Top Local Albums of 2013
Of all the local albums we reviewed in 2013, these are the top three.
Top Local Albums Of 2013
It's one thing to get up on a stage, whip out an instrument, and perform for a crowd of strangers and friends alike. But it's something else entirely to actually make a good album. There's songwriting, setting a track list, producing, mixing, editing — all before the record hits shelves. Then there's that: getting it out there and getting it into the hands of listeners who can play, pause, and repeat every note to critique the sound second by second.
Of the local albums we reviewed in 2013, there are three that stand out for their music, their production, their listenability, and their overall attention to detail. Put simply: These albums rock, both when played live on stage and when blasted through your car's factory stereo system.
Eric Brewer and Friends - Seeing Sideways
"Filled with 60 minutes of Phish-y, Dave Matthews-y tracks that bounce and buckle and slink and slide, Seeing Sideways strikes a solid balance between the eponymous frontman and the rest of the band." — Cory Vaillancourt
Falling Hollywood - Heavy Weather
"The vocals – from even-tighter harmonies of guitarists Matt Flowers and Nick Taylor to stronger distinctions between the two when separated – draw listeners in to darker, more mature lyrics ("Blood Against The Wall" and "Breaking Bread"), while the fuller soundscape populated with thicker guitar work, Bill Frackowiak's delightfully busy bass lines ("Mexican Wine"), and the churning engine of Brad Triana's drumming ("Vicious Fishes") result in a more refined Avett-Brothers-meet-Frank-Turner-and-drink-with-the-Black-Keys-and-Arctic-Monkeys rawk." — Ben Speggen
Tony Grey - Elevation
"Intense and intentional yet light and lighthearted, the album closes with a unique cover of the cool Disney classic and Miles Davis favorite 'Some Day My Prince Will Come.' For a really mellow, thoughtful high, give Elevation a spin." - Cory Vaillancourt
Want us to review your band's album? Email us at contact@ErieReader.com, or drop a copy in the mail addressed to Erie Reader, 32 W. Eighth St., Suite 302, Erie, Pa. 16501.
