March Rewind featuring BSIHTW 3/12/21

March is quite the month for me. Last year, it was where mvsicthovght fell off, only to go dormant for 8 months. This year, I fell off again.

As a basketball devotee, it’s difficult. March is the most wonderful time of the year. I’m coming to the end of a long high school season with conference tournaments and state playoffs. In college, the conference and national tournaments get going, which means I’m giving more attention to the UConn Women and, thankfully this year, the UConn Men. It is my favorite time of year and I push almost everything else aside.

Additionally, I’ve also been in the throes of restarting my career after an 18 month hiatus and trying to drop some of the #CovidWeight I’ve picked up over the last year. I haven’t been able to find the balance I need so I can attend to writing about music. I’m also painfully aware of messages and emails that have been going unanswered as the anxiety builds… I tell you this not to make excuses, but just to offer an explanation of where I’ve been.

But now…

It’s April.

It’s time to get back on the grind.

Today I’m offering up the first edition of The March Rewind. This is the first in a series of posts about music that came out in March 2021. I’ll cover some of what I missed, and hopefully I’ll feel less bad about myself.

Now without further ado…

Bop Tweedie – Let It Go Let It Go Let It Go

Released in February, Let It Go Let It Go Let It Go is the first time we’ve received new music from New Haven music veteran Bop Tweedie in 10 years. Across the album, Tweedie oscillates between two sounds. One is a lighter, dare I say, Dad Surf Rock, that moves with the self-assured, I-am-what-I-am grace that only comes with experience. Tweedie is just playing, without regard for what anybody else might want. The other is deeply moving, emotive music with rich lyrics and thoughtful composition. It’s a cool juxtaposition that shows off the spectrum of Tweedie’s personality.

“Carry Me Away” sets things off. It’s a meandering track that is in no rush at all. This one skews towards Dad surf rock; You can hear the passion in Bop Tweedie’s voice. Shoot, you can FEEL IT with every utterance of his voice.

Moving into the realm of the heartfelt, “Why Am I the Only One?” is a song that bemoans that people don’t know how to love each other. While Bop is lovelorn and full of sorrow, the track is filled with sonic notes and details that provide the track with warm layers. This is consistent across each of the emotionally exploratory tracks on Let It Go Let It Go Let It Go; Tweedie and company build beautiful ecosystems where emotion can bloom.

There’s hardly a moment to reflect though, as the pendulum swings back to the more whimsical and free spirted with “Just Might Come Around.” It’s fast paced and moves with a certain level of desperation. Bop sings that “he’s got the feelin’”, but the music makes it feel like he NEEDS to have the feeling.

The sentiments of daring that runneth over “Just Might Come Around” ebb and give way to “March of the Ancestors.” This song features what I believe is an accordion, but don’t hold to me to it. This follows a format similar to the one laid out by  “Why Am I the Only One?” It explores Tweedie’s thoughts about his ancestors while building a grounded, strong composition for his lyrics to stand on. This moves into “Burn Like a Bullet” which while remaining emotive, also carries along some eccentricity. Bop declares “my house, my rules,” which is the phrase that gets to the heart of the song. At 64, Bop Tweedie is letting us know that he has reached his final form and he is who he is and “I’ll never change.” It feels silly, and at certain parts it definitely is, but “Burn Like a Bullet” is sharing introspective truth and it does it with some sweet, sweet, saxophone. It may be called “Burn Like a Bullet,” but it’s a smooth track.

“Valentine” seems like a very personal track with a lot of hidden meeting. The acoustic track features a saddened, maybe even hurt, Bop singing about… hair burning? The supernatural and spiritual are often outside my wheelhouse, but there is a lot to potentially discover within the lyrics.

“Glad I Live Today,” starts off with what could easily be the description of Batman’s first run in with Bane where he is left battered, with a broken spine. Not even this kind of vicious beating could convince Tweedie to live in another time, and really, who could blame him? As he sings, “he’s got the affection of a younger girl/ calls me ‘daddy.’” Bop is living his best life in this track that is poised to become a warm weather staple (we’re adding it to our Springtime Mvsic playlist right now).

Let It Go Let It Go Let It Go has a yin for every yang, and “Two Hearts” presents itself as the natural foil to the lusty “Glad I Live Today.” “Two Hearts,” the album’s longest track, has the singer looking backward at the long journey he’s had with his lover. A very serious chorus gives way to the Dad-iest chorus yet. Imagine, if you will, a scenario. Bop’s winding expression of appreciation for his partner has the flavor of those empty nesters that have rediscovered the spark and affection of their relationship. You really need to experience it on your own, but I’ll leave you with one word: “fluffer.”

The album’s final piece, “Walking Shoes” feels dark, but it is where the project finds it’s namesake. It also features some of the richest instrumentation on Let It Go Let It Go Let It Go. The track is an appropriate choice to save for last – it feels summative of the entire work. Throughout, Tweedie is touching on the difficulties he’s faced and the baggage he’s acquired in his collection of years. “Walking Shoes” is a metaphor about the long, arduous journey of life. Conversely, it’s also about the importance of being able to acknowledge and move on from the difficulties of the past. For each deep track, there is a song where Bop is living in the moment, enjoying it to it’s fullest. Let It Go Let It Go Let It Go is built to reflect this rhythm of life.

