This very aptly named album from Bob Evans captures the listener instantly with songs that are extremely well written, wonderfully varied in style and brilliantly performed.
It follows a pleasing current trend with some Australian singer-songwriters do deliver meaningful lyrics and say something relevant about society and relationships in a simple uncluttered musical style, well arranged and thoughtfully produced, not unlike the good old days of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, where a decent and meaningful country ballad stood proudly alongside a driving rock piece.
Bob Evans likes this eclectic mix of styles, combining a country feel with the rock and pop idiom. His voice is light and flexible, with good diction and range, all of which means you get to understand his lyrics and feel the emotion that he writes and sings about. He favours a slight 1960’s feel to his songs. Some tracks, for example – Nowhere Without You and Don’t Walk Alone - are reminiscent of the Beatles. At other times, Bob Dylan influences pop up. But there is the ever present and welcome 21st century drive and lightness combined with a swinging ease of delivery.
His instrumentations are varied as well. There is certainly an acoustic feel to the album which includes guitars, mandolins, double bass and harmonium, combined with a traditional rhythm section, however some tracks add brass, sometimes strings, country fiddle, slide guitar, sometimes rich vocal harmonies, at other times just the simple solo voice of Bob. In fact, the eight musicians on this album play thirty-four instruments between them! Bob Evans alone is responsible for lead vocals, guitar, harmonica, bells, claps, piano and mandolin.
I’d very much like to see and hear this band in concert sometime, so hopefully a tour is coming up. This is my first introduction to this artist, so I’ll certainly be looking forward to hearing more from the very talented and listenable Mr Bob Evans.
Tony’s rating: 4.5 stars
First published in Eat Drink Magazine, August 2006 and Our Hotel Magazine August 2006
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