CD REVIEW
CHARLIE DEGENHART – APRIL’S FOOL
WINGDING RECORDS – 2005
Charlie Degenhart's - 'April's Fool' Album Cover
This is another great Wingding Records artist that deserves a mention on our site. Charlie Degenhart is new to the Nashville scene but not new to music in general. He’s already released an excellent full-length album, ‘Bridge Street Main’ available on Tiki God records and his Wingding debut EP, ‘April’s Fool’ builds on the momentum to expose him to Music City. Here is my review of the EP.
A western feel surrounds the opening of ‘Momentary Bliss’, a story with a moral to enjoy the simple pleasures that many of us often overlook. This is a good mid-tempo opener to set just the right mood.
The albums second track, ‘Called’ reminds me of a mix of Motown and the blues with Degenhart crooning in an almost 60-s era Steve Winwood style. With a swinging, up-tempo swagger, ‘Called’ is a memorable track.
With an Americanized Beatles influence, ‘Two Fools’ is a mellow, ‘lazy day’ kind of song. This tune gives a view of two siblings that share an April 1st birthdate and take time to forget about the troubles of society in order to revel in each other’s company.
This endearing tune about an elderly man reminiscing on his past glory days on radio and the viewpoint of the songwriter is one of the best “storyteller” songs that I’ve ever heard. The changes are flawless and the song has beautiful melody lines that carry a heavy Lennon/McCartney influence. This tune deserves to be heard by the masses!
This is a laid back, heartwarming road song that has a bit of a Randy Newman vibe going on. The slide guitar accentuates the strong biographical lyrics. Twisting around the main lyric of “Home is never as far away as it seems”, ‘Our Crooked Roads’ takes us on a journey worth the ride.
I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this disc by Charlie Degenhart. These songs truly carry a personal story that is felt throughout and a set of emotions that we can all relate to. In today’s age of electronic media and other assorted fancy gadgets, Charlie Degenhart reminded me that you can write a thought provoking song that makes an emotional impact on the listener with just a voice and an acoustic guitar. This collection of songs could very well succeed on mainstream radio if given the chance.
You can catch Charlie Degenhart along with Joe Croker, Doug Hoekstra, and George Marinelli tonight at The Five Spot in East Nashville for the Wingding Records Artist Spotlight show. If you enjoy stripped-down songs with a strong pulse, this show is a must see. I’ll be there covering the event. Hope to see you there!
For more information on Charlie Degenhart as well as other Wingding artists, visit:
www.wingdingrecords.com
That’s all for today. Until next time, I’m out like parachute pants!