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CD REVIEW: Tyler Burnett - Tyler Burnett
By Chip Withrow - 06/23/2008 - 01:46 PM EDT
Artist: Band: Tyler Burnett
Album: Tyler Burnett
Website: http://www.myspace.com/tylerburnettband
Genre: Alternative Pop/Rock
Sounds Like: Raspberries, Gin Blossoms
Production/Musicianship Grade: 9/10
Commercial Value: 9/10
Overall Talent Level: 9/10
Songwriting Skills: 8/10
Performance Skill: 10/10
Best Songs: Jealousy, Hold, There You Go, Getting By
CD Review:
Sadly, by the time I got around to listening to this self-titled EP, Tyler Burnett had split up. But this collection of nifty pop-rock numbers is good enough to write about anyway. At least one band member, Stephen Brown, continues to perform, and the band MySpace page is still up.
I reviewed the band’s last disc in November 2006 – two of the songs on the current seven-song EP are also on There You Go.
These songs are guitar-heavy and melodic, reminding me of two of my old favorites, Gin Blossoms and Big Head Todd and the Monsters. The opener “Jealousy” (also on There You Go) is an urgent blast of angst, followed by the poppy-yet-melancholy “Le Mint.”
“So On” builds from a soulful ballad to a big wash of guitars and mournful vocal anguish. “Hold” also has a dash of soul, a catchy-sing-along chorus, and big washes of organ.
“There You Go” is an acoustic guitar-fueled delight, in a slightly different take than the ’06 version. It has a nice mid-tempo groove and crisp harmonies – a great listen for a summer drive. And the closing “Getting By” has a similar loping, bopping gait, a big guitar buildup, and cool mellow horns. Recently, I was on YouTube watching old video clips of the ‘70s pop-rock greats the Raspberries. The songs on Tyler Burnett measure up to those classic confections, and while it’s too bad these guys broke up, I hope the individual members of Tyler Burnett continue to make music this good.
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