The Root Cause: Let the music do the talking

Chicago band The Root Cause has a new LP, Let the music do the talking, which presents an accomplished set of tracks in the vein of Americana/Roots-rock. Comparisons could be made with Iron & Wine, Uncle Tupelo, Whiskey Town or softer Alice in Chains. Max Riske is clearly a talented vocalist and alongside the varied instrumentation, I think RC has produced a solid, cohesive work full of emotional rockers with lasting melodies. Essentially a collection of love/break up songs, the LP is well paced and reveals more layers upon repeated listens.  “Common man” sets the tone for the LP with some warm acoustic guitar tones and develops into a bit of a rocker. Shades of Dave Matthews come through on “It’s you and I”. “All I ever wanted”, “Bad day”, “Understanding” and “Happiness is you and me” are all solid acoustic pop tunes with fine vocals and harmonies albeit lacking some variation in subject matter and instrumentation. I found that RC really shines on “Remember” with its lilting organ backing and lovely harmonies combined, we get a little more tension in this track which works out well. “Easy to be greedy” displays the bands affinity for rocking out and has a lot of passion. “Temptation” as well, displays some passionate vocals as well as a touch of urgency. There is some expert guitar work in “Dreaming of home” and “You’re the best of me”. Overall, when first previewing the LP, I found it a bit predictable and redundant in subject matter but after repeated listens I discovered a more layered work that can be appreciated as a whole as well as through individual tracks. A solid effort for an accomplished group of musicians.

http://therootcause.bandcamp.com/

Colin Tyler: The April Session

Chicago Singer/Songwriter Colin Tyler’s new EP The April Session presents a soulful, energetic set of tracks free of overdubs and overproduction. The production is minimal which gives the listener a real feel for a live set from Tyler with his band in a Chicago club. Skillfully produced by the famous Steve Albini, his work allows the music to breathe and take on a life of its own. It’s the space between the sounds that give this performance its drive. The four tracks on this EP bubble with the urgency you can only get when recording a single take. Pairing Tyler’s vocal abilities along with the skilled guitar work create a quality blend of soulful blues. “What Ailes me” is a captivating blues rocker that tells the brief tale of an attempted exorcism. Scorching guitar work shines and we get some nice falsetto at the end of song. The ballad “Your baby boy” has some pretty strumming and vocals reminiscent of Jeff Buckley. “Sad Grin” is a slow driving blues rocker with some excellent guitar work. Tyler’s vocals really soar on this track as does the band about mid-way through. Love song “Don’t know a thing” has a pretty melody and some fine acoustic strumming. I feel this track has a real sincerity and will connect with listeners. Overall, Tyler presents a sufficient sampling of his approach to blues rock on this EP. His authenticity and love of the craft shine though on each track.

http://colintyler.bandcamp.com/

Simon Fagan Unplugged EP

The first thing that struck me upon diving into the music of Dublin, Ireland’s Simon Fagan was the thick, rich quality of his vocals. Comparisons came to mind such as Ryan Adams, Glenn Hansard , Ray LaMontagne and Devendra Banhart. There is certainly a sultry confidence in his delivery which is well earned on this EP and goes well beyond the “folk singer/songwriter” label into blues, rock and soul. I could sense the American influences in his music and was interested in seeing the direction he took.  I was immediately drawn in by the pure, intimate and soulful nature of “Water’s edge”. This track has a sense of urgency and is adorned with lovely acoustic strumming and a yearning, soulful delivery. I felt the track could have been slightly shorter in length and still just as effective, however this aspect doesn’t detract from the quality of this song. “Tomorrow’s another day” stuck me as an optimistic track about letting go of the past and accepting circumstances as they are. Uplifting vocals along with a pretty melody go a long way in this track. “Something I don’t know” , which happens to be my favorite track on the EP, contains lovely harmonies on top of a eloquent lead vocal with a building piano accompaniment. This is certainly the “rocker” of the batch. This track reminded of the great Van Morrision.  I was taken in by the soaring vocals in the last half of the song.  “What’s the point on looking back” was very effective with it’s Dylan like quality. A folk song  about moving forward after a breakup. Great soaring vocals and a heartfelt delivery stood out to me. “Tired of trying” went in a laidback direction with lovely harmonies. The Bluesey vocal style was very effective. Overall I fell this EP is a great introduction to Fagan’s work, both lyrically and stylistically. I get a real sense of the intimacy, soul and power of what it must be like seeing him along with his talented backing band perform live at a small club.  

http://www.simonfagan.net/