From: musicdish@gmail.com   
      
   "It gives me the strength to say... what do you know about it anyway"   
   -­‐Rick Vines, "Secrets"   
      
   Songwriter Rick Vines strives for energy. He lives for the energy of the song,   
   evoked by its meaning and its story. He cherishes the undefined, unpredictable   
   beauty when people join together to create a moment, timeless in sound. And   
   with his debut    
   record So Happy, he realizes into tangible form his own energy poured forth   
   into a   
   selection of ten songs that speak the truth.   
      
   He set out to make a record with wide appeal, not necessarily demanding of the   
   listener's full attention. But should one choose to tune in and listen   
   closely, one would find meaning and significance in the melody and lyrics. In   
   this respect, So Happy    
   succeeds.   
      
   The ten track album is clean and polished, but not so much as to dehumanize   
   the sound. Recorded at IV Labs studio in Chicago (notable output from IV   
   includes jam rock Umphrey's McGee, soul singer Cole DeGenova, and hip-­‐hop   
   band Sidewalk Chalk) the    
   record treats themes diverse and far-reaching, from self-referential social   
   criticism and light-­‐hearted mocking to deeply personal stories of loss,   
   faith, love and redemption. This range also expressed in the multiplicity of   
   genres that appear here    
   is juxtaposed with a consistent sonic palette, giving the record a cohesive   
   and listenable character.   
      
   The record begins with the title track "So Happy," featuring Bassist Tadd   
   Santos' driving bass line, pop style handclaps and a vocal performance   
   reminiscent of an uplifting REM tune. But the happy go lucky sound masks the   
   lyrical content, a commentary on    
   selfie culture. The way we present ourselves on social media isolates us from   
   one another, and even ourselves. How much time do we spend staring at smiling   
   faces, erroneously assuming that the grass is really greener? How often do we   
   tailor our own    
   images so that someone else assumes the same? Examining the twisted hypocrisy   
   of consumer culture, Vines accompanies this theme of isolation with "Giant Can   
   Of Beans," employing this contrast of sonic style and lyrics: the sound is   
   whimsical with washes    
   of guitar and keyboard accompanied by melodic interjections from lead guitar.   
   Still we keep "our doors locked tight." Vines uses his experience to craft a   
   way of looking at the world, both thankful for the comforts of house and home   
   while critical of the    
   effacement that comes with that life.   
      
   To create So Happy Vines was joined by an all star cast of studio musicians   
   with considerable accomplishments in their own right. Each gets time to shine.   
   Guitarist Chris Siebold stands out on the Allman Brothers styled blues rock   
   track treatment of Joni    
   Mitchell's "Woodstock" where his thick tone and searing licks cut through the   
   driving rhythm beds filled out with the Hammond B3 organ. His more   
   sophisticated side shows up on the jazz ballad "Nights Like This," evoking Jim   
   Hall or Barney Kessel with a    
   classic archtop guitar sound alongside pianist Dave Gordon's chordal support.   
   Drummer Gerald Dowd (holding a longtime post with prolific country   
   singer-­‐songwriter Robbie Fulks) is heard in full force on the classic   
   rock tune "D'Lila."   
      
   All of these elements are seamlessly woven under the direction of producer   
   Anne Heaton. Vines reached out to Anne with his catalog of work in 2016. She   
   weighed in on song and studio selection, as well as arranging, tracking, and   
   even composing and    
   performing original vocal parts. "In my heart of hearts I'm a collaborator,"   
   she says of her style, which often gives "more leeway to explore and break   
   rules." Her presence is powerful on the lush vocal arrangements at the end of   
   "I Can't Breathe," Vines'   
    tribute to the tragedy of Eric Garner's choking death at the hands of New   
   York City police officers. From the perspective of Garner, Vines sings "tell   
   my wife and kids, I'm doing it for them." With a wife and child of his own   
   (whose struggles and    
   stories appear in the semi-autobiographical "Making My Way") Garner's death   
   strikes close to home.   
      
   This debut record brings a heavy dose of disillusionment and self-deprecation,   
   tempered by humor and hopefulness.   
      
   At times the record is sincere, personal, and deeply sensitive. Other times it   
   is acerbic and incisive. Perhaps it is the force of years that allows for this   
   double‐edged introspection. But this music can speak to song lovers   
   anywhere, of any age. Some    
   will nod in understanding or shake their heads in commiseration. Others may   
   learn or be called to think about the world differently. Some may just sway   
   back and forth while doing the dishes. "So Happy" is vital and important for   
   all these contexts.   
      
   Website: http://www.heymanrecords.com   
   Music: http://bit.ly/2n2VwuE   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)