Two CD Reviews - Fiction Family and John Oates

I wrote a couple reviews for the WSDP Alumni Newsletter. WSDP is the high school radio station I manage. I've realized that I'm on the once a month posting schedule so I decided that I need to get off my rear and add something. This is a good way to use something I previously wrote.

Fiction Family – Fiction Family (ATO Records)

Fiction Family has Jon Foreman (Switchfoot) and Sean Watkins (Nickel Creek) diverging from the musical sounds we’ve come to know them for. The two San Diego natives have known each other for several years and began collaborating together under the name the Real SeanJon. The Fiction Families sound is very acoustic (“Not Sure” and “War in My Blood”) and sometimes a bit more experimental sounding (“Out of Order”). This is an album that requires multiple listens because the lyrics are at the forefront. WSDP is playing their first single “When She’s Near.” It’s a radio friendly song that can easily get you humming along. It has one of my favorite lines in the chorus, “When she’s near the new years here and there is not a resolution that I can’t do.” They’ve been touring this winter and hopefully they’ll build a fan base that will keep them around for years to come. That’s a resolution I hope they make.

John Oates – 1000 Miles of Life (Phunk Shui Records)

John Oates has been making music for decades so it is surprising that his first full-length albums were released in the last several years. He’s become identified with the Philly Soul through his years with Hall and Oates but on “1000 Miles of Life” he delves into a folk/Americana sound that hearkens back to his early days of music in the 1960’s. He and producer Jed Leiber have brought in an incredible mix of musicians to flesh out the music (Bela Fleck, Sam Bush, Bonnie Bramlett, and many others). One of my favorites is the gospel influenced “Sending Me Angels” that has him singing with the Blind Boys of Alabama. “Ghost Town” spotlights the banjo of Bela Fleck on a song that looks at New Orleans post Katrina. John Oates has always been the other guy in Hall and Oates. Hopefully “1000 Miles of Life” will open up opportunities for him to step in the forefront more often. I look forward to hearing the music he creates.