Andrew Roussak and Lynn Saylor
Hi all,
As someone trying to write music while holding down full-time employment, I get limited time to listen in-depth to the work of others. There are two recent purchases, however, that have penetrated my emotional armour and become regulars in my car.
The first is No Trespassing, by Andrew Roussak. This is a fine addition to the art-rock genre. Sometimes it is classed 'progressive rock', but this does a disservice to the variety of musical styles found on the album. One highlight is the keyboard playing. Andrew's MySpace site states that he has acted as a session-musician. Certainly, this is in strong evidence. From rock versions of Bach to Jazz improvisations, the keyboard playing reaches quality levels that are extremely rare. For me, however, it is the quality of the musical ideas and composition that commend this album the most. Andrew's own writing - to me - comes across as stronger, musicially, than the cover versions of classical pieces. For me, tracks 1, 3, 4, 6 and 8 all stand out for their strong musical themes and musicianship. I particularly like track 6, for the Jethro Tull-like quality to the composition and arrangement.
The second is You Like It Clean, by Lynn Saylor. Musicially, this sits at the cross-roads between Shania Twain and Suzy Quattro. Lyrically and musically, it compares to the former, but it has an edge and punch that takes away from a Folk-Rock heritage. Ultimately, this aspect, plus the fact that Lynn is a guitarist, places the music firmly in the rock genre. The tracks are of a length that will appeal to radio DJs, but this should not detract from their quality. They vary in harmonic and rhythm interest - my favourites are tracks 1, 6 and 9. Throughout there is enough disdain for the traditional song form to keep the music interesting for those who reject the pop mainstream. Lynn herself is as marketable as Shania Twain so this is an artist with the potential to reach a mass audience.
All the best
Rory Ridley-Duff
