Music
MUSIC REVIEW: Free Henry soars
The ultimate goal of a jam band is to create a seamless flow on a record, a sort of melodic stream of consciousness. Free Henry! accomplishes this and more.
One song from the local band’s latest effort "Summers on Neptune" transitions with ease into the next, allowing the listener to get lost in the smooth melodies.
Channeling Dave Matthews with just a touch of Sevendust’s Lajon Witherspoon, lead singer Bob Buckley does a masterful job throughout the album, his hypnotic alto voice guiding the listener from one song to another. The arrangements and mixing are top notch as well, as this album could very easily pass for a major label effort.
If there’s one weakness on “Summers on Neptune,” it’s that lead guitarist Alex Foote isn’t featured prominently enough. Nothing against the rhythm section — bassist Derek Presti and drummer Pat Mannella more than hold their own — but the few teasingly short moments on the record where Foote’s play is featured make the listener plead for more. Granted, drawn-out guitar solos are not generally featured by jam bands, but in this case a bit more guitar would have been great.
That in no way, however, diminishes the impact of this record. Calling upon rock influences with hints of jazz and blues, the members of Free Henry! clearly put their all into this album. The listener can’t help but feel a bit better about life in general after taking in “Summers on Neptune,” with the band’s infectious enthusiasm impossible to ignore.
Although their proficiency lies in a genre that's not exactly radio-friendly, the members of Free Henry! possess more musical talent than a good deal of what now occupies the airwaves. How a big-time label has yet to offer these guys a paycheck is perplexing.
This Western New York-based quartet proves that there is actual, authentic musicianship still present in the music industry.
- Music
-
-
Baseball tune worthy of hall
As of this summer, the list of people in the Baseball Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame will grow by one.
It will then total one.
But that one person is wholly deserving of the dual accolades. -
Local music impresses
I wasn't the first choice to be a judge in the Hard Rock Cafe Battle of the Bands. But that didn't make the experience any less fun.
-
Bieber wows kids, but can his act mature with him?
Justin Bieber impresses teenagers, but can he keep their interest as they - and he - age?
-
TSO embarks upon holiday-free music tour
The Trans-Siberian Orchestra finally will get a chance to showcase its nonholiday fare during a spring tour.
-
NT-based jam band Aqueous looks to ride the wave to musical stardom
Speaking during a recent interview in the News office, the members of Aqueous discussed the difficulties in achieving musical stardom and the downfall of much of modern music.
-
NIGHT & DAY: Flaming Lips bringing oddball antics to Artpark
The Lips will bring what’s sure to be an odd-looking playlist — among the band’s songs are “Free Radicals (A Hallucination of the Christmas Skeleton Pleading with a Suicide Bomber)” and “Psychiatric Explorations of the Fetus with Needles” — to Lewiston this summer for a dynamic and lavish stage show to Artpark on July 22. Tickets for the concert go on sale Friday at 10 a.m.
-
LIFESTYLE: TSO brings holiday magic back to Buffalo
The Trans-Siberian Orchestra might have a name that implies chilly conditions, but the musical group has been red hot as of late.
-
MUSIC: Best of the Decade
No industry changed more this decade than the music industry.
-
MUSIC: Solo pianist George Winston visits Buffalo
At this rate, George Winston reckons he’ll be back in Buffalo, by, oh, 2022. So if you want to see him perform live, Friday night’s your chance.
-
MUSIC: The songs (and paintings) of Ron Hawkins
A lot of things have changed since Ron Hawkins was on the stage at Gateway Harbor in North Tonawanda in 2006.
- More Music Headlines
-





