Make Amends
Andy Scheinman
Tangible Music
1999
13 tracks
The first time I listened to Make Amends, I was not impressed. The second time, it got better. Andy Scheinman's music grows on you. If radio station programmers give this release a second or third listen, it may end up getting a reasonable amount of airplay, and not just on country stations either. If Scheinman starts getting play on mainstream radio, then this just may mark the return of the American storyteller.
Presenting his songs in a raw vocal style that falls somewhere between Kris Kristofferson and Tom T. Hall, Scheinman tells a baker's dozen tightly written stories. His work continues in a tradition that includes Walter Brennan, Jimmy Dean, Red Sovine, C. W. McCall, and many more reaching back to before recorded music. Scheinman's writing and presentation is most like that master of the storyteller's art, Tom T. Hall. In fact, a couple of the songs on this release are reminiscent of Hall songs like "Old Dogs, Children and Watermelon Wine."
At times, the influence of artists like Bob Dylan, John Prine, and Kristofferson can be heard in Scheinman's singing style, but it's only evocative and his style remains his own. More often, the clear influence is Hall and artists like him.
Some songs hold echoes of the past. Although there are few similarities in either the lyrics or the music, "What's The Use Of Talking" has an overall feel much like Lee Hazlewood's "Jackson." For reasons more obvious in the lyrics and less obvious but still present in the music, "Just Because" bears a strong relationship to "She Thinks I Still Care," the George Jones classic penned by Dickey Lee. "Blue In The Face" feels very much like many of the blue country waltzes of the early Sixties.
Songs like "Texas Travelling Hero," "I'm Doin' Fine," and "Pray For This" might have come right out of the Tom T. Hall songbook. The "singing" is the half-spoken patter of the classic American storyteller, a style that Hall has down to perfection. It's quite possible that Hall's successor has been found.
Perhaps the most beautiful song on Make Amends is the soulful waltz, "I've Been Thinking." This is a slow, sad love song sure to fill the dance floor wherever it may be played. The lyrics are sweet without being saccharine and the music shows restraint that keeps it from becoming corny. The result is a classy country waltz that could become a classic. In somewhat the same genre, "Blue In The Face" comes a close second.
This is another of those releases from Tangible Music with no lyrics included. Some listeners may not care to see the lyrics. Others, including me, listen to the words and enjoy being able to read the lyrics as written. [The lyrics are available at Scheinman's Tangible Music website, but how many of us go online looking for lyrics while we listen to music?] Mostly, Sheinman's lyrics are well thought out and finely crafted. His words show constraint and a strong sense of story that ideally suits them to his vocal style. As he grows as an artist and storyteller, the quality of his lyrics will almost certainly become more consistent.
If he can get some play on mainstream radio, I have a feeling Andy Scheinman may find his way into the pantheon of American storytellers. All he has to do is connect with that segment of the public that enjoys this style of country music.
Those interested in learning more about Andy Scheinman can find him at Tangible Music.|
Since about February 14, 2004 |
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