TRACK REVIEWS: Mike Di Lorenzo x Anna Moore – Holding All My Love / I Realize / In Your Arms / All I Want is You

For the first time in my blog’s remarkably long-running history, I’ll be covering a short collection of tracks – one of which has already been released as a single – off the upcoming album from veteran producer/keyboardist Mike Di Lorenzo entitled “Play it Cool”. This is the official follow–up to 2022’s “What we Need”, a record which saw Mike laying the smooth and soothing instrumental groundwork for a new generation of artists in the jazz and adult contemporary genres to showcase their talent. One of these artists is R&B singer/songwriter Anna Moore who appeared on six of the album’s twelve songs, including the FANTASTIC title track. 

At the time of me writing this article, the music world is mourning the losses of the “queen of rock n’ roll” Tina Turner and jazz musician / composer Bill Lee (the father of iconic filmmaker Spike Lee), whose deaths were announced on the same day. And no, I’m not bringing this up to make this review dour and depressing. With the numerous listens I gave the album’s second single “Holding All My Love” and the currently pre-released songs “I Realize”, “In  Your Arms” and “All I Want is You”, my mind kept going back to my formative years of music listening from the late 80s to the mid-90s, when I heard Tina’s music dominate the airwaves (“Private Dancer” and “What’s Love Got to Do with It” come to mind) and when I was first exposed to the jazzy soundtrack of Spike Lee’s “Mo’ Better Blues”. 

Though these four tracks are a mere taste of what to expect on “Play it Cool”, I did notice their individual callbacks to R&B, jazz, soul and even house music of that aforementioned time period. Of course, I’m expecting to hear current sounds, as the first single “Lose Control” featuring British pop artist Sonna Rele made evident, but I suspect Mike will lean a bit more into that retro, late-80s to mid 90s adult contemporary sound in this upcoming record.

The single “Holding All My Love” is an early shoe-in for best song on “Play it Cool”, opening with this funky combination of piano, hi-hat and synth lead, and evolving into an euphoric beat that’s smooth enough to chill out to yet bouncy enough to make you dance. And on the subject of dancing, the production on this track feels like an organic hybrid of 70s disco, 80s electro-funk and 90s house music (particularly the airy keyboard chord progressions on the chorus) tailor-made for nightclub dance floors. Anna Moore delivers one of her best performances on this track, with her gorgeous vocals and sensual lyrics gliding seamlessly over Mike’s production. 

“I Realize” treats us to a heartbreak ballad driven by a late 80s-inspired R&B instrumental complete with keyboards, drums and sax, the latter of which appears before the bridge and during the song’s closing moments. The term ‘heartbreak’ is quite appropriate within the context of this song, as Anna despondently reflects on missed opportunities and unfulfilled dreams. The beauty of this track is how it subverts one’s expectations of a song centered on a breakup or death thanks to Mike’s nostalgic production, and instead delivers a genuinely heartfelt look at the type of hurt and regret we all feel in some shape or form. 

Tapping further into Anna’s vocal strengths, Mike crafts a mood-setting, Sade-evoking, jazz / quiet storm instrumental palette for her on the track “In Your Arms”. Here, she embarks on a new relationship, thanking her new partner for the patience and support shown as she worked through her previous emotional hardships. And like “I Realize”, we’re treated to an impeccably smooth sax solo near the end, serving as the literal icing on this already sweet and delectable cake. 

Concluding this small track collection is the aptly-titled “All I Want is You”, which I’m happy to say is the second-best song I’ve heard in what is essentially a section (roughly a third or half, I guesstimate) of “Play it Cool”. Mike’s beat is a delightful listen from start to finish with its glistening synth leads and pleasant piano chords, and Anna sounds equally elegant as she expresses the love she has for her significant other in a simple yet undeniably sweet and sincere fashion. 

Overall, I really enjoyed these Mike Di Lorenzo and Anna Moore cuts. Not only did this collection of songs leave me excited for the release of “Play it Cool”, but like “What We Need”, it took me back to the early days of hearing pure, unadulterated jazz, soul and R&B on the radio. Mike’s production on these four tracks serve effectively as an indication of the level of quality and cohesion we can expect on this new record. In addition, Anna shines on each and every track here, and though I suspect there’ll be at least one more feature from her on the album, I can safely say she already left an indelible impression. In short, this is shaping up to be a project that will definitely live up to its title. 

“Holding All My Love” and “Lose Control” are now available on Spotify.  “I Realize”, “In Your Arms” and “All I Want is You” were provided for review. 

“Play It Cool” will be released on June 2nd

For all things Mike Di Lorenzo: www.keepthegroove.com

BBB RADIO S03E16 – Polite Society, Sisu, White Men Can’t Jump (2023), Fast X (SPOILER-FREE & SPOILER TALK)

In this week’s episode, Matthew and Ricardo review the action comedy-drama “Polite Society”, the WWII action film “Sisu”, the 2023 remake of the 1992 comedy-drama “White Men Can’t Jump” and one of the year’s most anticipated films “Fast X”.

