|
A number of things stand out on a first
pass through the liner notes and music of "Birdseye,"
the new disc from the "Tony Rich Project." The first
is the pseudo-eastern religious imagery permeating the liner
notes, what with the saffron (orange) dominated color scheme,
the pictures of Tony Rich sitting cross-legged on a mushroom-like
structure, etc.
The second point of interest is the number
of duties handled by Rich himself. The entire album was produced,
written and arranged by the man, who won a Grammy for Best R&B
album for his 1996 debut, "Words." Going a step further,
Rich also handles a variety of instruments, from the keys, piano,
drums and bass on the track "Bed," to simply doing
it all by himself on the opening track and title cut, "Birdseye."
The third cool note doesn't fully express
itself until the 8th (and best) track on the album, "My
Stomach Hurts," with a guest appearance by Eric Clapton.
Although he appears on two tracks earlier on the disc, I didn't
realize his presence until the undeniably Clapton-esque solo
in this song, a stripped down jam that I wouldn't be surprised
to hear on my local (and mis-named) smooth jazz radio station.
This song presents a man's heartache at a girlfriend's departure
in some unusual, and almost mystical, terms before bringing the
hurt down to a level we can all understand, a physical pain we
can relate to.
The keys to Rich's success on this record
are variety and subtlety. For every laid back smooth soul ballad
on "Birdseye," there's a pop-infused cut, or a song
that could even be played on country stations without causing
too much comment. Lyrically, Rich is never heavy-handed. A love
song might include lines about baking a chocolate cake, or about
flying ". . .Higher than the highest kite/ Over mountains/
Where non-believers, in disguise/ Hide" (as with the first
single, "Silly Man"). They may even slip in an appreciation
of Halle Berry, as does "Birdseye." Rich's vocals,
while not fully distinctive (yet!), contain plenty of depth and
variation. You can almost hear the love for his children expressed
in the song "If You're an Angel."
Another feature, shared by most of the
songs, is a beautiful acoustic quality. Drum tracks are generally
muted, hidden in the background, so as not to provide an easily
identifiable focal point for the tracks. Electric guitars are
similarly sublimated, forcing the listener to choose for themselves
what to focus on in the song. And in the subtle basslines, the
aesthetically pleasing acoustic guitar work, and playful-even-while-serious-lyrics,
there is plenty of material to choose from.
"Tony Rich" should be around
a long time, if the success of his debut album and the quality
of "Birdseye" are any indication. He delivers a refreshing
shift from the cookie cutter artists and bands dominating the
music charts these days. |
