2009-10-23
This album feels like an emotional joy-ride; stealing his feelings for an hour or so, just to drive around with them. It's an impressively solid debut album. The liner notes say it's like a "soundtrack to [his] career." I can agree to that, the main thing holding these songs together is guy who wrote them; the songs on this album have a range of styles. I didn't mind. From the danceable bebop of “Upswing”, to the folk-poppy “On the Skids”, to the near-gospel style of “Shine a Light,” to the purely instrumental jazz of “Sinner Street” and “Prisoner of Love”, to the Latin-based sound of “Screeching Halt”, Carpenter pulls off every style of music he tossed on here, with excellent musicianship. Let's hope this first isn't also his last solo effort. Recommends: ( 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 9 ) ~ Chris ThomasJANIVA MAGNESS
STRONGER FOR IT
JASON VIVONE AND THE BILLY BATS
Lather Rinse Repeat
OMAR KENT DYKES WITH JIMMIE VAUGHAN
ON THE JIMMY REED HIGHWAY
DUKE ROBILLARD
STOMP! THE BLUES TONIGHT
BARBARA BLUE
FISH IN DIRTY H20
JIMMY THACKERY & THE DRIVERS
– Inside Tracks
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