Eric Solomon CD Review
Well I guess it’s been a while since I sat down and wrote a CD review, especially considering all the festivals and local shows I’ve been going to this past summer. Then again, it’s been a while since any disc has caught my attention. There are so many great bands out there that play amazing live shows, but when it comes down to recording music not everyone has the money or time to produce an amazing CD. I understand it’s hard to fork out the money to go into a professional studio, even for a day, let alone have enough time to perfect each song. With that said, I don’t want to discourage anyone from sending in their CD’s to me for review, because I do take the time to listen to each EP that is sent my way. I’m constantly looking for new music that has that “WOW” factor that separates them from the crowd, and when I stumbled onto Eric Solomon on myspace, I knew at once I had to get a hold of his album. I emailed him around April and being the busy man that he is, he contacted me in October. I don’t blame him, especially when he’s constantly playing shows and promoting his music, so when I did finally manage to coerce them into sending me his CD, I was giddy for a few hours. Believe you me that does not happen very often, as much of a surprise that is to all of you. I have yet to put down the CD, listening to each track over and over (good thing it isn’t a cassette… you know… those little plastic rectangular shaped objects… otherwise each track would be worn thin), because each song is mind bendingly addictive.
Eric Solomon is a multi-talented musician, playing every instrument imaginable to man, and is one of those child prodigies from one of those musical scientific labs. OK maybe he’s not a mutant, but that’s the only explanation for his amazing musicality. He was raised in Congo, Africa (all I can say is…WOW!) which has influenced his openness to accepting different musical genres. He blends together funk, rock, jazz, soul, and R&B into what can only be defined as Eric Solomon. He writes, produces, composes, and arranges everything himself, which leaves me utterly speechless. He sets the bar incredibly high for himself, and he jumps over it with ease. He has the full package, which is why I’m surprised he isn’t signed to a major label yet. He has everything you look for in a musician and artist, so it’s only a matter of time before he becomes a household name. Let me elaborate a little on this fact, because he has gotten attention from labels such as Universal and Sony, but why they didn’t release his album is beyond my knowledge. So without waiting and compromising, Eric did what any boy genius would do, he did everything himself. He constantly travels back and forth from Vancouver to Montreal to New York (three of the best cities in world might I add) promoting his music and living his life as a performer. But enough about his accomplishments, on to the music!
Eric Solomon’s album, rightly titled “My Reality,” starts off with a bang right from the very beginning. “Livin’ a Lie” provides a soulful funk rock track, with heavy bass riffs and piano driven melodies. Eric’s vocals are showcased right off the bat and it’s just the tip of the iceberg to his amazing range. “My Reality,” the next track, is reminiscent of Mika, but with an Eric Solomon twist. Based off the lyrics, Eric is basically telling a compressed version of his life, from living in the desert to living as a musician. “I know I will make it, if I refuse to take it” is probably one of my favourite lines in this song. I’m not sure if he’s directing it anyone, but if I were to guess, I would have to say he’s talking to all those major labels that shut him down. With the right words to accompany the music, he is able to showcase his powerful voice. “Rain,” an insecure love song, starts off with a pleasant cello/violin introduction which is later accompanied by a softer and personal Solomon. I think he touches on a subject everyone can relate to, especially for those in an intimate relationship. It’s only human to doubt, and he captures all the emotions into this song. “Blue Skies” flips the whole love notion around and provides a new age funk to the already soulful track. Aside from Eric’s impressive vocals, the bass riffs on this track are not only melodic, but also technically perfect. But going back to Eric’s voice, I can’t help but compare him to Gavin DeGraw, especially when he gets into the chorus and sings “You can tame the monsters within my soul.” “Dirty Man” is quite different from the first four tracks. First off, it starts off and continues with some impressive beat boxing, accompanied by a beautiful falsetto. The lyrics are innovative and filled with humour, especially the line “You can’t say babe, that I don’t reciprocate, cuz’ every chance I get girl, I freak you in a public place.” Only a dirty man could think of something like that! “Step Off,” the next track on the disc, is a straight up rock n roll track. Both the verse and chorus are catchy and melodic, but at the same time having the angst of a good rock song. “Make It Real” slows it down and provides the nice soulful Al Green-ish track, with different horn instruments playing in the background. This song is definitely not like the others and it’s a nice break from his up-tempo material. I guess that’s why he put it right smack in the middle of the CD, and let’s be honest, it’s no fun when all the songs sound the same. “Build Myself Again” starts off with Eric’s low grungy voice, and what’s that I hear in the background? Oh yes it is! It’s a banjo! You don’t hear many of those in modern rock songs, and actually I can’t even think of any. “Roses” brings it back to the funk, with whammy pedal galore and a great keyboard solo. Along with the great instrumental arrangements, Eric is able to showcase his wide vocal range, displaying the power and beauty within his voice. “She Knows Me” is a nice soft acoustic track that shows yet another side of Eric. He tones down his voice just a tad bit, and serenades you with beautiful harmonies. “Til Then” is one of the most beautiful songs I have heard in a long time. I think it’s the simplicity that captures me into the song, with just a piano and Eric’s voice, later accompanied by the full band (horns, strings, and drums included). With lyrics like “I hope you’ll be missing me, cuz I’ll be missing you. Til then I’ll just send you this song,” how can you not just curl up into a ball and turn into mush? “Bali” is another great straight up rock track, with a unique Bollywood like twist. And finally the track to end all tracks, “Who’s The Man?” is a politically influenced solo acoustic song, that brings to light the inconsistencies of the Middle East and our Western culture. This song showcases Eric as the prototypical singer/songwriter and I could honestly picture this being played as one of those planed encores, with lighters (I guess cell phones nowadays…) being raised by everyone in the crowd.
Overall, this album is an eclectic and amazing album. The arrangements, the vocals, the overall composition of the songs are a masterpiece. This is by far one of my favourite albums and it is a must buy. I can’t wait to catch him live, and make sure you all check out his myspace and website to sample some of his tunes.
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I just found out Eric has signed to Universal! Congrats to him and I look forward to his next album.