Ryan Lerman and Gumshen

Ryan Lerman “Pinstripes, The Sky”
Los Angeles musician and guitarist Ryan has worked with Ben Folds, Pomplamoose and several others to hone his craft and this debut defies categorization. After a series of low key numbers, he starts to come out of his shell with the funk pop “Rolling In The Deep,” then we enter a magical place with “Your Own Advice.”

Folds assists on “Do With You” a slow slice of blues pop, with a theatrical twist. Then it really kicks in with the Nilsson-like “This Is My Piano,” and the orchestral ballad “Cellophane” is part Donovan, part Elliot Smith. But Ryan never sticks to a style long, and gets to the warm single “Baby It’ll Be Alight.” Other notable tracks include “Rhymes With Nothing” and “Too Many Songs.” If any album could be called a “pop potpourri” this is it. He’s also got impressive videos for lots of these songs.

Gumshen “Everything What We Recorded”
Described as a fusion of Franz Ferdinand and Pink Floyd with funk is Gumshen. The bouncy “Hammer & Nails” is a great opener, with solid riffs and Ron Hippe’s strong vocals. “Too Much Good Times” almost sounds like a different band, but it’s that unpredictability that thrills you, as “Jag It Up” does a Talking Heads meets Isaac Hayes jam. It’s way out there, but some gems show themselves like “Done” and the electric thumping of “Say What You Want.” Fans of A Band Called Mithras latest will enjoy this.