CD Details
Synopsis
Album DescriptionROCKY VOTOLATO emerges with the evocative and emotive Burning My Travels Clean, his fourth solo release and first for Second Nature Recordings. Known as "the voice" behind WAXWING's powerfully lucid excursions and soundscapes, Burning My Travels Clean is by nature a different animal, even as it ephemerally recalls WAXWING's most somnambulant moments. Burning My Travels Clean is in marked contrast a stripped down and direct affair, yet gains a clarity and gracefulness because of its minimalist and stark delivery. Comprised mainly of ROCKY's fatigued, straining, yet delicately quivering voice, and his lilting acoustic guitar strumming, accompanied by sparse drum and bass, and the occasional violin, piano and pedal steel guitar slivers, Burning My Travels Clean is eleven mournful, morose and haunting songs that showcase ROCKY as more than just another singer-songwriter, but as a musician capable of rending one's soul with his recollections, dreams and confessions. ! Still, ROCKY occasionally offers a slightly hurried twist to the delicate proceedings, with songs such as "Without Eyes Still Seeing" and "I Remember Music" breaking the methodical pace. Produced by the renowned Matt Bayles (BOTCH, WAXWING, THE BLOOD BROTHERS, PEARL JAM), Burning My Travels Clean is resonant and delicate, with ROCKY's heart-wrenching vocals predominant but never overpowering. Contrary to WAXWING's occasional rock endeavors, with Burning My Travels Clean, ROCKY VOTOLATO will break nothing except your heart.
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CD Reviews
Good acousti-folk Chris Wren | Chicago, Illinois | 05/29/2002 (4 out of 5 stars) "The majority of the exposure that Rocky Votolato has gained was due to his tour with Dashboard Confessional, an interesting bill. Before this, Votolato's reputation was garnered from the indie outfit, Waxwing. Unfortunately, he was cast in the wrong tour: Votolato's innocent lyricism and conventional songwriting made him stand out as a real honest writer not in the typical "emo" sense, but in a folk rock sense. It's acoustic rock with a backing band, yet his personality, which comes through his voice and quiet strumming of the guitar, puts a personal stamp that cannot be ignored.This is not to say this album is devoid of "emo" rock characteristics. Votolato unabashedly tells the trials and tribulations that he's gone through and adds his own fire. This personal touch is what makes it great, as he combines both honest and innocent lyricism into a greater body. An example of his lyricism can be seen in the song "Without My Eyes Still Seeing": "Dylan, Drake, Even Schwarzenbach, how you became heroes I'll never forget: It's not easy looking at your heart, not many men know how, even fewer speak out."While it falls into a typical acoustic-rock outfit, Rocky Votolato's "Burning My Travels Clean" is an excellent CD with interesting and engaging songwriting. Pick up a copy."
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