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Release Date:
September 1, 2011

Reviewed by:
Harvey Cline

Guitarist Drew Simpson recently released ten new songs that are sure to get your attention. He keeps the music here light and lively throughout, and it’s a lot of fun to enjoy. The opener is also the title track that is sure to have you tapping away immediately. The riffs play on the positive and are accented with some great solos from trumpeter Chris Bautista and pianist Mark Stephens. It paves the way for Sting’s “Fragile” which is a great addition here and beautifully performed. It is a showcase for Simpson’s acoustic and is accented by both vocals on the chorus as well as another solo from Stephens. “Someone” features the vocals of Damon Dae and has a catchy melody. Add in the bass of Alex Al and touches of Bautista’s trumpet to go with Simpson’s electric guitar and you have a real show stopper. He slows down the pace a little for “On Fallen Ground” while bringing out the acoustic guitar once again. This one shows off his guitar a little more than the previous tracks with nice touches of trumpet and the continual push of percussion. He picks up the pace a little bit with the snappy “Meet Mr. Washington.” I like what he does with this one, and all the instruments he brings to the table. Stephens shines once more on keys while giving way to Drew’s electric.

There is a pushing back beat to “Little Sunflower” that keeps this going at a nice pace. Stephens shows off some nice keyboard work and Simpson joins him for some of his best work on electric guitar. It is a sharp contrast to the slower “You’re The Only One” which slows down the pace and features Drew on acoustic once more. Ellis Taylor adds vocals to this one before giving way to the piano of Stu Pearlman. I like what he does with “Slow Down Fast” as they pick up the pace from the very beginning and don’t look back. Simpson is back on electric and the driving beat is only a pathway for the rest of the band to jump on board with an interesting collage of sound. Bautista adds a resounding trumpet solo before it takes off again before coming to a triumphut ending. He finishes up with “Times Are Changing” which features Drew once more on acoustic as well as the piano of Pearlman. The approach is taken down more so than the previous and is a good one to finish the project on.

Be sure to check out the latest from guitarist Drew Simpson. There’s a lot here to offer and I think you’ll enjoy what he’s presenting. The cast of musicians keeps this one interesting throughout as he showcases his talents on both acoustic and electric guitar.