Elizabeth Lorrey | Bittersweet

By Jennifer Russo

I had the pleasure of attending the Wachussett Valley Music Festival in September to see Amy Ray, of whom I am a huge fan, headline. Though most people recognize me as the “metal chick,” I have to admit that rock that borders on folk music reaches me in an entirely different way. Metal may get me pumped, but folk makes me think. The simplicity of an acoustic instrument paired with a single voice or a pair of well-harmonized voices brings music back to its raw form for me.

While at the festival listening to excellent musicians tell their stories in song, I was a photographer. I was operating in my own little world, where I was paying attention but also concentrating on getting the right shots at the right time.

Now, let me tell you about Elizabeth Lorrey. This woman stood there with her guitar and made me stop in my tracks with one of the most pure and warm voices I have ever heard. In fact, she was halfway through the song before I realized I hadn’t taken one picture since she had started singing. In one song, she had poured her heart out all over that stage and utterly captivated me, giving me chills and bringing a tear to my eye.

Bittersweet is an album that so obviously embraces all that Lorrey is. Her loves, fears and dreams are written in lyric ~ a diary put to the sound of a perfectly tuned guitar. There is an intense and sultry feel behind the vocal; you can tell there is power there, but she reigns it in at all the right times. The instrumental is rustic and inviting, with an easy and comfortable flow. Each of the EP’s songs is beautiful and relatable, but the title track, which I heard her sing at the show, is easily my favorite.

Hear the Bittersweet EP, see when and where you can catch a live show and just what Lorrey is up to on her official website, elizabethlorrey.com.

James LaBrie | Impermanent Resonance

By Jason Savio

For anyone who has never heard of James LaBrie before, the name gives the impression of a Josh Groban-type artist. But until Josh Groban can scream with the angst of someone in lockdown, he and Mr. LaBrie will continue to remain on the opposite ends of the music spectrum.  It’s nothing personal; it’s just business. And James LaBrie takes his business very seriously on his newest solo effort, Impermanent Resonance.

The Dream Theater singer has teamed up once again with his songwriting partner and keyboard whiz, Matt Guillory, to create a heavy metal experience rich with lush and immersing melodies. Joining them on the trip is guitarist Marco Sfogli, bassist Ray Riendeau and drummer Peter Wildoer; all five talents mix together to create a volatile cocktail of escapist rock. LaBrie’s progressive tendencies are clear, right from the highly involved opener, “Agony,” with the entire band locked into a heavy and detailed mind eraser.

But Impermanent Resonance isn’t an alienating listen directed toward an inner circle of savvy individuals. It has something for everyone, including a fair share of ballads. “Back On The Ground” has enough lyrical hooks to catch anyone’s attention, and when LaBrie comes clean on “Say You’re Still Mine” ~ singing over an acoustic guitar, “Say you’re still mine, that we’re not broken in two” ~ he reassures us that this is a record with not only brains but also heart.

For more, visit jameslabrie.com.

Elton John | The Diving Board 

By Mike Wood

Reminiscent of the Elton of decades ago, The Diving Board captures all his quintessential piano-banging theatrics with the intense crooning of a man on a mission. With longtime co-writer Bernie Taupin, John delivers one of his best albums in at least 20 years.

This isn’t Top 40 pop, but that doesn’t means it lacks punch. It takes risks and plays and sounds like these guys want it to without concerning themselves with radio airplay. There aren’t catchy hooks to lure you in, so you’ve got to commit to repeat replays to savor the lyrical mastery of Taupin and John’s showmanship ~ still sharp after nearly 50 years in the biz. For anyone to have a career in the music industry that long is one thing, but to keep cranking out great music (if not necessarily hits) is another thing all together.

John may not be playing for pop, but The Diving Board reaches back to his heyday, and that’s a great thing for both die-hard fans and any newbies who might stumble upon his latest LP. Calling out the strongest songs can be a crapshoot, but we’ll take the first song on the album, “Ocean’s Away,” and “Can’t Stay Alone Tonight” for their magical pairing of song and word ~ telling stories the way they want to, whether we want to listen or not. Turns out, we do.

Keep up with at Elton John at eltonjohn.com or follow him on Twitter @eltonjohndotcom.