Yes, that’s the John Oates of Hall and Oates fame. I know, if you are like me you remember that duo for all the hits they had in the 1970’s. If you are like me you didn’t think much of them at the time. Well, looking back, like their music or not, you have to admit they had talent. This disc by Oates shows that he’s still creating music and while it might not be exactly the type of music I normally spin a lot, it’s delivered with conviction and talent. It’s obvious he is doing it out of love for the music, and that always makes it better. This is a good disc, but don’t expect the soulful pop music that Hall and Oates gave us. This is a lot more bluesy than that. It’s got some great music and some songs I’d consider just OK. Overall, though, this is an entertaining album and if it’s closer to your main musical tastes you’ll probably think it’s great.

This review is available in book format (hardcover and paperback) in Music Street Journal: 2009  Volume 1 at lulu.com/strangesound.

A pretty acoustic guitar melody leads off the disc’s closing piece. Oates builds a ballad out of this. This is folky, but also has a soulful texture to it – particularly in the vocal performance. It’s all about the importance of family. It’s a gentle number and a nice way to close it out by grounding everything.