Music in Review

Bob Marshall finds “Horses That Run Far Away” on his 2015 sophomore disc that offers a baker’s dozen of cowboy country songs that are a fine selection of stories. His 2007 debut disc was “As Good As My Dog Thinks I Am” and he must have the same hope with horses as a real life, second generation cowboy from Ortonville, Michigan.

His press labels his music cowboy rock and roll. Marshall offers clear and deep classic country vocals, both twelve and six string acoustic guitars.  His ten piece studio band offers a tight, professional sound; Carl LoShiavo on electric and double bass, Merel Bregante on percussion & vocals, Cody Braun on fiddle, mandolin & harmonica, Riley Osbourn on piano & B3 Organ, Maurizio Fassino on electric & acoustic guitars,  Sarah Pierce & Doug Hudson vocals, Dave Perlman on steel guitar & dobro and Michael Dorrien on electric guitar.

Marshall wrote or co-wrote all thirteen songs on this album. He had help from Marc Alan Barnette with two of the songs; The sweet “Things Mommas Say”; “They’re supposed to make you think you can take them to the bank/Like a stopped clock twice a day/It’s three chords and the truth/beyond disputed proof/they’re the things that mommas say.” & “Hot Kisses, Cool, Cool Nights” describes a first love that lasts into a lifetime. A rarity in marriage for a modern day cowboy.

 “Hats To The Sky” (Boots to the ground)” tells of pride in his father and his father’s peer’s cowboy ways; “They lived like the lyrics of a mournful country tune” and “Father’s Day” is an honest, heartfelt, cowboy version of talking blues in tribute to his dad. “Wishbone/Backbone” written because Marshall knows we really don’t want a wishbone where our backbone should be, an affliction all too common in today’s society.

His “Cowboy Blessing” is a great cowboy mother’s twist on an Irish Blessing; “May your belly never rumble/your heart never ache/your horse never stumble and your cinch never break/May your life be filled with laughter in good times and despair/May God see you in heaven before the devil knows you’re there.”

I think Bob Marshall knows we all could use this blessing or toast to keep us riding the dusty trails.

Cleanly recorded, engineered and mixed by Merel Bregante and Sarah Pierce at Cribworks Digital Studios in Liberty Hill, Texas and mastered by Jerry Tubb at Terra Nova Digital Audio, Inc. in Austin, Texas. A 2015 Bob Marshall Diamond M Music self-release.

Artist website: http://www.bobmarshallmusic.com/

Bob Marshall YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuo8vHPTQFnmYILdLAicrOg

Bob Marshall band on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/Bob-Marshall-Band/186431471440233

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The Hangabouts December 2014 debut release, “Illustrated Bird” is a pop dream from the southeastern Michigan production and writing team of John Lowry (keyboards, bass, vocals, percussion & recorder) and Gregory Addington (vocals, bass, guitars, drums, keyboards, percussion & uke). The pair is a new age pop dream team. Additional drums on six of the tacks by Josh Touchton and Ken Greene’s lead guitar on the most psychedelic song, “Dr. Dragon”. This small studio band sounds much larger than life.

A self-described psychedelic power pop band, the thirteen songs simultaneously harken back and push us forward into a new old AM radio dream of love that, I for one would rather not awaken from. Nearly the entire album maintains an upbeat vibe even when his pal informs; “She Hates You”; “But It’s not so bad, there’s a million girls and a million reasons to try”. “Cut Down” warns of youth(?) “cut off at the knees” & “you’ve been slumbering through a long parade of fears” like so many of us relentlessly do.  “Love Nothing” is a tease of impossible attraction and who knew how much a recorder could add to a pop song? John Lowry did!

I think the somber title track, “Illustrated Bird” offers the listener to see beyond the painted version of life; “She’s dying to fly away. Nobody sees her pray.” “Missing In Action” seems to tell of awakening to that miscommunication; “I spend all my time thinking why do I do this? Forget the scar on her face and get through the week like you normally do.” Absolutely love the duos’ harmony with the recorder on their song “I Wonder Why”.

Lost love, lullabies and lone birds of a feather have never been so ready to cheer us up. This reviewer anticipates the next disc from The Hangabouts may be even better with a more involved addition of the latest Hangabout, Chipper Saam, but advises against missing this fine debut in an “Illustrated Bird”!

A 2014 Suburban HiFi Music release produced by John Lowry and Greg Addington at Earth Studio. Mastered by Dave Feeny at Tempermill Studio. Released on Futureman Records, Grosse Pointe Woods, Michigan .

Find The Hangabouts “Illustrated Bird” on Futureman Records: https://futuremanrecords.bandcamp.com/ 

Artist’s Website: http://www.hangabouts.com/ 

The Hangabouts on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hangabouts

̶ Trish Lewis - Music Reviewer & Producer of “The Eclectic Chair” podcast.  http://radiochair.com/