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It seems to me that there is a wealth of music out there stemming
from a blues and folk tradition, which appeals almost exclusively
to white people who drive Volvos or VW buses. Its as though anything
lacking American Idol scale jumping and a hoopdie-shaking
bass line may as well be Jimmy Buffet. Artists like Ben
Harper are relegated to the post college crowd that fills
the PBS Studio 4A. Amos Lee may well experience this double-edged
sword due to his non-threatening approach. After all, NPR darling
Norah Jones appears discreetly on a couple of tracks. It'd
be a shame if that broom swept this gem under the carpet. I'd
hate to see him suffer the humiliation of opening for Dave
Matthews.
Sometimes you have to whisper to be heard. Amos Lee is going
to appeal to the Jeff Buckley through Tony Rich
fans, with his mostly acoustic R&B approach to romance and
social idealism. In cases like "Keep It Loose..." they
reside in the same song. Lee's one-in-a-million voice swings from
vulnerable vibrato into a falsetto so smooth it'll wipe the melanoma
off of Aaron Neville's melon. It's a deceivingly gentle
style, as it soaks in and melds with your own body's chemistry
to create an intense internal reaction. Sometimes the seductive
voice slides up and, in a neat trick, morphs into Devin Greenwood's
sweet sweet Hammond B3. As raucous as it gets is the Stevie
Wonder-full soul of "Give It Up." The sweetly reverent
"Arms Of A Woman" is a beautiful hymn to femininity
in quiet gospel tones. "Black River" takes a redemptive
spiritual and puts it on the rocks with a beer chaser. The radio-ready
"Love In The Lies" fits neatly in the world class rock
format between Lucinda Williams and Bruce Springsteen.
There's even a bit of jazz befitting a Tuck & Patti
arrangement.
The arrangements are simple, with well-placed accents of strings,
mandolin and organs rising into the build. Delicate guitar picking
and everyman lyrics reveal the artist indirectly the way the
moon gives evidence of the sun. But his inflection and delivery
are a more telling gauge of the man. The songs just get better
with every flavor-packed spin. I don't think it would be out
of line for Lee to start work on his Grammy acceptance speech.
-Ewan Wadharmi
Track Listing:
1. Keep It Loose, Keep It Tight
2. Seen It All Before
3. Arms Of A Woman
4. Give It Up
5. Dreamin'
6. Soul Suckers
7. Colors
8. Bottom Of The Barrel
9. Black River
10. Love In The Lies
11. All My Friends
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