Carron Dwan Wright, On a Journey Home Through an Epic Adventure

“Home” - From the opening notes of Carron’s latest release I find myself feeling like I am flying across the skies of a beautiful summer day. The blue sky is as pure as a mountain wind. Clouds are suspended and quickly traveling to a destination unknown. As I descend I find a beautiful forest. Lowering to the tops of the tall trees I pull back the branches, full of green leaves, like a child opening a present on its birthday. I see a stream bubbling and rolling, so clear that it looks like glass. As I float lower I see the fish swimming inside and a return glance from them that is inviting. Taking a sip of the water I feel the cool refreshing freedom that it embodies run through my soul. Inspired I whisk off flying and hovering over the stream. Following each crook and bend I fly out of the forrest and all its mystical charms to find myself showered in the sun again and warmed with its raw light and passion. With this track, “Home” Carron makes you feel just that. You feel as if you are comfortable in a home away from home. The track itself would easily fit in a movie as a whole. The production is very good. The mix of the track makes you feel as if you are flying through all of natures grandness. With elements that build like a mountain and descend like an eagle searching for prey, you are taken on a musical roller coaster ride that doesn’t disappoint but only inspires. This cut is just epic in nature and Carron refuses to let you down. Singing from passionate heart, her voice is the guide for you on this exciting journey through sound. With the cool sounds from the opening strings winding through the vocal textures, I feel an innocent child like fascination following this song. Orchestral strings and percussion textures open wide and my heart races with the vibrant passion of a young true love. I would highly recommend this track to those that like Pop, World, Classical, Jazz and Soundtrack genres. This cut would be great to listen to on Monday mornings for it would surely break through the “blahs” of heading back to the office for another work week. Similarly wether walking around the house putting away the laundry or trying to decide what to make for dinner at the grocery store, with this song in your ear any mundane task will immediately turn into an adventure. Carron beautifully sings over this epic, and you will share her passion and desire to return “Home” quickly to all that you love. 

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/james-noon/home/s-U8xGZ

Website: Carrondawnwright.co.uk

Facebook: Facebook.com/carrondawnwright

Michael

Music Reviews

Optivion, Tripping Past the Energy of Sound

Free Unicorn - The world that Optivion creates on its journey to Free Unicorn is one that challenges the sonic senses and opens a door in your mind. I find myself as if I am suspended in neither a mass or gas. I feel like I am weightlessly drifting in an envelope of radiant pink energy held together by striations of black and dark blue veins pulsing from the heart of an alternate dimension. As I stare at my hands I watch them granulate and separate. As the grains of my once solid body dissipate they take off with the speed of light in all directions. Through each atom of my previous existence I discover worlds past, present and beyond. While disassembled I hold the cognizance of unity and experience travels and sights that only my new collective can understand. This is not the type of album that you put on, eat a ham sandwich and fold your laundry. You could, however you will find that the journey that your mind will take during such menial tasks will leave you to ponder past the fabric.  With dense soundscapes Optivion creates a variety of textures at moments will make you feel as light as a feather and on others as dense and as heavy as cold steel. With a unique mixture of live and electronic instruments the twin minds of this project manage to mix the grind of the Blues with the cold precision of Electronica that are all enveloped in the warmth of two artistic hearts. Overall the mix and mastering and artistic and of professional grade. Optivion has not only found a way to challenge but also welcome your mind through music. They welcome you into their world with open arms and take you on a tour of a land that many only dream of. I would recommend this album to those that like Avant-Grade, Electronic, Industrial and Experimental genres. Now that Optivion has gone and Free Unicorn you are left to take a ride and see where she will take you. 

Website: http://www.optivion.net/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/optivion

SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/optivion

Reverbnation: http://www.reverbnation.com/optivion 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/optivion

