Search - Echolyn :: Cowboy Poems Free

Echolyn's most melodic release.

Dan A. Bobrowski | California | 01/12/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Echolyn disintegrated soon after the Sony debacle and As The World failed to catapult the band to the big leagues. The members went their own ways, Brett Kull, Ray Weston and Paul Ramsey formed Still and Chris Buzby created Finneus Gauge with his brother, John. Chris and Brett, after a few years apart, contacted each other and began talking of getting together and writing some music. They did and at length put together ten tunes, called on Ray and Paul and added Jordan Perlson on percussives and reformed the Echolyn machine.



On Cowboy Poems Free, Buzby reduces the synth heaviness of earlier recordings and relies more heavily on piano and organ for a more immediate and live feel. This album is a "grower." The more you listen, the more you get trapped by the wonderful melodies and warm, heartfelt lyrics. The lyrics for CPF come from various stages of American History. The depression era (Human Lottery, Texas Dust ), WWII (67 Degrees, Too Late for Everything and Brittany) the 50/60's (Grey Flannel Suits, Swinging the Ax). The melodies are strong and will get stuck in your head. This has to be Echolyn's most melodic accomplishment.



Musically the biggest difference between CPF and the previous efforts is bassist Tom Hyatt's absence. Ray Weston handles the bass chores well, but he's not as complex as Hyatt. Believe me when I say, you'll hardly notice. The songs are strong enough that you won't miss that component. The addition of Perlson (Buzby's Berkley student) on conga's (mainly) adds another facet to the sound, more airy and breathable. Buzby's keyboard work really shines, not flashy, but more live and energetic. Vocally, Kull and Weston are so "on the mark" and fresh sounding. They never sound forced, as they do on some tunes from the early days. They've matured and wrote vocals lines more suited to their distinct ranges.



The "stand out" tracks for me are; Grey Flannel Suits, Brittany, 67 Degrees and Swinging the Ax. I've played some of these for non-prog music fans with good results.



You can go to Echolyn's website and download some zip files from each disc and put together a good sampler. You'll find that the tunes representing Cowboy Poems Free are among their strongest. Some of the CPF tracks are also featured on the live DVD "Stars and Gardens.""

Great new music in the classic progressive style....sort of.

Squire Jaco | Buffalo, NY USA | 05/09/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"With a focus on intimate profiles of early 20th century Americans and historical events and circumstances, "Cowboy Poems Free" creates a new sound for Echolyn, while still retaining many of the progressive trademarks that they displayed on earlier cd's. This is a great cd.



The band itself is top-notch: they've consistently written great songs with compelling lyrics spanning a wide variety of subjects and emotions. Great technicians - they don't overplay, but you get the clear sense that they are both confident and competent in their musical abilities. They excel at fast-paced, multi-layered prog that's reminiscent at times of Gentle Giant's virtuosity and dissonance, and National Health's progressive-fusion cleverness; but they can also slow down and croon a ballad as lovely and heartfelt as anything out there.



The music here is at times fun, often reflective, and always new and interesting - really holds your attention, while still offering some nice melodic hooks. My personal favorites are centered in the middle of the album with "1729 Broadway", "High as Pride", "American Vacation Tune" and "Brittany". "Texas Dust" is also a great energetic album opener, and the cd ends with the absolutely gorgeous "Too Late For Everything".



I also like the vocals on this CD much more than on "As the World", and especially "Suffocating the Bloom" (where Weston could occasionally sound like an over-dramatic Michael Sadler from Saga!). And some great vocal harmonies here too, which at times remind me of....Steely Dan?! I don't know why - maybe the subject matter and some of the wry, bittersweet lyrics.



This is a band that deserves a lot more attention. Their CD "As the World" was a bit more classic prog than this, but very good. And 2002's "Mei" has some moments of true inspiration. "Cowboy Poems Free" balances those two albums by showing a more personal, folkier side. Get the album. Get the others. Be amazed and entertained.



I value interesting music that is played and recorded well. This cd's rating was based on:

Music quality = 9.2/10; Performance = 9.5/10; Production = 9/10; CD length = 10/10.

Overall score weighted on my proprietary scale = 9.3 ("5 stars")"