Amos Lee - Amos Lee
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Free Music Notes for Amos Lee
Free Music Review: Wow...a brilliant debut!
Hit: 5 Stars
Most people can remember hearing Norah Jones' Come Away With Me for the first time. It was so fresh and so different from all the other noise filling the airways. Amos Lee's debut is like that. Upon listening to it straight through, you wonder why there is not more music like this and wonder what it will be like to hear him 25 years from now and remember your first listen.
I don't want to be overly reductionistic here, but the Norah Jones connection is certainly worth making, if only because all the NJ fans who read this review might snap up this record too. This cd does indeed have a certain "male Norah Jones" feel to it; and her distinctive up-octave piano playing can even be heard on two of the tracks. However, it should be made clear that Amos is talented enough in his own right to deserve a better classification than this. Nonetheless, if you don't get this impression I would be surprised.
There is not really a weak track on the cd; each is a distinct effort. But the overall work hangs together with a low-key excellence, which partnered with astute production and mixing generates that characteristic Blue Note sound that plays just as well in the background as it does for the savvy audiophile whose "tuned in" to every musical element. The instrumentation never overwhelms his vocals, and his vocals are never out in front so much that the cello, mandolin, and piano feel "filtered."
While I have certainly not exhausted the praise due to the musical crafstmanship of the album, I was also quite impressed with the lyrical depth of a songwriter so young. Each of the songs are penned by him, and while many are fun and peaceful, like the biblical prophet who shares his name, he is quite aware that there is something enormously wrong with this world we live in. Instead of offering trite solutions, he allows the listener to critically explore his perspective on this fallen world, without holding out a happy ending that is too easy to imagine or achieve. On one hand he cries out in biblical imagery for a savior, presumably a personal, knowable one, and then immediately asks for the sweet whiskey to take his cares away. This bit of irony points out that the apathetic certainly don't perceive any need for a savior, for they have no cares. But the one who sees something in himself in need of saving eventually realizes that whiskey only temporarily removes the pain from the brokenness that needs restoration. Perhaps I am reading my own experience into his writing, but hopefully this will demonstrate that there is enough depth in his writing to do what good art should do - invite the listener into a conversation.
Free Music Review: Keepin' It Loose and Keepin' It Tight
Hit: 5 Stars
"Keep It Loose, Keep It Tight" is one of my favorite songs on Amos Lee's new CD. titled "Amos Lee". And, does he ever! Amos Lee is one of those finds that you want to keep to yourself for a bit to savor, but then you find yourself telling everyone you meet. This CD seems to be as Amos Lee projects: easygoing, loose, and likeable and oh, so sweet and sexy.
Amos Lee is from Philadelphia and loves his town. He went to college at the University of South California, and after his degree went on to teach school. He knew, however, that music was his life and gave up his teaching job to wait tables during the day to sing his heart out at night wherever he could find to sing. His big break came when he opened for one of his idols, Bob Dylan. And, then the thrill to open for Norah Jones, which he did for most of last year. Norah Jones's boyfriend, Lee Alexander, produced this record, and we can sense a feeling of Norah Jones, and she does play in the background on several songs. Blue Note, signed Amos Lee last year, and he feels comfortable with this company. Amos Lee took a break from touring in November and recorded this CD.
Amos Lee grew up with the music of Donny Hathaway, Bill Withers, John Prine, James Taylor and Bob Dylan. All those he loved and a little bit of them can be found throughout the 11 cuts on this CD. Amos Lee has the soul and the voice that grabs your attention.
Every song was written by Amos Lee and every song is worth its weight. "Arms Of A Woman" has a ring and a rhyme that gives this song the feel of a man who knows his woman and likes what he knows. "Soul Sucker" tells the story of a young singer and the problems of a "newbie" in the business. Amos Lee's soul is quite apparent on several of the tunes, "Colors" and "Bottom of the Barrel" In his last song, Amos Lee whispers his song to "All My Friends", "they have got broken wings, but he wishes them the soft, summer breeze."
I am quite taken with this new voice, Amos Lee. He speaks to me about life and the troubles of life. But he also sings of romance and family love that keep us all going and wishing for our childhood again. This is a CD to savor and listen to over and over again to pick up every nuance of the lyrics and the voice. Highly recommended. prisrob
Free Music Review: Not faux hip; real quality.
