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Non-Prog CD Reviews

Cass Clayton

Play Nice

Review by Gary Hill

The music here is generally laid back, but there are differing levels of that. It's often retro in texture. Most of it is jazzy, but there are elements of other musical forms sprinkled throughout. While there isn't an exceptionally wide range of sounds here, this enough variety to keep things interesting.

This review is available in book (paperback and hardcover) in Music Street Journal: 2019  Volume 5. More information and purchase links can be found at: garyhillauthor.com/Music-Street-Journal-2019.

Track by Track Review
Dawes County
Country, jazz and more merge on this slow moving, mellow piece. It has some twangy guitar and some great hooks. The organ lends some retro flavor.
Little Things
Soulful and a bit gritty, this one focuses on that jazz edge. It's more energized than the opener was. It also has a cool groove and some hints of funk.
Play Nice

Blues and jazz are both on display on this tune. There is (appropriately) a bit of a playful element to this cut. It's bouncy and fun.

B Side

There is a bluesy rocking groove to this number. It has a cool mood and some great changes. This is one of my favorites of the set. It just works so well with a lot of magic and charm in the arrangement.

No Use In Crying

Drums bring this into being. As the vocals join in, it has an almost Motown vibe to it. There is a real old-school soul music groove to this. Horns lend a lot to the mix on this piece.

Tattered and Torn

This has even more of that soulful Motown vibe on display. It feels like something that would have very much been at home in the 1960s. The retro groove on this works so well. In fact, this is one of the highlights of the set.

You'll See

The energetic groove on this is so cool. It has jazz, soul and more in the mix. This is a fun number.

The Most Beautiful

A much mellower song, this is also very retro in style. It's a cool tune, but a bit lackluster. It has some good vocal hooks, though.

Doesn't Make Sense

The old school jazz groove on this is tasty. There is some funk in the mix. The organ and cool guitar tones lend a lot of class to it.

Flowers At My Feet

Funk and blues are both on display here. This has a great retro arrangement. It oozes cool, too.  This is one of my favorites on the set.

Slow Kiss

This is a short, mellow instrumental based around organ.

Strange Conversation

A laid back, slow moving cut, this is another with a lot of jazzy texture to it. It's more modern in tone than a lot of the rest are, though.

 
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