So today’s music for my trip to Forked River came partially from the Euro-Americana chart and then some music from a group I discovered not that long ago. First I downloaded three albums onto the player from the Euro-Americana Chart. They were three artists whose names I didn’t know. The first was Doug Burr his new album is titled O Ye Devastator. Rhapsody didn’t have that album so I downloaded On Promenade an earlier release. Second was Joe Iadanza All in Good Time which is currently number 10 on the chart. Oh, the Burr album is number 4. The final album was Cotton Bell by Hayward Williams. I also put Duluth by Tampled By Turtles on the player just in case I didn’t like any of the other albums!
What I found was that all three of the albums are quiet and really need to be listened to in a relaxing setting and not wizzing down the road at 60 mph trying to figure out the lyrics! So I think I’m going to listen to the albums again tonight and tomorrow before I report on them! On the first listen I liked the Hayward Williams album the best, but listening again to Doug Burr that album is pretty good too. Here is a quote about Burr’s music the quote is actually about O Ye Devastator:
“Like Tweedy, Ray LaMontagne, Jim James, Conor, Bon Iver, Josh Ritter and The Low Anthem’s Ben Knox Miller, Burr may draw on the past yet he commands a compelling present day troubadour stance. Burr has released an exceptional collection of songs. Burr stands out with a unique sound and musical identity. And on his album, Burr balances slow burning, rootsy and pastoral songs and some rockers with great attention to emotional and musical detail. Fans of Neil Young’s Harvest are likely to dig this new album from Burr.” Some Velvet Blog
My problem with the album is that it doesn’t quite fit my taste as I am not a fan of any of the artist listed in the quote! But I’ll still listen a couple of more times!
Like I said my favorite of the three was Hayward Williams. The albums is also a quiet and contemplative album. Here’s what his bio. says at his website:
Hayward Williams grew up with a guitar in his hands, performing from an early age in cafés, bars, and eventually rock clubs throughout his home state of Wisconsin and around the Midwest. A high school ‘Battle of the Bands’ champion, the textbook lonely college kid making dinner dates with his guitar, Williams took the well-worn suburban route to musical accomplishment: he hit the ground running with a ’64 Gibson that his mother bought at a garage sale, listened hard to everything from the Beatles to Buckley, and somewhere along the way began to write the tunes that would become his own voice.
And it is a good voice with some good lyrics, I will write more after a few more listens I’m sure!
I only listened to Joe Iadanza once so I am holding off comments until I listen some more.
Now it’s time for a break so I can return to The First Rule by Robert Crais which is very good and I am nearing the end!!
Here’s Hayward Williams performing “Cotton Bell”