Twitter: https://twitter.com/optivion 

Michael

Music Reviews

Patrick Ballantyne, Close Your Eyes and Float Away

“Close Your Eyes” - Listening to the latest single from Patrick Ballantyne find myself transporting from one dimension to another in my mind where I playfully walk the tightrope the is the water cascading on to the beach. It’s a summer day and the sun is warm on my back and face. The wind swirls around me and I feel like I can almost float off into the horizon. As I begin to loose my balance I see a wave crashing over me out of the corner of my eye. Immersed in water I am immediately transported to a dimension where everything is now a cartoon including myself. With no fear of the water and its picturesque underwater scene I swim about. A dolphin comes and swims in a dancing fashion around me. Floating by is a family of seahorses that wink with a smile on their face. Being able to breath underwater in this land I explore and find a pallet of vibrant colors and smiling faces that encourage me to dive even deeper. With the opening drum work I feel a playful nature skidding across my speakers. Tight and in the pocket, the snap from the snare keeps the vibe up in nature, and the tight kick drum that counters will have your feet tapping if not dancing around the room. The low-end from the bass guitar bounces around the atmosphere and you feel like you can chase the notes to any destination that they blow to. Guitar work on this track swims around the mind with either a playful hop from the electric guitar or a swinging bliss from the open acoustic chords. The texture on this cut provides a retro-pop vibe, but sounds fresh as a cold soda cracking open. The singing on this song is of just pure bliss. You can almost feel the smiles around the room while this track was being cut. Patrick has created a song with an up feel without the typical, “Ooo! Aw! Yeah! Get my freak on!” that seems to permeate just about every other Pop song these days. I would recommend this track to those that like Pop, Alternative and Classic Rock genres. No doubt that with this track on you can “Close Your Eyes” and whisk away from your daily blah’s. 

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/ca/artist/patrick-ballantyne/id79424356

Social Media Links

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/PatrickBallantyneMusic

Youtube: www.youtube.com/user/MrBallantyneMusic

Soundcloud: www.soundcloud.com/patrickballantyne

Google+ https://plus.google.com/116483306939161504552

Twitter: @pjrball

Website: www.patrickballantyne.com

Michael

Music Reviews

Steve Douthit, Not Just Another What’s His Name

“Leave Ole What’s His Name Alone” - Listening to this track I feel like I am driving down a road that I know so well. Off the beaten path and away from the steel and concrete I ride with the window down breathing the fresh air from the fields that surround. It’s a beautiful summer day and the warm morning sunshine warms my face. I see a beautiful woman walking the side of the road coming towards me. Smiling I stop and she hops in. About two miles down the road we see her ex and his broke down excuse of a truck on the side of the road with the hood up and smoke billowing out. Kicking the gravel and cussing his face shifts to an expression of awe as I ride off with his girl laughing and having fun by my side. With this cut from Steve Douthit you will find your boots tapping the floor ready to kick back and have a great time with your gal. From the opening acoustic guitar you will feel a sense of freedom and happiness that only a perfect summer day can bring. With steel guitar in toe you’ll want slide into your ride and take a trip with this song. With notes that wind and flow like a passionate heart it will be hard to hold back your romantic side. Work on the electric guitar bounces around the song and will put a hop in your step that will make you want to get off the sofa and into some action. The groove and low-end from the bass will put a shuffle into your stride and with your woman in hand you will have no trouble dancing the night away. Technique from the drum kit employs brush work that not only has the right amount of snap but also has the sassy swagger that will make your woman light up, and want to swing all night long. The guitar solo that cuts in brands a spitfire of notes that sounds like hot passion put to music and quickly lays back in the groove with the right amount of twang and pull. You can almost smell the dust kicking up in the air with this song jumping out of your speakers. Singing from the heart Steve can’t get anymore honest. Laying it all out there you know that this is a cowboy that takes care of business. Singing perfectly in the pocket you better just hope that your girl isn’t the one he is singing to. I would highly recommend this track to those that like Country, especially those that prefer a classic sound. Steve doesn’t take the time to learn “Ole What’s His Name” he’s too busy recording great tracks and running off with the girl. Your best bet is to take some time and run off with this song and crank it out your speakers for a good time. 

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/leave-ole-whats-his-name-alone/id975887764?i=975888349

https://www.facebook.com/FleetManMusic

Michael
Music Reviews

Ginger on the Rocks, Soaring Into the Night Sky With Notes of Passion

“These Walls Have Teeth” - Laying in the cool summer grass I look up and see the night sky above me. As a gentle breeze saunters across the plain the grass dances tickles my skin. Goosebumps form and I feel alone but open.  As I stare of into the stars the light of the full moon shows a friend coming to visit. I find it curious that a butterfly flies at night, but this one is beautiful indeed. Slowly she drifts down and rests upon the end of my nose and kisses my face. As her wings spread and take flight again I find myself floating after her into the sea of stars. The radiant colors on her wings come alive and swirl in reflection of the stars raining light. My skin glows as well and a warm feeling comes over me. I am no longer alone. On this acoustic demo from Ginger on the Rocks you will find yourself easily seduced by the cool notes that dance off of the guitar’s strings. Ben has the ability to craft a melody here that welcomes and engages you at the same time. You heart will have a hard time fighting off the passion in Sophie’s soft yet sweet vocals. Her down-to-earth and laid back approach allow her to sneak into your ears and heart. When her voice rolls from her lips you will feel the power to reach for the stars and that you might actually catch them. Rounding out this trio is Amber on percussion which gives the band pulse and the heart it needs to push and attack to venture father than the average acoustic package. Her playing is rather intuitive and you will hear on display a group that speaks rather well in the language of music. I would recommend this track to those that like Folk, Pop and Alternative Genres. It is most certain that “These Walls Have Teeth” for the sheer nature that the room, like you, will want to devour every last note that escapes these three. 

https://soundcloud.com/gingerontherock/thesewallshaveteeth

https://www.facebook.com/GingerontheRocks

https://twitter.com/Gingerontherock

Michael 

Music Reviews

Interrobang, Laying the Flow and Slamming It Hard

Interrobang Part 1 - Whenever I think about Rock/Rap I always think about Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. 

