Article published March 22, 2009
Ronnie Milsap produces a soulful gospel disc
THEN SINGS MY SOUL: 24 FAVORITE HYMNS & GOSPEL SONGS Ronnie Milsap (EMI CMG)
Milsap has been churning out country hits for more than four decades, scoring dozens of chart-toppers along the way. He did all this while sticking mainly to a tried-and-true formula of contemporary country with deep roots in tradition.
Here, for the first time, he blends his fine piano playing and soothing vocals in a spiritually uplifting journey into gospel music. The result is a soulful treat that’s simultaneously relaxing and inspirational, showcasing mostly familiar tunes that Milsap says influenced him in his youth in North Carolina.
Milsap credits a backstage meeting with Ray Charles, another visually impaired artist who performed gospel music, with encouraging him to follow his dream of a music career and leave the study of law.
There is a touch of secular music in this two-disc package, but it’s the heartfelt, traditional gospel that steals the show. It will be appreciated by listeners regardless of their cultural or religious background. Milsap’s voice doesn’t have the strength of his younger days, but the easy assuredness of his delivery and the messages of the lyrics provide sufficient power.
— KEN ROSENBAUMFAME, FORTUNE AND FORNICATION Reel Big Fish (Rock Ridge Music)
SoCal ska punkers Reel Big Fish have a real cool album of covers.
For the most part the songs are hepped-up versions of hits from Poison, Slade, John Mellencamp, Van Morrison, Tom Petty, Toots & the Maytals, the Eagles, and others.
When they’re really on, as they are with Poison’s “Nothin’ But A Good Time,” think of a highly caffeinated Mighty Mighty Bosstones experience, with a big, bold, sassy brass explosion and a heel-kickin’ dance rhythm that steps back for a moment into a reggae beat before turning wild again.
The album is an infectious, veritable house party that’s at times alluring, annoying, surreal, and a tongue-in-cheek parody. While the high-octane energy is invigorating, it gets sloppy at times, such as with the cover of Mellencamp’s “Authority Song” and monotonous, such as the cover of Van Morrison’s “Brown Eyed Girl” and Petty’s “Won’t Back Down.”
But the payback is there on other songs, such as the wacky, free-form cover of the Toots & The Maytals’ “Monkey Boy.” A perfect album it’s not, but it has enough ingenuity and oomph to be a fun ride.
— TOM HENRYSONGS FOR THE GATHERING Solarcade (A&I)
For those who thought that the EP went the way of 8-tracks and those plastic whatsits that fit in the center of 45s to put the record on the spindle, it’s time to think again.
Because here’s Solarcade — Paul Van on vocals and programming plus Tony Pomilla on guitars, with backing musicians — putting out a seven-track, 25-minute disc that packs as much musical punch as many releases twice its length.
While echoing bands as diverse as Keane, Fleetwood Mac, and maybe a hint of U2, Solarcade retains its own sound, which is exemplified by the opening song and lead single “Rise,” with positive lyrics, a Fleetwood Mac-like rhythm track, nice chorus, and Van’s strong and quite expressive vocals.
That quality is retained on “My Weather Of Love” and awkwardly titled piece of guitar-focused pop/rock “A Warning Sign From A Half Moon,” but on ‘80s-recalling “When She Comes (Redux)” — not so much.
Wrapping up with a remix of “Rise” this EP begs the question — why not a full-length CD? Not enough money, material, time? Certainly more songs would have allowed the duo to stretch out a bit, expand its sound, and maybe take more chances, something hinted at on the 56-second snippet “Artshow.”
As it is, “Songs For The Gathering” is a bargain for fans of solid, unpretentious, and very listenable melodic pop/rock.
— RICHARD PATONWONDERLAND CITY EP Tamarama (Universal Motown)
Listening to the folk-rock duo of Jay Lyon and Nicolas “Pottsy” Potts is as warm and inviting as a summer breeze, which is probably appropriate since the Aussie natives got the name for their group from an obscure beach near their hometown of Sydney.
But, wow, do they harmonize well. Not in a cheesy boy-band way, either, but in a wind-blown, laid-back, West Coast-meets-World Beat singer-songwriter sort of way. This soothing five-song release, which comes in at a tad under 16 minutes, has apparently been put out there to whet our appetite for more.
It accomplishes that. The lyrics can be a little soft and flowery, but not dopey; in truth, the sound’s so gorgeous you’ll be hard-pressed to find an unpleasant moment. The duo has been seen on the MTV series The City, and in later episodes of the show that inspired it, The Hills. If this artsy yet unpretentious sound is what we can come to expect from Tamarama, Lyon and Potts are headed for a lot of success.
— T.H.
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