Wyckham Porteous
begins this album with the title track, a jazz-oriented spoken word that brings to mind
"One Night in Bangkok"
by
Murray Head
. The backbeat also recalls
"Looking for Clues"
Robert Palmer
. It's a funky, disco-era tune that works after a minute or two. From there,
"Feel Alright"
is a pretty and polished pop/rock track that shows the singer's gritty, rootsy delivery. The song could use a bit of self-editing near its conclusion, though.
"Get Happy"
could be mistaken for
John Mellencamp
circa
"Rain on the Scarecrow,"
a moody and somewhat dark blues-rock tune.
Porteous
carries this momentum into the first highlight, the rowdy Southern rock charm of
"The First Time."
The lyrics themselves are a cross between
Tom Petty
and
Bruce Springsteen
. "I feel as lucky as a horseshoe/Just about as rich as a Cadillac," he sings. One aspect you instantly notice is the range this musician has. It is something that is very precious if used wisely. A feel-good barroom dance tune is
"Better Than I've Ever Been,"
featuring
Dyhan Roberts
on vocals. The
Dylan
-like
"Louisiana"
has that bleak and sparse sound the legend's
Time Out of Mind
record always oozes. Another great example of this is the brilliant
"Ophelia,"
complete with the brush strokes of drummer
Pat Steward
. Taking the tempo up again is
"Mighty Drinkers,"
a song that reeks of a rather tame
Springsteen
arrangement. But there isn't enough punch in the tune to make it soar, diminishing the attempt instead. Another strange effort is
"The Party"
where
resembles a piano-inclined
Neil Diamond
more than
Tom Waits
. Singer/songwriter is his bread and butter though, especially on the touching
"Fall So Deep."
~ Jason MacNeil