“You got your rock in my Rap”, says the MC

“No, you got your Rap in my Rock”, says the guitarist. 

Interrobang is a group out of the UK that slams down a blend of Hard Rock and straight up flows a rhyme over it each time. With fuzzed grinding guitars from Scotty Boi, Interrobang lays down a sonic bed for Ando to preach over. The guitars lay a sound thick and sharp as a razor. With such dense distortion you can feel the influence of both Grunge and Metal. Scotty has the ability to lay it hard but to be soft with the beat. Interrobang’s playing is done rather well over the 3 tracks on this release. They explode phrasing with elements of groove to that of full blown pile driving. With Craig behind the 4 strings of funk you have a groove element that helps keep the “Rap” factor of this band in check. His tone may be muddy, but it is one that will make the crowd want to move. I do wish that some of the mid range frequencies from his rig were a bit higher in the mix, so you could hear those strings pop a bit more. It would would also help to work counter point to Scotty’s guitar tone. With Mikey slamming the skins on the kit you have someone that can lay a beat and hold this band together. His high hat work on the beginning of “Back In the Day” is rather sharp. I would like to hear his playing more balanced in the mix as well. With the vocals and guitar so up in your face these tracks don’t have the ability to “breathe” the way they might and I think that it would help the songs sound better overall. It’s a tricky business to balance the edge of Rock and the Groove of Rap. The production is on point though, and you can tell this isn’t just a bunch of noob’s in their basement recording with a 4 track. Ando behind the mic hits you hard and fast and does well fronting this project. He really knows how to use the beat to his benefit. His cadence and delivery are light years ahead of so many that try and work the Rock/Rap genre. I would highly recommend this band to those that like Alternative, Rap, Hip Hop, Rock, Hard Rock, Punk and Grunge genres. With this installment Part 1 is just the foundation. It will be interesting to see what Interrobang builds atop such a rock solid start. 

http://www.facebook.com/1nterrobang

http://www.reverbnation.com/interrobanguk

http://www.twitter.com/interrobanguk

http://interrobanguk.bandcamp.com

http://www.youtube.com/1nterrobanguk

Michael 

Music Reviews

Amerikan Bear, With the Roar of a Classic Sound

The Amerikan Bear - I stand in the desert and on the far horizon I see a storm brewing. A gentle breeze kisses my face. I blink once and suddenly I see the storm quickly approaching. I cant quite tell if I am moving fast forward or if the storm is quickly approaching me. Under the rain clouds thunder crashes and I feel gravity pull, the wrong way. On my back I start propelling upwards into the storm clouds. With no power of my own I dodge lightening as it crashes. My clothes soaked with rain I feel like I am one with the storm and feel its power surging through me. The Amerikan Bear has the power of a desert storm and takes you on a surreal experience through music that reflects sonically on the music trends of the late 60’s. While this sound is retro in nature it doesn’t sound stale or dated. It has a fresh zip to its punch and steals  the vibe when you could actually dance to rock music. The album is made quite beautifully. The guitar work cuts like a knife and with tremolo effects it shakes the groove right into the mix. The thin nature of the guitar tone lends to the mix well for it allows the bass guitar breathe exceptionally well, and so not only do you have a groove factor from the guitar, you also have a funk flavor from the low-end of the spectrum. Drum work lays right in the pocket and pulses the songs forward and are played with genre complementing feel. I would have liked the snare to crack just a touch more and the kick to have a bit more smack but the musical section of this band works its magic rather well and will make you want to drive with the top down in the rain. Vocals have the right amount of moxie and swagger that exude true sex appeal of a reckless rock n’ roll aesthetic. The only down side to the vocals is that they have a touch too much reverb applied but that also helps fit into the bands overall slant. I would recommend this band to those that like Classic Rock, Pop, Rock and Alternative Genres. While The Amerikan Bear has a classic sound it still has a mighty roar and thats what so many need in a day of Pop cutouts. 

http://theamerikanbear.bandcamp.com/album/amerikan-bear

www.facebook.com/amerikanbear