a musical quad review
by Arley Owens
T
he British group, SCARLETT OCCURENCE, lists their style as Rock/Progressive Experimental on their MySpace music site. The first song on their play list, The Storm, has a lot of potential but needs work. A single tinging lead lick helps at the beginning but soon becomes distracting. The vocals are fair but not gripping enough for what this particular tune calls for in my opinion. Is This The Meaning comes off more complete but sounds rather like a garage band being taped live. We Are The Crowd is multi-dimensional and, like The Storm, could be worked into something special.
I liked the lyrics on all the songs and if these guys stay together, work hard and often, polish up their material, they could become a good group. As it stands, unless they sound much more professional performing live than they do on their site, they’re not quite ready for prime time.
They contacted us about the possibility of having an article written about them, and that’s how I learned of their existence. I hope the members of the band as well as their fans will take this for what it is—constructive criticism—and not see it as a personal attack. I think the thing that will help Scarlett Occurance the most is a good producer as the mix in every song is somewhat amateurish. There’s talent in the writing and performing but an experienced guiding hand is needed to pull the whole thing together.
Their video Scarlett Occurance—studio blog pt.1—portrays them as a humorous, likeable bunch, and we at Alors wish them all the best.
Check them out here:
LORI LYNETTE, Nashville recording artist, Lori Lynnette, lists her musical genre as Country/Southern Rock/Pop. She is backed by an excellent band known as The Legends. Guardian Angel is a very catchy tune with clever lyrics such as “My guardian angel is a sexy little devil.” Hurt Me If You Can is a pretty country ballad, and Lori’s pleading voice mesmerizes the listener in Excuse Me. Lori slings out Things I Love with a touch of June Carter Cash twang that’s simply delectable. Lori and The Legends go pure country in His Love’s Not Real and One Last Kiss which both make you want to grab your partner and hit the dance floor.
Every song on the playlist has spirit and energy, and Lori’s vocals excel in them all. She has what it takes to someday be dubbed a Diva, though she probably already has been by many of her fans. I predict huge success lies on the horizon for Lori and The Legends.
If you’re in the mood for some retro-pop rock, though they list their style as Rock/Classic Rock/Folk Rock, Georgia based, Larkins & Medley, is an enjoyable listen.
ERICK LARKINS and MICHAEL MEDLEY, along with help from their friends, Jeep Hook and Charlie Korch, manage to pull off a large band sound in their tracks. The harmonies are tight, though in places it’s all too obvious they’re trying to redo The Beatles, especially in I Remember You and Your Imaginary Wonderful World. The production is just a hair shy of sounding totally professional, but I anticipate it will go from good to much better in their future projects. Currently their debut album, Your Imaginary Wonderful World, can be purchased from Larkins & Medley for $7.77. Their MySpace Site has a video of the duo humorously begging their fans to purchase their CD, and another containing the title track.
They list their specific influences as The Beatles, Queen, Billy Joel, and Journey. Their style is clearly derived from a mix of all four but the voices are their own. I found out about them when they sent a friend request to my personal site on MySpace some time ago. Eric Larkins earns his living performing classical guitar and giving lessons in Atlanta. Michael Medley works full time promoting the group online. These guys are two talented southern boys with spunk, and I hope they break through. Give them a listen.
OREN LAVIE, describes his voice as “whisperish,” and while that’s certainly an apt description, I’d like to add another adjective— hypnotizing. In 2007 the Berlin based songwriter released his debut album The Opposite Side Of The Sea in Europe, and in January 2008 started his own label, BlueSmile. He released the album on iTunes US and it was soon featured on iTunes.
Of the four songs comprising his play-list on his MySpace site my favorite is Her Morning Elegance, though I thoroughly enjoyed them all very much. The rhythm of Elegance is reminiscent of the old jazz classic Take Five and after the intro I fully expected to hear a sax rather than a human voice grace the song. The lyrics are masterfully intricate and paint a musical portrait of a hectic day in the life of a cello playing lady. Running a close second, Ruby Rises is a haunting melody woven around an elegant poem depicting a mysterious woman who appears to be a ghost.
The Man Who Isn’t There is a brilliantly constructed reflection of a man sadly coming to grips with the emptiness in his life as he recalls happier days. The Opposite Side of the Sea is the closing track of Lavie’s album bearing the same name.
Anyone who appreciates alternative music—expertly written, exquisitely performed, and excellently produced—will savor Oren’s repertoire. I highly recommend it. Give your ears a treat.