The Chorus Music Club Society • Page 333

Haha it should be cool, I’m looking forward to it. Cheers for rec’ing that The Barber album. When you mentioned it sounded a bit like Every Time I Die the other day it got me interested but I hadn’t got round to it yet.

 

This was a really good album!

 

I really enjoyed this album!

 

Awesome, glad you enjoyed both of those. Barely March is on my AOTY list atm and I’m fairly certain The Interrupters album will make it on their once I’ve had it for a bit longer.

 

You have good musical taste!

 

@ineverlose and I have traded!

I was given:

Night Verses - Lift Your Existence

And they got:

Starset- Vessels

 

I look forward to hearing your opinion on Lift Your Existence Kev, I love that album.

 

It’s really good. I need to listen to the new one!

 

Yeah same, although I’m not sure I’ll be as into it without Doug.

 

From what I read, I think I’ll like it.
this was a mutually beneficial trade for both parties.

 

I havnt done mine in weeks...

 

I’ve noticed. Get on it! Schools out, no excuse!

 

We're finally getting news Tides of Man?!?! YEEESSSSS

 

@ineverlose and I traded last week and they gave me:

Steve Moakler: Born Ready (2018) CN Records

Steve Moakler is a country music singer/songwriter from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania that is now based in Nashville, Tennessee. Born Ready is his fourth studio album and sees him mix country and Americana that bring to mind artists like Bruce Springsteen.

The album opens with the title track that just screams America! It is the perfect song to kick the album off and is a tribute to the life of the American trucker. Mack trucks actually loved it so much they used it in their commercials. The theme throughout the entire song is so powerful and has this overwhelming sense of resilience to it. By the end of the song you will feel ready to take on the world.

"We're the headlights, we're the backbone
The highway anthem, that American road song
It goes on like...

Red white and blue just rolling down the blacktop
Bulldogs barking till the can't do backs off
Raised on the road just two hands holding on steady

Born ready, born ready..."

I love the next song, Crazy Does, and is another upbeat number that is about a crazy ex. I am sure almost every single person can relate to how they feel like they are on a rollercoaster ride and not able to read what the other is thinking or why they do what they do to show their affection for you.

Breaking New Ground is another song that is a tribute to working man and is a song you want to blare out of your car on a sunny day with the windows down. That's the overall theme with this album: it is not ground breaking but boy is it fun and you will be singing along with him by the second spin.

"Shovel in my hands, sweat on my shirt,
Been workin' for a while, boys, on this pile of dirt,
Tryin' to dig a little deeper in a hard rock town,
No, it ain't easy breakin' new ground..."

One of the Boys is a love song about meeting that perfect girl that will change you from being a boy to a man. I love his ability to write a great story in his songs and take you on a journey and just forget the worries of the world for the 43 minutes that it takes you to get through the album. That is the other thing in that the album never feels that long and just captivates you the entire time.

Devices is the first ballad we hear him perform but it feels like something you would slow dance to at a bar with him playing on a small stage. I just love the fact that I could picture myself swaying along to it. Even though it slows things right down, it is still a fantastic song.

Hard Not to Love It is another upbeat song about overcoming obstacles in life and that even though it's hard at the time you still love the end product of all your hard work. Despite his young age, you absolutely believe everything he sings about and how hard he has worked to get where he is.

Slow Down is another slow burner and finds Steve talking about that perfect someone that makes him want to settle down.

This then rolls into my favorite songs on the album, Thirty. This really is the perfect song to sum him up if someone only gave me one song to try and sell them this incredible artist. I love the lyrics: “too old to die young but too young to slow down." It's about how you are never too old, or too young to amaze yourself and do great things. Once again, this album is so inspiring and makes your feel good and want to conquer the world.

Nightlife is a party song and feels like something I could see Bruce Springsteen using and just cranking it up to 11. I love the swagger to it and around the one minute mark it brings in this reverb drenched solo. This could definitely sit right at the end of the album or be one that he closes out a show with.

Chesney is a fantastic love song and I love his relating a relationship to a specific artist they both love. The steel guitar just entrances you and you just belt the song at the top of your lungs. Speaking of:

"Your that mid west girl,
Looks like she's at the beach,
Straw cowboy hat and them bleach white jeans,
Singing I'd go back at top of your lung,
If I could sum you up in a memory"

One More Troubadour is another ballad and brings it full circle, speaking of the hopes and dreams of the working class, going to work day in and day out to provide for their families. You can't get any closer to home than that.

The last song, aptly titled, The Last Word, is another ballad but feels very upbeat at the same time and is very simple in that at the end of day, love conquers all. I love the use of "whoa whoa's" that make it uplifting and coupled with steel guitar sounds great.


