her"), the Sir Douglas Quintet ("Gonna Make You Mine" - That organ!) and a myriad of others. These guys really have an amazing feeling for catchy melodies! This is the kind of stuff that Paul McCartney no longer seems to be able to come up with for some years now! No doubt at all, this here record is going to be our soundtrack for the summer of 2007!
- Ctrl Alt Country / August 2007 -
(5 out of 5!)
Salim Nourallah & The Polaroids "Pleasantry Lane"
(Paisley Pop/Dotshop)
"'Model Brothers From The Start'. That's what Salim Nourallah sings of himself and his two years younger brother Faris, and whether this is true or not, one can only conclude that they are model brothers now. After their joint album as Nourallah Brothers eight years ago, they have run parallel careers, but musically, they have stayed next to each other with nicely hammered-out pop, treating both melodies and details with the same sense of perfection, and so it continues.
Big brother Salim is the nicest of them with his slightly sentimental and light-pop-tinged retrospections toward his chilchood. At times, he shows a strong resemblence to early Costello, other times, it's Todd Rundgren and he who fell for Salim's fantastic 'The World Is Full Of People Who Want To Hurt You' (and he who didn't fall hasn't got a heart) won't get disappointed, now that he returns to some of his older songs, like for instance the fine '1978' and the strikingly beautiful Lennon-like ballad 'Everybody Wants To Be Loved'."
- Nöjesguiden / July 2007 -
Sorta "Strange And Sad But True" (Summer Break)
"What if Jeff Tweedy between 'Being There' and 'Summer Teeth' had chosen this indie-rock direction for his Wilco, instead of the alt-country direction. Maybe Tweedy then would have mutated into Trey Johnson, whos smart, sensitive and very direct melodies, with the rock'n'roll heart
in exactly the right place, scores this magnificent album all they way into a beautiful goal!"
- Sonic Magazine / June 2007 -
Black Lab "Passion Leaves A Trace" (Black Lab World)
"Black Lab delivers an extremely enjoyable album which, after several listenings, anchors in your mind, and therefore deeply enjoys its stay in my CD-player, now already for several weeks. Monumental rock and pop with heavenly guitar riffs floating gently over the harmony vocals and the etheric singing of Paul Durham : absolutely deserving its labelling as 'The American U2' (... but I like Black Lab better!)"
- Rootstime / May 2007 -
Amy Speace "Songs For Bright Street" (Wildflower Records)
"Amy Speace´s 'Songs For Bright Street' is an absolutely convincing Singer/Songwriter-Roots-Rock-album that shines with great variety, fabulous musicians, versatile vocals and wonderfully ingenious lyrics."
- Home Of Rock / April 2007 -
Jenny Yates "Out Of The Blue" (In My Dreams)
"Jenny Yates has been writing songs for Garth Brooks, Kathy Mattea and Ronnie Milsap. But when she, herself, sings her songs - written in co-operation with Kieran Kane, Andrew Gold and Gary Nicholson - it's not about middle-of-the-road-mainstream-boring-country, it's about pure and timeless (70's smelling) Americana. Jenny's voice is the centre-piece, and it's a voice that convinces you from the first bar - A kind of clear and concious tone, not unlike Linda Ronstadt. Proud and beautiful!"
- Trots Allt / March 2007 -
Filip "Crane Grief" (Filipsongs/Dotshop)
"It isn't very easy to categorise the music of Filip. At first I thought I was listening to The Blues. Filip choses his notes with care. Never too much, less is more. It slowly grabs you, the same way the music of Antony & The Johnsons does. They don't breathe the same air, but they play with the same mystery, they use the same ingredients to seduce. These are 12 songs, mysterious and beautiful dark.
- Hanx Net / February 2007 -
Honeydogs "Amygdala" (CC Entertainment)
"Adam Levy and his Honeydogs has been around for more than 10 years, with the new album "Amygdala" being the 7th one. They have a sound that's irresistable and hard not to love. Levy's songs are filled with heartfelt melodies in a warm sound by producer John Fields.
Honeydogs deliver alternative pop with a mix of 90's roots-rock that lies very close to midwest rock - Imagine a mix of Crash Test Dummies, Gin Blossoms and The Wallflowers and we're pretty close to how Levy and co sounds like. You can also draw parallels to Robert Plant-like rock on tracks like "The Firing Squad Reloads" and "Devil's Advocate" while the pianopop of "Invertebre" goes more in the vein of Five For Fighting.
Highly recommendable!"
- Melodic Net / January 2007 -
