Regular Columnists

Artist: Willie Herath
Album: Cohgie Never Landed
CD Review: When I first clocked out this CD, I thought of the appreciation I had for the New Radicals; the acute nowness of their sound, the lyrics that survive close examination, the upbeat songs. Willie’s CD can endure the level of scrutiny I like to bring to any debate of pop music. Freshness ultimately relates to shelf life. Is there universality to what the musician is trying to say?

Willie is going for a near surfer sound. He started out idolizing the Beach Boys (one of my favorites) even though his music is far removed from any Brian Wilson composition. For one thing, Willie makes much better use of drums and bass than the Beach Boys ever did. He avoids instrumental fill-ins and lush harmonies. “Electric Sun”, the second cut on the CD, illustrates these points fabulously. A great song with cool drums and harmonies that are all over the place. “Drive”, a song with a Jack Johnson feel, has a big acoustic guitar sound that makes the lyrics stick in your head. “Something’s Broken” starts as simple plucking on a guitar and keeps building to an examination of regrets and second guessing.

My favorite song, “On the Way Back Home”, co-written with G. Beasley who also assists with two other songs on the CD, has everything I like in a song. The humorous lyrics relate to driving on LA freeways, the music is especially catchy and original, and you want it to go on and on.

Nothing on this CD is truly cutting edge, think the new Nine Inch Nails CD, and some of the songs could use a little more punch musically, but this is a CD I admire for its contemporary sound without trying to follow someone else’s trend. An original sound that should only get better. You can get more information from his website www.willieherath.com.

Grade: B