With a few awards on his mantel and the enthusiastic support of Canadian fans, James Kasper is in prime position to continue his thriving singer-songwriter career. He follows his 2007 collection The Old Fashioned Way with a second CD small town gods & devils.
Intended to “show a darker, edgier Kasper” the new CD is billed as “roots” and “folk-noir.”
In the opinion of some music fans, the United States and North America need serious, well-constructed music in this genre. Kasper seems to provide some of that. “Breezy” has a couple of strengths – harmonica and an almost “southern” mystery. The tune’s pace builds toward the end, which may or may not be a good idea. The individual listener will decide.
“This Town” has a curious beginning that gets the listener’s attention. The lyrics get stronger as the song builds to conclusion. “Liam’s Lullaby” draws on the age-old flavor of Irish/Welsh history for its fire-warmed, living-room atmosphere and chiming music. It’s an adorable little tune.
“One Dead and Counting” goes a bit beyond its ominous title with a couple studio tricks (you’ll get them!) and then brings to mind a song by the late Warren Zevon. The “breathy” spoken vocal is a bit different than Zevon, however, with its European folk flavor.
This might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but Kasper is a pro.
[tags]james kasper[/tags]
With a witty moniker like Bi-Polar Bear some might expect a quirky, even off-the-wall sound. This reviewer didn’t quite know what to expect from the group and Today I Found Happy.
Information about this young performer urges us to be prepared for “an inspirational journey.” Some of the words used to describe Stefanie Jane’s life are: “assault,” “abuse,” “healing” and “love.” The trip from the first two, through the second to the last (love) is what See Me Change is about.
Top-level production and song selection should make Marcy Priest’s debut album Awake a favorite among those who prefer something like easy listening. But the voice of this young singer shouldn’t be dismissed as having no message, as having only entertainment value. 
