|
REVIEW:
Tom Forsey hails from Silver Spring Maryland. His new CD, Another Chapter Down, is the culmination of many years of inspired tinkering, and much collaboration with an impressive cast of local heroes. Tom steps up to the plate armed with a husky, soulful voice, good songs, and a magical touch on the guitar. Another Chapter Down delivers fourteen songs which swing from folk to funk, to soft rock. There are nine musicians featured besides Tom. These are Terry Mettam, Raice McLeod, Chris Biondo, Todd McDaniel, Benjie Porecki, Kent Wood, William "Ju Ju" House, Lenny Willians, and Dave Giegrich. You'll hear all kinds of guitars, including, acoustic, electric, steel, and dobro, plus, organ, piano, drums percussion, harmonica, vocal harmonies, and the kitchen sink.
The CD kicks off with "Clear Outta Here", which is all about ditching rush hour in favor of spending some time in the great outdoors. It's a mid-tempo rocker with a strong hook and a melodic guitar solo. Cool! "Is There A Place" is next, with a mellow groove which at first reminds me of Elton John's "Daniel", but quickly moves into it's own territory. I wouldn't say this tune is one of the highlights of the album, but it's still pleasant. "Don't Know" sounds like The Eagles meets John Cougar. It's decent car radio rock, with a twist.
Track four, "Seven Long Years", struts some funky stuff. It's an angry breakup song with a danceable groove and strong harmonies. Next up is "Now I Know Why", a Stonsey ballad featuring plaintive acoustic guitar by Tom and dobro by Dave Giegerich. It was time for a slow one. Track six, "Man In Disguise", is another up-tempo funk thing, a wah-driven groover with hot organ work by Benjie Porecki, and some super smoking' lead electric guitar by Terry Mettam. Yeah!
Track seven is my personal favorite. It's called "What I Might Have Been". It's just Tom, singing, with his acoustic guitar and harmonica. This is a simple, honest song about an average, every day man, slugging it out in the blue-collar trenches. The only thing that keeps him going is the love he feels from his wife and three kids at home. But, he can't help dreaming about what he might have been. It's one of those deeply moving songs that makes you think about every day life in a new light, and count your blessings while you're at it.
The rest of the recording chugs along sort of in the same vein as the aforementioned songs. There's a song that sounds influenced by Steely Dan, a pretty acoustic thing, one that sounds like Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young, etc. The last song, "My Rewards", rocks way hard, and is a clear candidate for a bullet. I think by now, you get the idea. This is a really cool album with a ton of diverse influences. Everyone plays well together, and the songs are great. I'll give it a big thumbs up. Check it out! |
