Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Richie Bates: Good old fashioned modern songwriting

What jumps out to me about Richie Bates is the strength of his voice.  It recalls troubadours of an era where smoothness and strength went hand in hand.  Think Lyle Lovett and John Doe from LA punk band X have a vocal baby, boom, you get Richie Bates.  Listening, I was so enthralled with the sounds, simple while broad arrangements, it took me a few times through to notice the lyrics.  Great music draws you in and then rewards you for paying attention.  Upon further inspection, a writer doing his best to make sense of a world around him,  searching for his peace reveals himself.  The comforting sounds strike a contrast to the storm brewing within the words.  Song titles like " We are the Rage" and "Seek and Destroy" would seem to imply songs left over from the angst of youth. Instead we are presented with an adult dealing with realities in a world that must be lived in, all the while acknowledging the very same world is what we make of it.  What I love about these songs is you don't have to get bogged down in or even have to think about these existential turning points to press play, repeat and enjoy Richie Bates