This late April roundup features recent releases from artists in Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo and Traverse City. Read the reviews, listen to songs from the albums.
‘All Things Sing’: Jack Droppers and the Best Intentions performing recently at The Pyramid Scheme. (Photo/Taylor Mansen)
Jack Droppers & the Best Intentions
“Bottled Up Like a Neon Light”
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A fast-rising name in the Grand Rapids music scene, Jack Droppers & the Best Intentions have been toting their rambling Americana-rock all around the state and the country. Fresh off a jaunt down to Austin for SXSW, the group released its third studio album, “Bottled Up Like a Neon Light.” As with projects before, the LP is full of passionate narratives that are sparked by Dropper’s weathered voice and contemplative poetry. From opener “Hey Maria,” the vivid storytelling begins, stitched
together with electric guitar, pianos, bass and drums. A couple tracks later, “Ain’t Dead Yet” provides a runaway rock ’n’ roll number with screaming organ and raucous drums behind Dropper’s scrambling, wild vocal performance. One of the album’s standout songs arrives with “All Things Sing,” a tender track with a delicate melody, dancing electric piano, and lush backing vocals. Ramping things up, “American Jesus,” is a driving, Springsteen-esque tune, fit for windows down and burning down the interstate, before the album closer, “Nothing Left,” brings things back down. Like a rock ’n’ roll lullaby, the track is a slow-burn sentiment of life’s wear and tear. Perhaps the best track on the album, Dropper’s emotions are sincerely felt through every line, and the band is relaxed and grooving gently. Overall, “Bottled Up Like a Neon Light” does a wonderful job of establishing Jack Droppers & the Best Intentions’ sound and character. It’s a satisfying collection of songs that paint a broad sonic picture. Each song, instrument and note is doing just enough work to complement those surrounding it. – Ricky Olmos
Website: https://jackdroppersandthebestintentions.bandcamp.com/
Upcoming Shows: June 14 at Park Theatre in Holland; June 15 at Shakespeare’s Pub in Kalamazoo; June 16 at Ladies Literary Club in Grand Rapids
Listen: “American Jesus”
Kaitlin Rose
“Live Enough”
When Kaitlin Rose went into the studio at Kalamazoo’s Overneath Creative Collective to record her latest album this past December, she didn’t stay long at all. That’s partly the point of a live album, right? And if you’re successful, capturing that live performance can be a defining moment in an artist’s career. With two sets in front of a live studio audience that seemingly did just that, Rose walked away with her sixth LP, and first since 2015, nearly finished. The end result? Sixteen tracks that encapsulate not just what it felt like to sit and listen to that performance as it unfolded, but where Rose is at in this point of her career. With a lengthy relationship with the father of her children still lingering in the sights of her rearview mirror, this collection of songs shows off her vulnerability at its best. There’s “the craving of more” in the album-opening “California,” there’s the sad, empowering and freeing “Already Gone” — cowritten by Melissa Dillon — and the strong, accomplished “Making It” that comes up next. Rootsy, sultry and full of folk and fire, Rose flows from one song to the next, at times breaking for banter, or a laugh, or to introduce special guests such as her mother Patti McNulty on backing vocals and tambourine, Matt Gross on keys or Jeffery Niemeier on fiddle. She’s as country as they come on covers such as “Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain” or Lucinda Williams’ “Jackson” and even channels a little Johnny Cash from above on original “Everything Belongs.” Guitarist Jim Beebe shines throughout on slide, while drummer Ryan Demenick proves a nice addition to her group and Greg Orr holds down the bass line, taking his turn at stepping out during a few songs, most notably “Reason Enough to Try.” Sometimes soft and others edgy, the impassioned and powerful Rose stands out strongest on her anthemic “Bad Mother” and jammy “Love to Last” where she reaches down from the get-go on her acoustic and vocals. Engineered live by Gordon Van Gent at Overneath and mixed by Ian Gorman at La Luna afterward, “Live Enough” proves as much more than simply a live album, but a true snapshot of, and the completion of, another chapter in the canon of Kaitlin Rose. – Ryan Boldrey
Websites: http://kaitlinrosemusic.com/home, https://kaitlinrose.bandcamp.com/
Listen: “Making It”
The Aquaerials
“Discordia”
Grand-Rapids based instrumental musician Mark Swanson is the sole creator behind the music of The Aquaerials. Humble to a fault, Swanson has persistently released music under the moniker since 2016, dabbling in various corners of the electronic music realm and exploring the limits of what he himself is able to write. Swanson goes back to the basics on this most recent release, sticking mostly to sparse neo-classical arrangements. Discordia’s eight tracks play like the score of a dramatic film or the soundtrack to a video game, and while they aren’t necessarily made for a live audience, the simple beauty of their composition feels like the perfect accompaniment to an epic hero’s journey. “Mr. Dream” is gentle and serene, with light flourishes of strings filling out the carefully layered piano parts until post-rock inspired drums make a crashing entrance near the end of the song. “The Great Lament”, as the title might suggest, is a bit more on the somber side. It sounds like the part of the story where the weary and downtrodden hero is struggling to find the strength to keep fighting in the face of insurmountable odds. Not every listener will arrive at the same conclusion in their visualizations, but that’s part of the beauty of Swanson’s music. It leaves itself open for interpretation, unburdened by lyrics or excessive instrumental showboating. – Devin Dely
Website: http://www.aquaerials.com/
Listen: “Sunken Piano”
The North Carolines
“Songminer’s Pilgrimage”
Traverse City Americana band The North Carolines sets the scene of an old cabin in the Great Smoky Mountains with their traditional yet innovative sound unfurled in “Songminer’s Pilgrimage.” The record starts out with a mandolin intro by Kurt Westie in “Catfish John.” We are then introduced to the sweet voice of lead singer Caroline Barlow, a voice comparable to bluegrass-country icon Alison Krauss. “Caleb Meyer” brings on a darker tone out of the group, sticking to that traditional southern swing. The North Carolines added in a short interlude after that one, “Caleb’s Wake,” serving as a vocal transition into the second half of the record. Besides the perfect harmonies and spot-on bluegrass instrumentals, the songwriting really sells what this band is all about. In “All She Needed,” a story about a young girl finding her way, fits in with the real life element that is essential to country/Americana/bluegrass music. “Return of the Grievous Angel” shows off a bit of a steel guitar and “Blue Ridge Mountain Blues” wraps up the EP with a light and airy feel that sounds like coming home. Barlow is a native of North Carolina and she lives up to the band name by bringing a familiar yet fresh sound to this beloved genre. – Liv Conaty
Website: https://www.thenorthcarolines.com/
Upcoming Shows: 8 p.m. Friday at Workshop Brewing in Traverse City (EP-release show); 8 p.m. Saturday at Beards Brewery in Petoskey; May 18 at Lake Ann Brewing Co. in Lake Ann; June 21 at Sol of the Lost Tamarack Festival
Listen: “Caleb Meyer”
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