Artist: Dark Spark Rays

Artist: Dark Spark Rays

Review by Jessi Roti – @JessiTaylorRO

Links: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Dark-Spark-Rays/214310498696776

https://twitter.com/darksparkrays

https://www.reverbnation.com/darksparkrays/songs

Love and relationships both brim over with ideas and perspectives to base songs around, and every artist, in any given genre, has a love song – whether it’s about having love or kicking that love to the curb. Dark Spark Rays don’t stray far from their peers in that respect (really, how could you?), but their blending of indie-pop and country-tinged melodies into simple songs are all heart, no fuss. The hush of the drums reverberates against the robust, yet gentle sound of frontman James Joe Lino’s vocals.

Heavily acoustic numbers like “Waiting for the Night” and “Daytime Lullaby” follow a similar format, put to sleep with smooth crooner vocals, while fully-fleshed garage-rocker, “Is It Love?” has a southern, swamp-rock swagger to it. The driving riff echoes the likes of “Garbage Truck” by the fictional band, Sex Bob-Omb from the film adaptation of Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. The campfire sing-along of a closing number, “Beaten Up But Not Down,” is so innocent and endearing that I couldn't dismiss it as filler if I tried.

While the indie deliveries are charming, the most interesting (albeit ill-fitting amongst the other four) song Dark Spark Rays delivers is “Hazel Hue.” It’s reminiscent of the slightly goth Cat’s Eyes album released by the Horrors’ frontman Faris Badwan and Rachel Zeffira in 2011. Lino’s vocals echo the hollowness and bass of Badwan’s, while Gabriella Campos’ harmonies float above the haunting keys.

The best albums, the ones that you can feel in your gut when you press ‘play’ or drop the needle, are the ones that are honest. It’s evident while listening to Dark Spark Rays that each member of this band wears their heart on their sleeve and are open to their own interpretations of love and relationships, whatever those interpretations may be. Their sound leaves room for experimentation, and if they’re going to remain honest to themselves and their audience, they better get to it.

Artist: My Encore

Artist: My Encore

Review by Jessi Roti – @JessiTaylorRO

EP: Leaving HoME: Prologue

Links: https://soundcloud.com/my-encore/sets/leaving-home-prologue

https://youtu.be/6NA63VvifJ8

For his My Encore project, singer-songwriter Rhett Hamilton tries with every fiber of his being to make something out of the pop-rock mold he holds so dear. As a result, My Encore's debut EP, Leaving HoME: Prologue, can sound a bit like a mix of the music Hamilton listened to growing up. But while My Encore has yet to settle on a style, Hamilton has the songwriting chops to entertain us when they do.

The lead tracks open with rap or spoken word, a type of journal-entry desire for something better. Gang vocals tell the tale of growing up, getting out, making something of yourself – but not without friends by your side. Bands like New Found Glory have pioneered this narrative for over a decade to varying degrees of success, and while Hamilton’s vulnerability and desire are just as endearing as theirs, as a narrative it falls short of really standing on its own. It just doesn't separate itself enough from the Dashboard Confessionals of the new millennium.

As heard on “Towers” and “Angel (feat. Jonny Craig),” Hamilton can flat-out play the guitar. The speedy introduction of “Towers” has a Dave Matthews jam-band agility that is definitely attention-grabbing. And though Hamilton's musicianship occasionally carries a song, the EP can get stuck in its own sweetness. The songwriting is all too often one-note – lemonade with too much sugar, sweet without the bite.

There's one attempt at breaking up the sweetness. “Never Let ME Go” ends in a trap mix that lyrically includes something like, “Fuck me like I'm the only way you're getting out.” This is where Hamilton’s ambition gets the best of him, where he’ll eventually have to decide if he wants to be an R&B-pop artist or stick with his gang-vocals and guitars. Because the overly jarring moment stands in stark contrast to the sweet optimism pervading Leaving HoME: Prologue.

Given the dichotomy of styles heard on Leaving HoME: Prologue, it's clear that Hamilton surveyed the musical landscape before entering the studio. In doing so, he became quite the musician himself. But Hamilton has yet to look in the mirror, and decide it's time to be his own idol.