Showing posts with label classic rock. Show all posts
Showing posts with label classic rock. Show all posts

Sunday, March 22, 2020

On the Brink: "She's All I Need"

Opening with sweet and gentle notes off an acoustic guitar On the Brink's Jeremiah Brinkley not, so much pulls you into his world, but pleasantly invites you. "She's All I Need" is the latest release from this artist which shows off the art of pouring ones soul into a song. As the full number kicks in, a portrait of a beautiful woman is described and put to music. The tender feelings for a beautiful woman shine from this number with great passion. If I were to guess how she looked by judging this number. I would say that she is sweet by the way he sings, beautiful by the way he plays the guitar, powerful with the presence of the bass guitar and poignant by how the percussion is approached. 

Touches like the hints of organ that shine through are nice ear-candy for this track. It would have been easy to throw in some electric lead workings but the organ gives that heartfelt touch that lets you know this is a woman that is special. The guitar work is solid and to be honest I think that this song is  true enough that it could have been kept at just that, a voice and a guitar. Case in point, at 2:48 where the band cuts back and Jeremiah goes solo. The full arrangement adds more power however and it works just as well. The outro guitar lead does the song justice but I would have liked to hear it go on for another measure or two. 

Percussion on the track lays down a solid beat for the rest of the band to play off of. The touch has the right amount of finesse. When adding drums to such a delicate track it can often overpower and distort a song. I think that a good balance has been found here. Bass guitar on the track is a monster. It comes in very powerfully adding a real strength to the song. I'm on the fence though, in regards to it's placement in the mix. I like the bass' place, but at the same time I think it takes over the song a bit much. The playing is on point. Nowhere is the bass noodling more than it should. It holds the low-end well and fills out the song, but part of me feels that it is just too prominent in the mix. 

Jeremiah's singing is done well. He shows a lot of talent and promise. Part of me wonders though if he lacks some certainty, or was rushed in the studio. Much of it he is on point, but there are flints here and there were he could have done better. The track sounds as though it was done with one vocal track. I may be wrong on this, if there were backing vocals it would have helped the number if they were raised up a bit in the mix. The rest of the song is so concrete and especially with the bass so prominent in the mix it makes his voice sound a bit "lonely" at times.

What do I know? I'm just guy listening, not the artist with the vision. This is a great song and you should give it a listen. If you like Country, Southern Rock or Classic Rock you'd probably like this song. And even if you are into Pop you'd probably like "She's All I Need" as well. Do yourself a favor. Check out this song and sit back. Close your eyes and think of the woman of your dreams or dream of becoming one. 

Michael Smith

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Website: https://www.onthebrinkmusic.com/
Contact: booking@onthebrinkmusic.com
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Saturday, November 30, 2019

Oldschool: "It's Alright By Me"

This is the type of song that will saunter up into your weekend and catch you off guard. It has a laid back shuffle to it which makes you want grab a great cup of coffee or an ice-cold beer and light a cigarette, even if it is 9:30am. Sometimes you need a quick vacation in the mind and this song suits that purpose. As I close my eyes and I see a beautiful, tall brunette walking towards me licking her lips daring to get into some trouble with her. Before she can sit down and say a word I’m on my feet heading out with her to her convertible to take off in a cloud of dust with the top down and this song on the radio. She’s dangerous and sometimes life needs to be, and yet I open my eyes and I am alone.

As a song stands, its solid. The performance is a bit loose and dangerous, just what a track like this calls for. I’m sure you’ll hear perfectionists out there groaning about the slight shifts in time and what not but this is a human song, played by real men with real passion and heart. The guitars from Chris and Gavin drift through the track like a dream but with true intentionality. It sounds as though it was recorded by plugging straight into the board and jamming out. Upon reading I see that it was cut live in the studio. The guitar sounds beautiful and holds it place well, but I got to admit that I am a fan of a mic’d acoustic. It’s more raw, and this is a song that displays raw human emotion. The guitar solo is sweet and to the point and helps to add musical swagger. It could have told a bit more of the story but it definitely didn’t wear out it’s welcome. The bass guitar in the hands of Ian sits a bit back in the mix and holds down the low end, but it has a great way of peeking out in the right places. Low and round I can almost see a woman’s hips sway as she walks away. As for the percussion work from Keith it is held back as well. It occupies it’s pocket solid and with the crack of the snare you can feel those high heels snap on the floor. There are no stadium fills going on here and that’s to the songs benefit. Such playing would have made this track feel less authentic. Its hard to play well to a song yet not crossing the line of overplaying it. Keith has shown how to walk the line and get the job done. Vocally the performance is top notch. The lyrics and their performance shine with the emotion and passion. The only down side is that the mic’s used didn’t catch a crisp and clear hi-end. There is a real smooth “rolled off” tone for the vocals. They don’t sound bad, the mic’s just don’t catch the sharp side of the feel in this cut. 

This is the type of song that you want on your playlist to help slow things up and enjoy the day. Oldschool does well to keeping things simple and to the point so that you can enjoy the ride with whom ever you choose. I would recommend this track to those who like Classic Rock, Folk, Pop and Acoustic singer/songwriter styles. So go and take a trip with Oldschool, after all they say, “It’s all right by me…”

Written by Michael Smith

The band
Chris Cole guitar/lead vocals
Gavin Edwards - guitar and backing vocals
Ian Cattell - bass and backing vocals
Keith Newstead - drums

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