CD Review: Hannah Gill's Self-Titled EP Finds Similarities To The Voices Of Katie Melua With Beth Orton

Hannah Gill
Hannah Gill
Self-Release

The Maryland-native, Hannah Gill, brings a voice to the mix that takes on vocal similarities to Beth Orton, Katie Melua, Adele, and Zero 7--to name a few. However, Hannah combines jazzy horns, folk arrangements, and progressive pop sensibilities with mature vocals that evoke feelings of happiness and contentment. The rather short EP contains six songs that showcase her talent quite well. The opener, "Whisper," is a fitting introduction to the album, but it is not a quiet song. It still is a pop song with some rock arrangements and a great melody. The next track, "I Feel Awake," follows in the same footstep, but it contains some jazzy trumpet and piano. The jaunty, cafe music-tune, "Story Of A Man," is a breezy little ditty that seems to evoke the French music of Francois Hardy, Carla Bruni, and other similar singers. "Two Way Street" is a song rooted in Adele's intimate vocal calisthenics and a vibrant progressive and experimental instrumental backbone. "Medicine" is a rock-infused tune with punchy power pop melodies. "Distance" is a more solemn ditty steeped in beautiful vocals and sweet melodies. Simply amazing! ~ Matthew Forss

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: BluRum13's 'Inverted'

BluRum13
Inverted
Self-Release

BluRum13 was born in New York and based in Maryland, but his verbose beauty represents many different genres and world fusion styles. However, the primary genre revolves around rap/hip hop, and jazz. The lounge music is rather urban, too. The poetic verbal flow of "Venga" is relatively trance-heavy with jazzy interludes of punchy brass, languid electronics, and an atmospheric beat that echoes and reverberates with underground liveliness. "Cereal" is another exciting track, but the verbal wordplay is a bit more energetic and the instrumentation is much faster. "TLO" contains a lot of electronic swishy sounds, rap vocals, and progressive rock beats. "Distortion" is a rather languid down-tempo masterpiece with glittery sounds, fluid soul elements, and swishy noises with urban vocals. "Quixotic" is punchy and rhythmic with Eminem-like tendencies with much more intelligence and creative juices shining through. The diverse, urban creations of BluRum13 are something to ponder, since each listen reveals something new and fresh. ~ 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: Harmonic Blue's 'Villa Borghese'

Harmonic Blue
Villa Borghese
Self-Release

The Maryland-based quartet, Harmonic Blue, is an alt-pop, rock, folk, and classical group that is refreshing and amazing in the same vein. Lead vocalist and acoustic guitarist, Zach Field, is joined by Anthony Ajluni on guitars, Gabe Bustos on bass, keyboard, and harmonica, and Sam Balcom on drums and percussion. The breezy, "Silver Spoon," is slightly jazzy overall, but not too far removed from alt-pop and folk. Jake Balcom's trumpet solo at the end of the song finishes it off nicely. The jaunty, ambulating "Subreality" is anything but fiction. The lilting guitar and wavering harmonica tones set the stage for an alt-folk composition that opens up into a quasi-rock medley mid-song. "Villa Borghese" opens with a rumbling guitar tune and light percussion that would make Xavier Rudd jealous. The tune finishes with a nice trumpet display. The seven-track release is a heavenly rompy through the world of alt-folk, pop, and rock with a raw, organic performative nature. This is a very fine recording that will please the college crowd, as well as the refined audiophile. ~ 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