Search - George Usher :: Dutch April

Way-Cool!Beatle/Byrds-esq pop-beautiful &intelligent lyrics!

05/27/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Excellent new record by George Usher - Fav of the NYC pop scene! Check local listing for the next gig! This band rocks live!"

A Mighty Man

E. Seifert | New Milford, NJ USA | 12/14/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I dream of an alternate universe, one in which great songwriters like George Usher get the respect and acclaim (and renumeration) they deserve, instead of toiling in relative obscurity. Sure, Richard Barone has released a number of songs he's written with George, most notably River to River, and Laura Cantrell's recent album is named after George's song Not the Tremblin' Kind, but the average bear has only heard of the other Usher, not George.Dutch April is a terrific CD full of terrific pop songs that aren't obtuse or avant-garde, and many of them would fit just fine into nearly any pop/rock radio format that's been used in the last thirty years. They're fun and catchy and poignant, often all at once. Take the third track on this CD, called You Better Let It Go. I defy anybody to listen to the chorus to this song three times and try not to spend the rest of the day singing it. (You can sample it here, but you only get the second half of the chorus.) That one's my personal favorite, but there are several more great songs here, like the beautiful Begging For Rain, and the haunting I Can Still See Her Eyes (the next line is "when I close mine"). The first two songs open the CD in rousing style, and the vocals really shine on the chorus to My Life With Jack the Fool. If you like well-written pop songs in the vein of the Beatles, Big Star, Crowded House, and the like, then this is a can't miss disc for you. If you're not hooked after the first three songs, then Jack, you dead. And there's more of the same high quality on the import Miracle School, which might even be a little better."