This is such a fantastic country album that is so relatable and catchy while transporting you specific times in your life evoking such rich memories that forever changed your life. That is so admirable and I see Steve Moakler going really far if he keeps up this amazing work. I highly recommend this album to everyone. It's nothing groundbreaking but it is so much fun and you will instantly fall in love with it.

RIYL: Country Music, Bruce Springsteen

Favorite Songs:
Born Ready
Thirty
Nightlife

 

Just saw I got paired up. I’m sorry but I have some shit going on and can’t really do it for the next few weeks, i’m Already two reviews behind so I’m gonna sir this one out and try get my reviews done and maybe come back on board in two weeks when i’ve Sorted everything out :)

 

Hey, I'm interested in participating! Looking forward to discover new artists and vice versa. I had very good memories from the Mixtape threads on ap.net.

 

Seems like @Petit nain des Îles and @CSWAPPO should partner up for this session since @SamLevi11 needs to sit this one out.

Does that work for everyone?

 

Welcome to the club @Petit nain des Îles !

It’s pretty easy to get started - just private message your partner for the session (or wait for them to message you) and then exchange album recommendations for the week. Typically people exchange 1 or 2 albums, but the number of albums is up to you and your partner.

Once recommendations are decided on, post them in this thread and then post your thoughts/write-up/review in this thread after you’ve listened to and digested the album.

If you ever have any questions, give me a shout!

 

Welcome aboard! If you have any questions let me know, or if your partner doesn’t respond let some of us know :)

 

Awesome review, @Nate_Johnson! Glad to see the album hit you the way it hit me! Moakler is so impressive...I feel like he can sum up so many different human emotions and experiences in such awesome lyrics and melodies...the mark of a true songwriter. He's become one of my favorites, so I'm glad to see that you appreciated his music the way I do.

 

Like I said, I couldn’t stop listening to it and is one of the major reasons I couldn’t sit down and write my review!

 

@ineverlose and @Nate_Johnson are you familiar with older Moakler? His last two albums are incredible but his lesser known stuff from before he really embraced country is really great too. Wide Open and Watching Time Run have such good songs.

 

I am not but I will definitely check them out!

 

Wide Open isn't too different from his country stuff, it definitely leans in that direction. His two albums before that are more pop singer-songwriter with the same great songwriting

 

@Spenny a long time ago had given me:

Nathaniel Ratecliff & The Night Sweats: Tearing at the Seams (2018)

Nathaniel Ratecliff is a singer/songwriter based out of Denver, Colorado and can best be described as folk, Americana and vintage rhythm & blues. This is his second studio album with this group along with an EP and Live album. The music is from another time but fits so well in todays music scene much like that of Shakey Graves. He is not as "quirky" as Shakey Graves but they each have one foot in todays music scene and the other in old school blues. Nathaniel also has a backing band, The Night Sweats, and feels more "full" than Shakey Graves. With all that being said, this album isn't immediately accessible, also like Shakey Graves, but grows with each listen. It is rock music but more of a slow burn instead of going all out. A lot of reviews of Justin Timberlake's latest album say that he gained a lot of inspiration from artists like Nathaniel Ratecliff.

Opening song, Shoe Boot, is the perfect song to open the album and really shows all the band has to offer with a plodding bass line, horns, sax and harpsichord to top it all off. Nathaniel has this great soul to his voice and you can tell he is a master of his craft and reminds me a lot of Sam Cooke. I love how the vocals are not really the star of the show and that the band will just go all out and show us all they have to offer. This is most evident on the oddly titled, Intro, nestled right in the middle of the record. It is an instrumental song but I totally forgot about the vocals because the band is just fantastic.

A Little Honey recalls Elton John's "Benny and the Jets" with a similar beat and the inclusion of a piano and some horns. I personally love when he goes a little more country instead of soul and this is one of those tracks. "Hey Mama" is another one of those tracks that has it's roots in country.

Coolin' Out is definitely the most upbeat song on the album and is one you could see the band using to get the crowd all riled up at some outdoor festival with backup singers and the beer flowing.

Possibly, my favorite track on the album is You Worry Me, which go figure, is the lead single. The guitar on it has this 70's Bog Seger or Kenny Loggins tone to it and just makes you want to get in your car and drive.

The album does feel a little long at 52 minutes with little variation from his perfected formula. I head read that this latest incarnation of the band was his last attempt to really get more successful. He is extremely talented and I think his curse is that he is someone that "overwrites". Some of the songs seem a bit long and the album altogether is really long and would have benefited from some editing. Don't get me wrong, this album is very good and fans of any of the genres mentioned should definitely check it out.

RIYL: Folk, Americana, rhythm & blues, country

Favorite Songs:
A Little Honey
Intro
Coolin' Out
You Worry Me