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| Songs That Walk By Themselves |
| band: Adam Ezra Band |
| Album: Crawl |
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"A song is anything that can walk by itself."
~ Bob Dylan
"Don't you know by now, luck don't lead to anything or why you keep on moving?"
~ Steve Winwood
I saw Adam Ezra singing solo at Genghis Cohen in Los Angeles as a visiting artist from back East, and not who I'd come to see. Thank heck I'd arrived early. I didn't tell him I was writing about music or anything, just bought his EP. About a year later I opened the shrink wrap and found myself a fan of the Adam Ezra Group ("AEG").
AEG performs out of Boston and looks to be the darling of the college circuit best I can tell. They've opened for quite a list of folks: Goo Goo Dolls, Guster, Aerosmith, Modest Mouse, Jason Mraz, DeSol, Blackalicious, Spearhead, The Donnas, Josh Kelley, Dave Matthews Band, Carbon Leaf… ad naseum. Guess I'm not the first to hear of this band. They have a sound not unlike Dave Matthews enough that Adam jokes down the comparison with "the Dave Matthews song he will never write" playing on myspace. The comparison fits if complex rhythms, jazzy musical pop, and clever, heartful, strong lyrics is DMB in the popular opinion. The musicianship and joy of playing on this EP will remind you what's so damn cool about seeing music live. This is a fun album and not just the same new thing. AEG is a creative, loose, intelligent and music you can dance to. Adam Ezra Group sounds like I want to see them live.
Adam's lyrics are descriptions mostly. He describes the morning on those days you might not notice "if the world was spinning upside down," and the moment you discover your lover is "better than bad." His character studies include Eddie who sees through secrets from the opposite side of the street, that annoyingly introspective human tuinal Dr. Philosophy self-help guy we all know, a Judas, and a particularly disturbing Western Man for whom we may all be responsible. I think the resurgence of the metaphorical damning description song has been attributed to Dylan in the late 1960s, so Adam's lyrics might give a nod to Robert Zimmerman and his innovative invective. Adam writes his songs with insight, a joyous sense of outrage, and a jazzy heart.
AEG is chocked full of talent with both Adam and Abbie Barrett carrying the vocals and backing each other with a sweet harmony style that deepens a song. "Honey" John Appa and Jeff "Turtle" Gouart add enough pizzazz to be worthy of pet names. Justin Panariello's bass is smart and subtle, full of drive and moves solid in the background. There's something special in Josh Gold's keyboard that adds the frosting to the cupcake every time he plays. Add Adams fine picking on acoustic and you got a damn fine band. This EP is insight you can dance to. It was worth my precious $5 and then some. I really like this guy's music. I'll be listening when the review is done. Truth be told, that's the review that really matters.
THE SONGS:
1. ON THE CRAWL describes the work-a-day morning. Feels like this particular morning. It's 9:43 a.m. in Cincinnati, and it "feels like I'm still asleep in the same old dream." This is a great song to start the day, with it's pertinent question: "Would you notice if the world was spinning upside down?" That's question is just right. I suppose it would be better to notice. On this particular day the world is right side up. AEG finds the beat of the a.m. with just enough pep to start the day without triggering an epithet. The rhythm is right and changes to keep you from dozing. The John "Honey" Appa's snare keeps a quickening pace. "[I]t feels I'm still asleep / in the same old dream." Yep.
2. EDDIE WHISTLES starts loose with "Dude, get me to the drum section, please!" Describes Eddie whistling down the street once again on the "other side" judging the passersby from the underbelly of productiveness "finding all the secrets that they hide." Eddie is that "pretty freak" like John Gorka's character in "The Sentinel" you see too often not to know, but maybe don't get to know too much you can help it. You know the guy, don't say you don't. That Josh Gold organ has the Hammond church thing bringing the chorus out to elevate Eddie to a spiritual icon kind of status. Life wouldn't be the same without Eddie. "You can tell a lot about a man by what he doesn't say." Nice description here, "you're just like apple pie / your inside's soft and sticky /but your outsides kinda dry." A little like Adrian Belew's, "Went down to the Egg House / waffle on the griddle / I'm burnt around the edges / but I'm tender in the middle." People can often be compared to food. Chew on that for awhile.
