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.