Hit: 5 Stars
You really do sort of want to hate Amos Lee. First, his album peers up at you from under the register of nearly every Starbucks in America; that's him right next to Antigone Rising and the four dollar gum. Then there's the Norah Jones connection; he opened for her, and they're both on Blue Note (which should generally a plus). And she plays on two songs here. And also, he's wearing a hat on the cover, and he sports a healthy dose of stubble. So yeah, the record has that "faux hip" aura all around it that generally makes me want to run for cover.
But the kid has the songs, and that makes up for a lot. The sound byte is, part James Taylor, part Donnie Hathoway; a hybrid of the seventies genres of folk rock and soul. I'm hearing an organic music; his core touring band is a quartet, with himself on guitar and vocals, plus another guitar, bass, and drums. The instrumentation on the album is similarly sparse, although many songs feature a keyboard part prominently. The songs have an easy, first-take quality that probably took endless takes to get exactly right. This is gentle music, both soulful and economical-- which is to say, nothing extra, nothing wasted.
Several songs feature the propulsion of David Greenwood's Wurlitzer or Hammond B3 to good advantage, although sadly he isn't listed on Lee's website as part of the touring band. The songs have beginnings and endings (as opposed to fades), and the album clocks in at a proper 35 minutes. I'm a big fan of albums that know when they're done; many of the classic records of my formative years had 18-minute sides, and better a tight piece of work that leaves you longing for more than an hour-long debut that has you looking at your watch after the 14th song. I've been listening to it as I've been writing, and I can't believe it just flew by. I'm tempted to play it through again.
This record has an unmistakable charm in the simplicity and directness of the songs, that bears up to repeated play. There's a difference between music that is easy to listen to, and "easy listening;" this is the former, and that is a high compliment. For nine bucks, you can't go wrong.
Free Music Review: I love it!
Hit: 5 Stars
This is a beautiful album from a very gifted singer/songwriter and I'm not surprised to note that amazon.com has declared it one of the best of 2005. I came across Amos Lee purely by chance and decided to take a risk on him after reading some of the reviews on here. I'm so glad I did. This is an album of great songs Lee wrote himself, an album of great music and an album that showcases a truly honest vocal performance. This is what real music is supposed to be all about and I get the sense he'd be even better performing live.
And I can understand why people speak of him and Norah Jones in the same breath; they are after all on the same label, they (now) share the same producer in Lee Alexander, the key elements of their music (real live instruments, the acoustic sound, the use of the Wurlitzer, the Hammond and so forth) are the same and Jones even plays piano, Wurlitzer and sings backing vocals on "Colors" but in my view, any similarities are fleeting at best. Lee's music is largely acoustic guitar driven, while Jones seems to generally favour the keyboards. Their singing styles are also completely different.
But that's all just my opinion. I'm no expert. I don't know what they call this kind of music but quite frankly I don't really care. All I know is that I love it. The eleven songs on the album seem to be all over way too soon, largely I guess, because the vast majority of the songs are just over two minutes long but I don't mind that. It just makes me want to play the album all over again.
Great stuff. Nice and relaxing. Highly recommended.
Free Music Review: A welcome new artist!
Hit: 5 Stars
As with a review of the group Shivaree, I first heard of Amos Lee on Music Choice's Adult Alternative station (I think I'm beginning to plug that as much as the artists I first hear there) when they played "Arms of a Woman" one morning. His voice grabbed me imediately. I read later that two of his influences are also two of mine: Bill Withers and John Prine.
By the time the CD was released (which I ordered through my local music guy) I could already play the song I knew on guitar and was so looking forward to the rest of his CD. Usually I am at least slightly disappointed when hearing a new artist for the first time when I already love a song of theirs, and I was honestly surprised to find no letdown at all in the quality or intesity of any of the tracks. I have listened to the entire CD many times now, and have never once been disappointed.
The arrangements on here are sparse; all of these songs can be stripped down to just one instrument and voice and be amazing. It is hard not to notice the influence of Bill Withers in the constant soulful voice that never pushes too hard, but also never lacks passion or power. "Arms of a Woman" is a classic love song with just a simple chorus that says everything any man could feel about the woman he loves (at least what I've ever felt). "Give It Up", "Bottom of the Barrel" and "Love in the Lies" have also become my fastest favorite tracks, though no songs are lacking in quality.
Amos Lee has many stories to tell, and he's only just started to tell them to us. Hopefully, his music will leave us all living "happily ever after"