Larry Nath – Visions And Revisions | Album Review

larrynathcd Larry Nath – Visions And Revisions

 ELL Digital Media

 larrynath.com

 A rootsy singer-songwriter with a strong blues bent, Larry Nath paid his dues in and around Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania for over thirty years. He released his debut solo record Live It in 2007 to a positive reception. He pulls a lot of sound from mostly sparse musical accompaniment featuring his ample vocal, guitar and songwriting skills. His long time cohort Jimmy Adler from their tenure with the late eighties hard rocking blues band The Mohicans bolsters the proceedings with his deft guitar skills.

Things kick in with a bit of a Rolling Stones vibe via their patented crunchy, hesitating rhythm guitar and Jimmy Adler’s slide guitar hot on on the heels of the vocal. Clear ringing guitar and a forceful vocal propel “You’re Killin’ Me”, a tale of the wiles of a woman. Melodic acoustic guitars carry “Love Foll” away on a mellow cloud featuring pleasant vocals by Larry with help from Savanna Smith.

Jimmy Britton of The Billy Price Band adds his piano to the mix of slide guitar, harmonica and Savanna Smith’s haunting backing vocal. Larry handles all the instruments including acoustic guitar and synth- strings on the wistful lament “Mystery”. The narrator professes his love of bountiful woman on “Big Girl”. A syncopated beat and electric guitar flourishes brighten up ” Try a Little Love”. Guitar, harmonica and piano battle it out on a driving and noisy blues tale of steel mill life on “Gods Of The Molten Iron”.

Dylan-esque harmonica adds to the melancholy atmosphere on “Still Over You”. Larry’s biting electric guitar burns a swath through the hard-driving blues of “Long Gone”. This one will surely get your attention. The momentum continues on “Fonk(Part 1)” as Larry’s harmonica catches fire on this instrumental. The band rocks on out of the recording with the powerful “Sometimes I Feel”.

What results here after the dust clears is a passionate and heartfelt execution of a singer-songwriter’s vision tempered by blues, rock and roots music. The heavy as well as the slower songs all benefit from just the right arrangement for each. The small group of musicians gathered here deliver a lot of music. Life experiences and lessons run through the lyrics, making this a very personal recording. Pulling fifteen well written original tunes from out of thin air is no small feat. Larry’s craft and talent should take him well into the future with many more interesting and enticing efforts.

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