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| From | tunemark@aol.com |
| Subject | Re: REVIEW: Watercolor Day - Seth Swirsky |
| Date | Thu, 6 May 2010 19:16:28 +0000 |
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Great review! Hits my spot and I think I must get it!
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
-----Original Message-----
From: Laurie Biagini <lauriearleen@hotmail.com>
Date: Thu, 6 May 2010 11:26:21
To: Audities List<audities@smoe.org>
Subject: REVIEW: Watercolor Day - Seth Swirsky
Being a fan of Seth Swirsky's music, I had been waiting with excitement and anticipation upon finding out that he had a new solo album in the works. That album "Watercolor Day" is now available and I was so impressed upon hearing it, that I simply had to write my own review of it.
I rarely write reviews these days, so an album has to be pretty special to inspire me to write about it. And to say this album is special is quite the understatement. My reviews tend to be a bit unconventional, as I write from the perspective of how the music makes me feel, how it stimulates my imagination, and the overall impressions that I get in a variety of dimensional elements.
"Watercolor Day" is an album of 19 beautiful, uplifting melodies, created with tender loving care, that shimmer with a brilliance of sparkling diamonds in the sunshine. Elements from a variety of great musical influences factor in the music, from The Beatles, Paul McCartney, Burt Bacharach, Electric Light Orchestra, The Beach Boys and Brian Wilson, all gleaming like sparkly facets in a crown jewel of within an overall framework of Seth's own unique sound. Produced by Seth Swirsky and Rick Gallego, this gem of an album shines with full-on brilliance.
All of the songs on the album are magnificent. To write about all of them would make this quite a long review, so I will write about a handful of selections:
The title track "watercolor day" has such an optimistic vibe, it's the perfect song to start out your day, and in fact I have been listening to it every morning on my way in to work, as it really puts me in a good frame of mind; you can't help but feel happy when listening to this beautiful song. The rhythm acoustic guitar and light airy feel have an enthusiastic feel of movement and then the chorus just rocks out with delight. The ultimate feel-good tune!
I just love the mood of "summer in her hair". It's so breezy, laid-back and if you close your eyes, you can actually feel the rays of sunshine radiating through the music. Beautiful melody, gorgeous instrumentals and impeccable vocal harmonies.. I think this may even be my favorite song on the album.
"matchbook cover" also stood out to me, such a beautiful song with a bit of an Abbey Road feel to it but at the same time sparkling with some classic Beach Boys stylings from the golden era of westcoast surf music creating a wonderful blend in the overall vibe. However the sound was all Seth's - as I heard his own signature all over it when I think back to his first album, "Instant Pleasure".. Absolute beauty.
And speaking of beauty, the most beautiful "song for heather" is a love song, with the smoothness of the strings and pureness of an acoustic guitar, with splashes of legato piano stylings quietly enhancing the overall mood of this song. Soft pure vocals with flourishes of full harmonies just make this track a brilliant little gem.
"distracted" has an early 70's contemporary flavour with a sound that reminds me of Burt Bacharach's style. I can't help but smile when hearing the lyrics. Seth's wit adds a humourous twist to this song. You'd be listening to the beautiful melody and instrumentation and then think "wait a minute.. what did he just sing?" And then grin, thinking "oh yes that's so true!"
Another favorite is "movie set", which has a vibe reminiscent of The Beatles/Paul McCartney stylings, but then there's that California west-coast sound underlying it all.. the instrumentals are gorgeous and harmonies are flawless.. and it's catchy! I could listen to this one over-and-over..
"4 o'clock sun" is just a little over 75 seconds in length, but it's absolutely gorgeous, full, dynamic, brilliant. It gives the feeling of being outside, drenched in the afternoon sun.. you can almost visualize the heatwaves radiating through the music. It's really great when you can actually experience the music like this in a multitude of dimensions.
Another quick little ditty is "big mistake", which reminds me a lot of the fun little songs that you would hear on the old Monty Python shows. The English influence is unmistakeable, and the dry humour is what makes this song a delight!
"sand dollar" is one of those songs that once you have listened to it a few times, it will stick in your mind and play over and over.. it's -that- catchy! Whimsical, something you could easily hear children singing as they're making sandcastles at the beach, but also filled with sophisticated instrumental beauty, most notably the gorgeous acoustic guitar and flutes, carried along with dreamy, smooth vocals..
I absolutely love "stay". It has a romantic, breezy, 60's feel. It's the kind of song I imagine hearing while parked at the beach as the sun is setting.. placement of this track towards the end of the album is quite appropriate if the track order is set to follow the day's events. Such a gorgeous composition, and romantic too.. a winning combination!
A feeling of melancholy is prominent in "she's doing fine", with a sound very much like something that Brian Wilson would have composed during the time of "Pet Sounds". The harmonies are beautiful, the arrangement dreamy, but with an overall sad vibe. Lyrically it almost feels like your mind is swirling around to make sense of the loss after "she" had left and you are reading the note that was left behind.
"i'm just sayin'" is very expressive. The overall feeling is light and optimistic but interspersed with some dark overtones in the chorus, each time resuming back into the optimistic feel. The interlude in the middle of the song takes a different direction of observation and reflection. It feels like a continuing journey, moving along, beautifully enhanced instrumentally, with an exquisite melody.
This album may describe a 'watercolor day'; so many observations, moods, feelings, all beautifully portrayed in a multitude of dimensions and intertwined through brilliant orchestration, flawless vocals and progressing through a series of beautiful melodies. You can listen to this record at any time of the day or night and it truly feels right. 'Watercolor Day" truly stands out, not only as a work of art but an absolute masterpiece!
~Laurie Biagini
Laurie Biagini
Official site: http://www.myspace.com/lauriebiaginimusic
Albums available through:
http://cdbaby.com/artist/LaurieBiagini
http://www.notlame.com/LAURIE_BIAGINI
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