Scott Allen & The List – June
This 2nd set opens with a fluent guitar riff on “Sweeter Than Before” — instant ear candy & with a little more edge, it would appeal to a Keith Richards fan. While the vocals aren’t Mick Jagger or Jim Morrison, Scott Allen has a unique tone & style that makes the songs glisten with their own appealing character. The title track “June” has a pleasant, delicate sax solo. There’s a rock formality here because the band doesn’t sound like a garage band, though it has that spirit. They don’t do the heavy lifting of The Who, the Stones, or even The Kinks, but they do have well-greased melodies & potency without any posturing.
There are 12 bolts with lots of torque in June (Drops Sept 24/Independent/43:32) & produced by Patrik Tanner (guitars/keys/piano/bass/drums/percussion/bgv) in Minnesota. The band on the album is top-heavy with many accomplished & skillful players who add a layer of potent elixirs to each number. “Wool Hat” — a salute to The Monkees’ fine songwriter Michael Nesmith, who was famous for wearing a wool hat.
The lyrics are enclosed in the CD jacket & a creative hoot. Scott Allen (vocals/bass/coffee cans) peels his inspiration from the skin of personal history, life, memories & experience. The originality in their presentation is evident from the start. “A Great Life” is fairly average, but the tune has dependable drive & tidy backup singing. The musicians sound resourceful & confident. There are no pyrotechnic excursions & showboating moments. It’s in a straight melodic rock ‘n’ roll idiom played with determined skill, somewhat at times in Michigan’s Ragnar Kvaran spirit (“It’s All Different Now”).
The majority of songs are deftly crafted & sculpted the same way the ’60s chart-toppers were hammered out on the top 25 anvil. Some are a little over the top & overly dramatic, but hey, even a nice piano ballad can’t hit the bullseye every time. This isn’t a hair band. More serious subjects & themes could elevate them to the semi-suburban era Kinks of “Sunny Afternoon,” “Autumn Almanac,” “Polly” & “Deadened Street.”
But they’re not quite there yet. Kink hints come with “Finally Here,” which has the lyric, music & muscle but not the edginess of a Ray Davies (The Kinks). It does have pop-rock brass & backup voices invested. I’ll put this set close to my Kinks albums. “Quietly In the Night” is another good plug for The Kinks delivery. Quite electrifying.
Highlights – “Sweeter Than Before,” “A Great Life,” “Wool Hat,” “Finally Here” & “Quietly In the Night.”
Musicians – Kirk Hall & Noah Levy (drums), JJ Benson (bass – track 9/guitar) & Xenia Sandstrom-McGuire (bass), Kent Militzer (slide guitar), Edie Baumgart (bgv), Riley Helgeson (trumpet) & Per Thornberg (sax – recorded in Sweden).
Photo courtesy of Jayce Roberts Images. CD @ https://scottallensongs.com/home