LISTEN TO THE FULL EPISODE HERE

ALBUM REVIEW: C.W. Franz – VIII: Adrift and Hoping

“VIII: Adrift and Hoping” marks C.W. Franz’s return to his self-titled album series which originally ended last year with the release of two of its best entries. Its bright and sunny cover, designed by KM Designs (who did the gorgeous cover art for “C.W. Franz V”), pretty much indicates the type of vibe C.W.’s going for with this record. Like his recent album “American Byways” featuring The Big Bluestems, this project finds C.W. collaborating with other artists – in this case, instrumentally with longtime musical collaborators and relatively new guest performers. The end result is a lush, laid-back fusion of dream pop, smooth jazz, psych-folk and ambient music that I imagine would play nicely if you were actually on a yacht on a sunlit ocean. 

Thematically, “Adrift and Hoping” is just as introspective and personal as C.W.’s other self-titled albums, but its connecting theme is surprisingly straightforward and emotionally potent. Described as a “picture of (himself) at this moment in time, May 2023”, this project consists of a series of lyrical ruminations – save for one instrumental passage – on C.W’s life, experiences, regrets, hopes and dreams. 

The opening track “3 and 11/12 Years” (a reference to the passage of time between his college graduation and the release of this album) sets the tone of the record beautifully with instrumentation from Camille D on cor anglais, Oscar Sanchez on electric guitar and C.W. himself who handles drum programming and keyboards. Additionally, this song features some of the most relatable lyrics I’ve heard from C.W. in quite some time. Essentially, time has passed in his life (“19 years is gone”, “26 years is gone”) and yet he feels unfulfilled in life and love. But it’s the song’s final three lines that truly impacted me (“A fish that could be bigger / Staying in the shadows / Comfortable in limbo”). Are the risks taken in life actually worth it in the end, or is it better to play it safe and see what happens? 

As strong of an album opener “3 and 11/12 Years” is, it introduces two noticeable mixing issues which appear in brief glimpses throughout the record. A musical note would overpower C.W.’s vocals for a few seconds, like the use of the abovementioned cor anglais on the last line of the first verse. Or part of a line would be delivered in such a low register, it unfortunately gets lost amidst the backing instrumentation, like on the first line of the second track “Bad Bill of Goods”. 

The title of that song should be familiar to fans of C.W.’s catalogue, as this was first introduced as part of a four-part demo on his 2022 “Solo” album. Here, we get a re-recorded, extended version with a harmonious mix of alto sax from Manuel Trabucco, electric guitar from Efthimis Vasileiadis and drum programming from C.W., along with an opening synth lead that sounds like the intro to an 80s promotional video for some ‘groundbreaking’ tech product. The song’s critique on an unstable American job market remains intact but it’s the second verse, with its jabs at ‘gearheads who code and make six figures’, which sounds even more sardonic now as it did last year, particularly with the alarming development of artificial intelligence. 

The following track “Old Strings” treats us to a creative bit of instrumentation where we hear this brief ukulele strum from C.W. and drumming on longtime collaborator Reinaldo Ocando’s cajón play simultaneously. C.W. makes great use of such a minimalist beat as he sings about the harsh realities of growing old (fading memories, friends you forget or who leave you, and so on). Reinaldo’s tapping on the cajón sounds eerily like something you’d hear at a memorial ceremony or military funeral (the only thing missing on this track is a bugle). The second verse in particular adds to that memorial vibe with lyrics centered on preparing for death under the awareness that nothing will ever remain the same. The song ends on a haunting note with the line “Rainbow morning, crimson reflection”.

“Things They Should Tell You” plays out like a somber sequel to “Old Strings” with the tag team of C.W. and Reinaldo handling instrumentation yet again and the use of the “Rainbow morning, crimson reflection” line to bookend the song. On this track, C.W. reflects on the mistakes he’s made and regrets he’s forced to live with, wishing that someone warned him sooner about making those mistakes in the first place. Production-wise, we get a mix of raw, stripped-back strums from C.W’s trusty Texaco Oil Can-o-Caster and soft conga drumming from Reinaldo, the latter of which slows and speeds up depending on the strings. You can really feel the regret in C.W’s voice, especially in the hard-hitting final verse where he ponders on how his life would’ve been significantly better if someone guided him on making beneficial decisions. 

On the album centerpiece “Threnody for a Distant Friend”, vocal duties are assigned to guest singer Jen Coogan. Lyrically, this track centers on saying goodbye to a dear friend who passed away, but as the second verse implies, there was most likely some burden or unspoken truth this person never revealed while alive. Its title is quite intriguing, as I’m left wondering if the song itself is addressed to a distant friend of C.W. (who co-wrote the song), or is C.W. the distant friend and in a Pink Floyd, “Outside the Wall”-like manner, Jen’s singing about him as if he’s no longer here. But that’s just me reading too much into the song. Anyhoo, Jen’s soothing vocals sound FANTASTIC over the song’s relatively dark and spacey production created by C.W.’s drums and keys, Franco Trincavelli’s 12-string acoustic guitar (which shows up roughly halfway into the song) and Camille’s alto flute which appears near the end. 

