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Elly Roberts reviews
Wildflower Records
- Released: August 2008
- Rating: 8/10
- Vote and comment on this album:
New Bob Dylan? Not quite, but theres more on offer.
Ali Eskandarian likes to do things nice and laidback, with some styleit has to be said.
Oh no, I hear you thinking, not another singer songwriter. Well theyve beenaround longer than youd imagine I wont go into a history lesson right now.
New on the scene is a 30-year-old American born alt-folk-blues troubadour whosgot something really special to offer. Setting him apart is his part American-Iranianupbringing thats fuelled a massive burst of writing. The two key elements ofthis wonderful album are: accessibility and cutting edge fusions about love, loneliness,travels, and the touchy subject of politics.
Comparisons are already being made with early Bob Dylan and Nick Drake, whichare pretty darned accurate. The bilateral mix brings thoroughly fascinating results,as he smoothly swings from West to East. Due to his fathers political asylumrelocation via Germany to Dallas after the Ayatollah Khomeinis death, youngAli absorbed an adolescence of the arts, he moved to New York to pursue hisdream in 2003,and on the evidence of this, its well on its way to beingrealised.
Along with Grammy-winning producer Rob Freidman (which was a coup) theyvemeticulously packaged Alis thoughtful and considered writing/performanceskills.
Its good ol Americana all the way on Dylan-esque styled opener Waking Up Is Hard To Do, with Bobs subliminal harmonica adding a real rootsyfeel while a distant banjo happily sparkles in the shadows, and on Memphis(where he sounds remarkably like Bert Jansch) he becomes even more loved-upto the indigenous country sound.
All We Do (Roy Orbison would love this one) is a breathtaking break-upballad done in a stripped back delivery with cute twanging guitar, and rollingHammond organ. Skip one, and we get to his low-fi bluesy side Dangerous Road,which starts with simple acoustic strums, given extra colours by some sublimesteel guitar picks by multi-instrumentalist/tweeker Rob Friedman.
Eastern flavours merge with folk on the extraordinary Nobody, making ita haunting piece, as he goes for some typical wailing for added effect.Johnny Goes To War is a direct political blasting on American soldiers,in this case 19 year old Johnny from Ohio, whos sure to get killed, or to killthe enemy with a body count of 23 referred to as, 23 Kills.
And finally, Eastern Fancy. Here he goes for ambience and eastern soundscapes,singing beautifully in his fathers mother tongue Farsi simply stunning.
File under: One to watch. Seriously.
Weblink:wildflowerrecords.com
The full list of tracks included are :
1. Waking Up Is Hard To Do
2. Memphis
3. All We Do
4. Black Tar Woman
5. Dangerous Road
6. Government Meat
7. Nobody
8. Her Red Leather Hat
9. Johnny Goes To War
10. Eastern Fancy
Elly Roberts passed away in 2011, but he was a man who was so passionate about all types of music and loved meeting his musical heroes, such as Mick Hucknall at a book signing at the Trafford Centre, Manchester in 2007.
A former teacher and also a music journalist, DJ and radio presenter on local community station Calon FM, plus appearances on BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru and BBC Radio 2, Elly started doing reviews for DVDfever.co.uk in 2004 and he did the majority of the CD and concerts reviews on the website.
I know also that he loved getting away for the summer to Spain and I hope that wherever he is now he is enjoying the hot sunshine and, as one of his friends has said on his Facebook page, that he is interviewing his musical heroes.