Search - Jamie Rounds :: 10 Great Car Tunes!

Ten Great Car Tunes

Kristi Hein | San Francisco, CA USA | 11/12/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"You've gotta hear this one, and when you hear it, you've gotta have it. From the first engine-revving guitar riff, Jamie Rounds' "Ten Great Car Tunes" is great for the car, all right - you'll crank it up, sing along, drum on the steering wheel. And it's great anywhere else - at a party, on the dance floor, or any time you need to lift your spirits with fine rock n roll.
This album cooks, with an amazing range of styles from '60s classic rock to pop to folk-rock to Nashville. Rounds is a triple-threat singer-songwriter-guitarist, and he's so damn good at each, it's hard to say which comes out on top. His voice, always strong, is bright and tender with the first glimpse of a new face; soulful and ragged-edged when obsessive love has him in its grip. His falsetto will raise the hair on your neck, and he pulls off a pitch-perfect Beach Boys harmony (ably backed up, as on all the cuts, by Duane Jarvis).
As a songwriter, Rounds shines equally in lyrics and melody. He's a born rock poet, always finding that point where the personal meets the universal. And he's got the knack for taking a familiar phrase - "so long," "a little too soon to tell," "long shot" -- and conjuring up every possible fresh twist. Every word comes through nice and clear, and you'll find a lot of "yeah, that's right!" moments -- like in the first car tune, "So Long": "You can't whine when the siren finds you/you can't fake it when the fuel is gone/but you just might find if you limp it to the line/the line ain't so long, so long..."
In "Asleep and Awake," Rounds nails the fever of romantic fixation: "Bad guys win, good guys lose/I don't know the difference/the world could end on the 6 o'clock news/and I won't know the difference...I dream of you, asleep and awake/but I don't know the difference." And in "Tears Don't Care," he sings pointedly to a lover who'd earlier "set him free" -- and has just gotten a taste of her own medicine: "Round baby, round it goes in a circle/you see it on the young & the restless every day/somebody thinks they're the one/invented the game of hit and run/just to find that anybody can play."
A couple of instrumentals really showcase his guitar mastery (the second is a delightful homage to a '60s gem - if you were around back then, on the first few listens you'll probably expect it to be followed by the ominous opening strains of "White Rabbit"). But Rounds is more than an ace guitarist; he handles all the instruments here, except for Duane Jarvis' guitar assist on one cut, and Avery Augur's soulful banjo on another.
On your first listen, I defy you to play it just once. The first time I played it, I punched Play again twice and only stopped after the third time through because I HAD to go somewhere, and there's no CD player in my car! Get "Ten Great Car Tunes" and look for more from Jamie Rounds. He's the real deal."

More, please!

gabrielmicah | Titusville, FL USA | 09/28/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Jamie Rounds is a remarkable musician. His "Ten Great Car Tunes" (nearly his alone, including instrumentals, lyrics, and vocals) gets better every time I listen to it. The lyrics range from fun to philosophical, and often catch you off guard with simple, disarming honesty. His melodies pull you in, follow you around throughout the day, and are beautifully enhanced by his harmonies. The variety too is impressive, from pop and rock and roll (to which you can't help but move) to sweet acoustic. And it is all powerfully supported by his skill with guitars (the CD includes two really fine instrumentals). I fully trust it will leave you, as it left me, hoping for much more music from this very talented man."

A Great Addition

Nina | San Francisco, CA | 06/15/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Jamie Rounds' 10 Great Car Tunes is a terrific album, filled with some of my most favorite things - inherently hummable melodies, memorable lyrics and skillful guitar work. It twists and turns through a variety of musical styles from almost-country to good, old rock and roll, spiritedly displaying Rounds' versatility as writer, guitarist and vocalist. I've found a different 'Car Tune' running through my head every day since the album arrived. It would be a great addition to anyone's collection, but be prepared to sing along."