REVIEW:
When I first heard of Andy Evans the comparison was Ryan Adams, the hot-shot-pop-rock star of the moment. No offense to Adams, but not really my cup of tea. There is a reason why the phrase “don’t judge a book by its cover” still applies today. Andy Evans is no Ryan Adams; I enjoyed Evans music much more.
Diving right into the tracks of his album, Miracle, we begin with “Miracle”, a simple love song. The song is simple, in a good way in that the tune is catchy and somehow the lyrics, despite being simplistic are real and unique, all in a good way. Hey, it worked for The Beatles (they weren’t so bad), and it works for Evans. Sometimes I like to guess what a song is about by the title and “45” didn’t disappoint. It’s about a gun, but not what you think, it’s the gun his dad left him as a gift after he passed away. I don’t want to get all “Cats In The Cradle” here, but it hit a nerve. Let’s talk about Evan’s voice. It’s deep. A perfect place to start is listening to “Lesson Learned” a slow tune that showcases his Eddie Vedderesque vocals with a sound that is forcefully suppressed, resulting in a built up emotion for the listener, at least it did for me.
Evan’s album is an eclectic group of songs that together work to tell a powerful story. The writing is impeccable and the delivery is flawless.
“Shape of Love” has a hint of roaring twenties swing and “Judas” is a gloomy, purposely distorted sounding rocker. “I Wish She Was Mine” goes back to what Evans does so well, and that’s tell a real story where he doesn’t mince words, poetry mixed with a pleasant sound. The album ends with “Make It” a long tune that only puts an explanation point on the fact that Evans is an artist that doesn’t play by the rules!
TRACKLISTING:
- Intro
- Miracle
- 45
- Lesson Learned
- Shape of Love
- Judas
- I Wish She Was Mine
- Elemental
- Make It