[ad_1]
The bluesy spirit pervading Lee Shupp’s songwriting doesn’t consign him to a purist vein. He smooths over the rugged edges of his new assortment Rise Up with flashes of pop sensibility that by no means threaten to dilute the gravitas underlying every of the album’s eight songs. It’s a short launch by trendy requirements. Nonetheless, the condensed focus and impassioned songwriting current all through Rise Up ship a satisfying expertise that many longer albums lack. The San Francisco-based singer/songwriter and guitarist leaves no stone unturned in his efforts to fulfill audiences however, most significantly, to fulfill himself.
It isn’t laborious to consider that tracks corresponding to “Right here There Be Dragons” aren’t personally satisfying. Shupp lays it on the road for listeners with this trustworthy glimpse into his psyche, and numerous listeners will relate. His facility on the guitar is notable, however the music proves he’s a talented lyricist. He drenches the music with bluesy grit. The recurring slide guitar work throughout the music has an uncompromising tone. It’s the musical equal of a number of exclamation factors scattered all through the minimize.
Slide guitar is an important contributor to the album’s second observe “Experience Tall within the Saddle”. It’s a bit much less raucous than the opener and extra deliberate, and the accompanying massed vocals employed throughout the chorus make a distinctly completely different impression than the sooner “Right here There Be Dragons”. “One Step Forward of the Sandman” owes extra to Shupp’s rock and pop influences than the blues. It has a punchy refrain that stands out and performs as if it’s minimize from a lot of the identical fabric as “Experience Tall within the Saddle”, sans the slide guitar. Constant manufacturing values contribute an unified character to the discharge.
A powerful vocal association lightens the rock character of the album’s longest observe, “Elemental”. It’s a music gentle on its ft, briskly paced, and as soon as once more distinguished by Shupp’s underrated lyrical acumen. The 4 minutes plus operating time permits Shupp to musically stretch in a method that the remaining seven tracks don’t. The album’s last two tracks take a stylistic flip away from their predecessors. “Going Dwelling” veers near symphonic pop with gentle orchestration. The slight psychedelic haze hanging over the observe is acceptable for a San Francisco-based musical artist. Nonetheless, it by no means goes too far in that course and leans extra in the direction of the pop finish of the spectrum.
“Protected and Sound” is one half narrative lyric and one other half character examine. Rise Up’s closing music positive factors an ideal deal from its supporting vocals, and the bell-clear musicality of Shupp’s vocals is the observe’s undisputable heart. The acoustic guitar enjoying throughout the album’s last two songs provides Rise Up’s conclusion a unique sonic character than the primary six tracks. Nonetheless, the vitality stays, albeit formed in one other method. It’s a becoming shut for the discharge. Lee Shupp’s Rise Up could also be brief by up to date requirements, however the Texas-born San Francisco transplant packs these eight tracks with ample content material. It’ll fulfill even probably the most rigorous listener.
Mindy McCall
Associated
[ad_2]