This is a great album to enjoy as we turn into spring. Spring is a time of renewal. It’s a great time to think about where we’ve come from and where we’re headed. It’s a time of change in habits and lifestyle. There’s fresh weather that we’re thankful for, and it can seem as though there’s more to be enjoyed more easily. Whether you’re settling into a new relationship and trying to square up a complicated past, or you’re thinking about going to the gym while bemoaning the extra deliveries you got over the last year of pandemic, Let It Go Let It Go Let It Go will give you the headspace to mull it over before you move forward with a smile on your face.

John Spignesi Band – Shortcuts

Moving from one longtime contributor to the Connecticut music scene to another, we have John Spignesi and the John Spignesi Band. Known as a jam band, those long-form tunes don’t always lead to radio friendly songs. Enter Short Cuts, where Spignesi and company reworked several of their tracks into shorter formats with the goal of getting more traction and air play. The effort has quickly paid off, with JSB getting airplay both in Chicago and Australia.

The six song EP opens up with the feel good “Beautiful Dream.” As Spignesi howls passionately, an unfamiliar listener will quickly jump to apt comparisons with O.A.R. and Dave Matthews Band. The music is infection, and the chemistry between Chris Mitchell, Matt Alling, Thom Guthrie, and Spignesi is obvious. As JSB opens up their summer touring circuit, “Beautiful Dream” should be a favorite.

“My Old Friends” strikes a more serious note, exploring the longevity of friendship. Chris Mitchell does some nice work on the keys throughout the song while Spignesi shreds over an extended musical break. This moves into “The Doctor,” where JSB really shows their roots as a jam band. The track is built over psychodelic keyboard, guitar, and features Tom Knapp on the saxophone. I used to be confused about how Kenny G became a pop star in the 80s, but here I am, absolutely glowing about every track with a saxophone on it. It adds a nice, soulful dimension to any song it touches, and “The Doctor” is no different.

“For You” brings to mind “The Mountains Win Again,” by Blue Traveler in both it’s tone and pacing. Spignesi waxes on about picking up the people around you, a literal “no man left behind” mentality. The real treat on this one, though, is his guitar work later in the track. The 29 year old Branford native would stack up with any of the best guitarists around the state.

JSB, like past Spignesi bands, really shines live. “Ashes” and “The Bottom Line” feel like the type of  song that gets broken out for a festival set, running for 15 minutes as each member of the band goes on an elaborate solo while everyone else riffs. These are the kind of songs jam bands like John Spignesi Band are known for, but that can be an obstacle in a world that is more and more tailored to those with short attention spans. With the streaming friendly gains that came with the short format of Shortcuts, there were certainly sacrifices, and I’d bet that “Ashes” and “The Bottom Line,” were songs where lots of compromises needed to be made. JSB and bands that occupy similar same spaces share a lot in common with jazz bands; a great part of their strength comes from their cohesion and the magic that comes from their chemistry. While that is hard to capture in a shorter format, both tracks give us a taste of the energy and a reminder of what we’ve missed out on over the last year without live music. Just as Shortcuts is coming to its close “The Bottom Line” rouses out of its malaise with urgency and authority. Sprinting to the finish, Spignesi and company leave us energized and ready for life. Shortcuts, released just in time for “outside with a beer” weather, is light and enjoyable with tracks that will play well with whoever you find yourself with.

Figurine – “Daughter Language”

Folk. Nature sounds (birds in the forest). Harmonizes with self.

When you listen to “Daughter Language,” from Hartford’s Figurine, you can see the sunlight breaking through the verdant, summer foliage. The sounds of nature, along with an elegantly constructed vocal harmony, with strong writing all make the track stand out. Of all the tracks we’ve heard recently, this one distinguishes itself. The track features additional vocalist Molly Rabuffo and Tyler Cottrell playing an absolutely beautiful cello.

The lyrics stir the listener with vivid imagery, using powerful love language that informs us both of the care the two people have for each other, but also the nature and gravity of the relationship. So much is said so elegantly, so succinctly, and so subtly. It’s a gorgeous experience. People often will call song writers poets and tout music as poetry with melody, and it’s certainly true, but that doesn’t automatically make the writing high quality. Without her well-arranged music, Figurine could still stand on her own as a poet. With her lyrics on “Daughter Language”, she jumps from one apparent non-sequitur to the next, and yet, it all sort of fits together. She plays with delivery and intonation to deliver each line cool and comfortably. The words would find their rhythm, regardless of the accompaniment of melody.

Figurine writes masterfully, buts the awareness and ingenuity present throughout “Daughter Language” is wonderful, right to the last second of the track. The last minute of the song features a brief pause, then gently coasts until it meets its conclusion, leaving us with the sounds of wind chimes, birds, and humans talking. It is a moment that perfectly encapsulates both the simplicity and the complexity of the relationship Figurine has laid out before us.

The Best Stuff I Heard This Week 3/12/21

This edition of BSIHTW doesn’t have any local artists… I wasn’t really doing my homework properly at the time. What can I say? The music is still excellent though. Enjoy.

 Michael Stroneski, editor at mvsicthovght, has started several blogs and multi-media projects you’ve never seen. He is a life-long cheerleader for Connecticut and underground music. You can reach him at contact@mvsicthovght.com.