3. BETTER THAN BAD isn't the song you sing to your girlfriend, unless maybe she just left for work or left you for good. Hey, everyday isn't dead bang passionate, but this morning with a lover is that kind of honest observation best kept to yourself or left to the song. "You're the best that I've had / Yeah you're better than bad." There's enough going good here to make this feel like a "see you later this evening" song. "…we keep in touch / on the physical side / and I know / things'll get complicated / so I say goodbye." Josh Gold makes this relationship sound good on the organ, and somebody on cello warms up the bedroom this contemplative morning. With "her skin soft, it curve around / and it's her love," she sounds like a keeper. This song is sweet, quiet, and a little too honest. Hey, Adam, don't leave her. She's "better than the words [you] say." Keep her. She gave you a pretty cool song. That ain't bad.
4. NA reminds me of the Lou Reed line: "It's easy enough to tell what is wrong, but that's not what I want to hear all night long, some people are like human Tuinals." This Dr. Phil foists philosophy so you want to say, "Where do you collect all your paradigm crap!" Who doesn't know this guy? "You carry the weight of the world on your words [And it's bringing me down." Honey Appa is banging out the jams on the drums on this song. Josh Gold's keyboard figure is simple and extraordinary. Next time to see this guy, tell him: "Show me the heart of your conviction." He's not speaking from his heart. "Na na na na na."
5. JUDAS probably isn't about George Bush. It's most likely not a song about Dick Cheney or that Enron guy. "How did you get so big? / Your hat must be too tight." Abbie Barrett sings this one somewhere near the garden of Macey Gray. "You'll never see how you tainted me…" Somebody riding high with a big hat on so you want to say, "Get off of the horse you road in on. / It's only my scarred opinion / you're a shadow of the past / hey there Judas…" This song is about someone once loved who betrayed. Guess I got political with this one. Just thought the man should " crawl / back to the reason of the man that [he] left behind." No child left behind. "No Judas, I know your kind."
6. WESTERN MAN is really really political. I'm not making that up. "He befriends they fall asunder / He recalls a tiny blunder / Depends on which regime you're under / to change your attitude." Do you remember that first George W. who refused to be King and lead the troops to battle riding at the head of the boat? This song ain't about that guy. "He'll sign them on as inventory / disregard their sacred story / if they refuse they'll feel the fury / of all that he can do." This critique is as strong as Phil Ochs might sing about the current Captain of the ship of state. The verdict: "Desperate pride, genocide…" But as The Stones sympathetically observed, "Who killed the Kennedys? Well after all it was you and me." No wonder "they've come to kill the western man." My my oh no.
7. CAN'T FIND MY WAY HOME may be the "extra" cut on the album, and it's a cover, but I'm thankful for the opportunity to hear the Cream of the 1970s reprised slow and soulful by this Adam Ezra guy, with Abbie perfect on the harmony and just about nothing but guitar. I'm struck with the line I never gave much thought to before: "Somebody holds the key." Abbie is the bomb on backup. Adam has the voice for a solo career gone singer songwriter with style and grace. This is a worthy Adam Extra.
ADAM EZRA GROUP:
"Honey" John Appa: drums
Abbie Barrett: vocals
Josh Gold: Keys
Jeff "Turtle" Gouart: percussion
Mike Levesque: drums (On "Eddie Whistles")
Adam Ezra Olshansky: guitar, harmonica and vocals
Justin Panariello: bass
Produced by: Norm Demoura and Josh Gold
Mastered by: Dr. Toby Mountain at Northeastern Digital
Recorded and mixed by: Norm Demoura
Produced by: Norm Demoura and Josh Gold
Mastered by: Dr. Toby Mountain at Northeastern Digital
Recorded and mixed by: Norm Demoura
(Track 2 "Eddie Whistles")
Produced by: Norm Demoura and Josh Gold
Mastered by: Dr. Toby Mountain at Northeastern Digital
Recorded and mixed by: Norm Demoura
Track 7 recorded and mixed by: Eric Kilburn at Wellspring Sound
Track 7 written by Stephen Lawrence Winwood
Track 7 originally released in August 1969 in USA by Arco 33 304
Track 7 originally released in August 1969 in UK by Polydor 583 059
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