The Grouchy Gaijin's Thoughts on Music and Such

The other day I got an email from Bobby Greiert asking me if I could give a listen to and write a review of his band's sophomore effort called Conversations at Midnight.  He wanted to make sure that I'd be honest.  It's pretty clear that Bobby hasn't read much of what I've written.  If he had, he'd know that I can be brutally honest.  I have an entire section on the website strictly for albums that suck.

Good God I feel Grouchy today.

This brings me to Conversations at Midnight.  This album is great! (Had you worried for a second there, didn't I Bobby?).

A.M Session is a five man group out of Los Angeles.  They are a good rock and roll band.  It's obvious from listening to this album that they have all been around for a while.  There is a definite maturity to these songs.  I like it.

The music reminds me of the Black Crows while his voice reminds me a bit of Nickelback.  (I know a lot of folks who don't really care for Nickelback, but I think those young dudes have a lot of moxie and I can feel the emotion in their music.)

What will you find on this album?  A soulful gritty blast of working class blues based rock and roll.  There is a strong 70s sound to this stuff except that the vocals bring it into the present.  Do you like hearing an electric guitar that can play killer leads and mellow emotional phrases?  Do you like hearing a rhythm section that locks into a groove and provides the bottom that allows the guitar player to shine?  Do you like R&B - Country influenced piano?  Do you like a front man that screams attitude while staying in tune?  If you answered yes then you will like this album.

Of the songs on the album my personal favorites are:

Track 3: Katie - I love the guitar!  This song is true grit. It has a bad ass get out of my way vibe that I like - the song is about a guy who can't wait to see his girl after a long time apart.  If that isn't enough to make any dude scream get out of my way then nothing is.

Track 5: 16th Broken Road - This song is just a jam with a chorus thrown in.  Listen to all the stuff the guitar player is doing while the singer is singing.  He is bending notes and running around the fretboard having a great time.  I smile every time I listen to this track.

Track 6: Burning the Hours - This is a pretty mellow song except for the intensity of the vocals.  I dig the guitar.  I get the same feeling as when I listen to Beggar's Banquet, that is I find myself thinking "This guy can play guitar!"  The sax work is a nice addition which shows the band's versatility.  These guys are good musicians.

So what is the bottom line?  4 scowls out of 5 on the Grouch scale.  This album is worth the money.  I hope these guys make it to Sweden.  I'd love to see their show.  You can buy the CD from iTunes or CD Baby.  Check out their website at: www.amsession.com