Regular Columnists

Artist: Casey Abrams
Album: '13 American Ghosts'
CD Review: Two things of note characterize Casey Abrams' music:
1. It's very definitive of it's genre - straight ahead American folk (with a hint of blues).
2. It sounds a lot like just about anything Paul Simon has done or could do.

Now don't dismiss Casey as being uncreative or lacking - his music sounds honest in it's approach and therefore like it belongs to him, which makes it a bit of a paradox and which makes listening a bit of a challenge.
Why? Well, as interesting as Casey's stories are, as catchy as his strumming and instrumentation are, it is very hard to shake the obvious comparison.

Being a songwriter myself, I know how hard it can be to love a genre of music so much that you are so deep inside it that you sometimes don't realize that you are channeling your influences instead of assimilating them into a slightly new sound. After all, isn't that the idea behind 'creating' music?
The main difference here between Casey and his influences is his voice, of course, and he does an able job of telling his tales - each of a great little slice of Americana.

Repeated listens aid in asserting Casey into your consciousness, as hints of 'the other guy' only pop up now and again (due to very close instances of vocal style, sound or phrasing).

So, while I enjoy and respect Casey's talent, I'll have to say that I may still be waiting for the real Mr. Abrams to dig a bit deeper and give us something we just haven't heard before.

Contact: Casey Abrams
Website: Casey Abrams.com