John Egenes – Fretbuzz

CD review by Chris Spencer
Egenes’ music is steeped in the country tradition, using ‘traditional instruments’ such as pedal steel, dobro, fiddle and mandolin to create an interesting album.

He varies the tempo, style, arrangements and instrumentation to keep the listener attentive and yet has kept a unifying theme to provide a cohesive album.

While several songs deal with women, such as “Lorraine” and “Sharon”, they are not straight forward love songs, instead they relate and describe the women’s interests, hobbies and characteristics.

“Rollin’” is an upbeat country, bluegrass number featuring harmonica. “The Cowboy & the Lady” is a romantic country tune; “I Walk Alone” considers the life of being a rodeo rider; “Sharon” is delicate, with an unusual arrangement using a simple acoustic guitar accompaniment; “Motor Machine” is a Chuck Berry influenced rock romp about cars while “Little Pony Lullaby” is a gentle lullaby about a horse.

“Kiwi Moon” has some female harmonies that provide lift and contrast to Egene’s mellow and smooth vocals.

Overall I think this album is a bit more laid-back than his other album I reviewed recently, “Up for Air”.