CD Review: Ruut's 'Glimpse'

Ruut
Glimpse
Self-Release

Born in Finland and based in Baltimore, Ruut brings infectious folk music grooves to the forefront with vocals akin to Dala Girls, Tori Amos, and the Beu Sisters. The folk repertoire is steeped in swirling guitar melodies, bass, keys, piano, accordion, and percussion. Each track is catchy and worth repeated listens. "Hourglass" is a more introspective tune, because it is rather slow and sparse on instrumentation. However, Ruut's voice is still a gem throughout. Additionally, "Church Bells," "Heartbreak," and "No One Will Ever Love You" are slower tunes. In contrast, "Glimpse," "Make It Good," and "Last One" are more up-tempo and pop-focused. Overall, Ruut's tender vocals are meaningful and pop-centric. Fans of folk music with a pop edge will love Ruut. For a 'glimpse' into a musical world that is filled with redeeming values, Ruut will satisfy all those seeking really, really good music. ~ Matthew Forss

CD Review: Sandy Asirvatham's 'Mobtown Moon'

Sandy Asirvatham
Mobtown Moon
Self-Release

Based in Baltimore, Sandy Asirvatham's skills resound in arranging, singing, songwriting, composing, and playing piano. Trained as a journalist and writer, Sandy takes an eclectic approach to music-making with her latest release, Mobtown Moon, which is a re-imagined tribute to Pink Floyd's Dark Side Of The Moon. Sandy's co-creator and Emmy-nominated singer/songwriter, ellen cherry, provides a soothing vocal presence that is both relaxing and magical. The entire album contains progressive jazz, rock, classical, spoken word, and experimental sounds based on Pink Floyd's aforementioned album. The music hints at the originals, but Sandy, ellen, and company produce such a great album that seems to wander off into its own musical territory. Tom Hall, Cris Jacobs Band, Todd Marcus, Scott Smith, Brian Simms, Bryan Young, and Vincent Dion-Stringer are some of the contributing musicians on this album. "The City Speaks" contains a few voices and industrial, motor sounds with a range of environmental sounds that are arranged in a mish-mash manner. "On The Run" features a folksy sound with an ambulatory jazz beat and an absence of vocals. "Time" is a progressive rock anthem with nostalgic vocals and throbbing keys. "Any Colour You Like" is a progressive jazz winner with swishy cymbals, punchy sax, light drumming, and a jazz vein that hangs on tight without accompanying vocals. "Brain Damage" is more of a gospel-esque and R&B anthem with classic vocals and a soulful piano melody with jazzy accompaniment. The twelve track-release contains most of the songs on Pink Floyd's original release. Obviously, fans of Pink Floyd will like this one and anyone seeking good tribute albums that do not sound cutesy or fake. This one is professionally produced with careful attention to sounds. Sandy knows how to make memorable music and catchy tunes based on a classic album. ~ Matthew Forss      

CD Review: Fractal Cat's 'The Eye In The Dawn'

Fractal Cat
The Eye In The Dawn
Self-Release

Fractal Cat is a Baltimore-based band that uses psychedelic melodies and rock structures with angelic male vocals to create a spacious, trippy, and rocked-out recording of pure musical pleasure. The poetic lyrics and extended rock outros are characteristics of jam music from the 1960’s and 70’s. However, you better shed your bell-bottoms and corduroy, because these guys are here in the present era. The real charm of the music is the vocal arrangements by Keith Jones and Miles Gannett. There are groovy bass lines, synth embellishments, sparkling harp sounds, and ambulating guitars. “Home” contains soft and loud moments, but the vocals are never over-used or beyond the natural vocal ranges. The end of the song contains a wicked bass, guitar, and percussion outro. “Foxfire” is an up-tempo song with more electric guitar spunk than the previous track. “Some Angel” opens with a dreamy harp and acoustic guitar that melds into a percussion-rich, folksy ballad seemingly coming out of the 1970’s pop scene. The short song is one of the best songs composed in any genre or era—bar none. The harp medley mid-song is a great homage to throwback folk music. “Autumnal Days” contains a beautiful instrumental set-up with choppy guitars, great horn sounds, and a jaunty rhythm with vocals akin to The Gufs. In a similar manner, “Little By Little” contains great guitar riffs, vocals, and more structured chorus with guitar work resembling Oasis. The psychedelic blurbs and electronic tonal qualities are evident on “Nightshade” and “The Calling.” These two tracks could be slightly influenced by the electronic band, Air. At any rate, fans of contemporary psychedelic rock and pop with some electronic and folk wanderings should check out Fractal Cat today! Get Fractal(led)—I did! ~ Matthew Forss