Tommy Sistak “Ready Set a Go Go”
Tommy Sistak’s (third) album continues his run of Merseybeat music in the tradition of his “Short Songs” and “A Good Hat Indeed.” So, if you are looking to get your early Beatles or Searchers music fix you’ve come to the right place.
The Rickenbacker jangle and three-part vocal harmonies are still in place for the bouncy opener “You Can’t Change Me” and the mid-tempo “Life Is Waiting For You” is arranged more like The Beau Brummels. Tommy knows the subtleties of the genre with his ukulele solo “Would You Want To” and isn’t afraid to add more guitar muscle to “I’ll Be There” and “She Just Won’t Go Away.” The multi-tracked vocals don’t always match the strength of the arrangements (“On My Own”) but otherwise, this is a guilt-free set of pop gems to enjoy.
Nick Eng “Nick Eng”
Reno native singer-songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Nick Eng has a great sense of melody and produces music with a timeless retro pop style, rooted in the mid-sixties. “Reminiscing” is a catchy gem with clever chord changes and his easygoing tenor reminds me of David Cassidy or Tommy Roe. The upbeat lyrics and tightly crafted arrangements of “Someday Someone” and “The One For You Is Me” share elements of both The Beatles and The Monkees.
Much of the music is the classic boy-loves-girl theme, as “How Do You Tell” and “A Fool” demonstrate. The storylines on “Mr. Greene,” shift to aging and “Left To Know” is a self-reflecting ballad on a breakup. Honestly, not a bad song on the album even though not every hook finds its mark. I hope to hear more from this talented artist in the future, so check it out!