We then get what is technically the lead single – since a rough demo version was released two days prior to the album’s release (with a DOPE-ASS cover for it, by the way) – “The Rat Year”. And not only is it the longest track on the record with its 8 ½ minute runtime, but it’s also its best song! It opens with this slow, dramatic build-up of airy ambience peppered with marimba keys courtesy of Reinaldo Ocando. After the 2 minute and 10 second mark, the song kicks off, and we get an EXCELLENT mix of electric guitar / electric bass guitar from Oscar Sanchez and sensual baritone sax from Manuel Trabucco, which establishes the track’s irresistible, dusk-set, soft rock vibe. For me, what makes this track truly stand out are these glitchy keyboard notes which sound like the equivalent of chopped-up samples integrated into a hip hop song. Overall, it’s as if we’re hearing a sample of what soft rock and jazz will sound like years into the future. Speaking of future, C.W. uses this delightfully left-field soundscape to reflect poetically on his past and how it continues to influence his life and music. And though it’s a tad bit cryptic, the song’s outro with its use of some windy field recording, shimmering keyboards and what sounds like breathing with reverb and echo effects applied to it ends this track off brilliantly! 

The next song “When I Look at my Woman” is the second and final re-recorded track from “Solo”. Though it’s primarily a one verse-and-chorus affair, this song is easily the most heartfelt and emotionally vulnerable moment on the record.  C.W. expresses how grateful he is to be in the relationship he’s currently in and yet he’s fearful of somehow botching it (which was one of the prominent themes of what WAS his final self-titled album “C.W. Franz VII”). Admittedly, the electric sitar from EVP Productions came unexpectedly upon first listen, but it actually works well alongside C.W.’s custom tenor cigar box guitar and Reinaldo’s bongos. 

“Sanctuary”, the sole instrumental on this album, kicks off with this mood-setting, minute-long layering of keyboard chords and field recording ambience. We then get this bluesy piece of psych rock, complete with a haunting electric guitar solo from guest performer Ivan, supporting bass from Oscar Sanchez, Bb clarinet from Manuel Trabucco that pops up around the 2 minute mark, and spacey synth from C.W.  Given how ‘external’ the intro sounds, I get the impression that this musical piece is meant to convey the solace C.W. feels in this internal sanctuary of his; away from the world and the things and people that could cause him pain, if only for a little while. 

We get the flip side to that on the sweet and sentimental closing track “Simple Living” where it seems C.W. is ready to go back out into the world, but this time with his significant other by his side. He reflects on the simple things in life which feel more delightful and impactful with a loved one, whether it’s going on a hike (like on the second verse) or simply observing nature, and yet they mean so much more to him because he’s an imperfect, mortal man. C.W’s endearing lyrics are perfectly matched with this pleasant-sounding combination of alto sax work from Manuel (who absolutely KILLS it on this track), acoustic guitar from longtime collaborator Nicky V, bass guitar from Oscar and keyboard/drums from C.W.

Ultimately, “VIII: Adrift and Hoping” feels like a new beginning in this self-titled saga of albums from C.W., but one in which its cohesively breezy instrumental palette makes it stand out from the others. C.W.’s emotive songwriting and vocals are on point, as are the various performances by his supporting cast. Due to its sound alone, it’s easily one of his most accessible projects to date, and one that I can imagine newbies to C.W’s sound gravitating to rather easily. Longtime fans should enjoy this unexpected but welcomed return to C.W.’s self-titled series, and as someone who’s had the pleasure of listening to all of them at this point, I do hope to hear more chapters in the near-future.  

OVERALL RATING: 8 out of 10

Available on Bandcamp, Spotify, YouTube Music, Apple Music and Pandora

BBB RADIO S03E15 – Fired on Mars (Season 1), Silo (Episodes 1 & 2), Titans (4th & Final Season), Evil Dead Rise, The Mother, Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie

In this week’s episode, Matthew and Ricardo review the first season of the Max Original animated series “Fired on Mars”, the first two episodes of Apple TV’s “Silo”, the fourth and final season of DC’s “Titans”, the supernatural horror film “Evil Dead Rise”, the Netflix-released action thriller “The Mother” and the Apple TV documentary “Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie”.

LISTEN TO THE FULL EPISODE HERE

BBB RADIO S03E14 – Writers’ Strike, Gran Turismo & Dune Part Two Trailers, Moon Girl & Devil Dinosaur (Season 1), Unicorn: Warriors Eternal (Ep. 1 & 2), Star Wars: Visions (Season 2), Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

In this week’s episode, Matthew, Ricardo and special guest Tracy weigh in on the current WGA Writers’ Strike, share their thoughts on the first trailers for “Gran Turismo” and “Dune Part Two”, and discuss the first season of Disney Channel’s “Moon Girl & Devil Dinosaur”, the first two episodes of Adult Swim’s “Unicorn: Warriors Eternal”, the second season of Disney Plus’ “Star Wars: Visions” and the highly-anticipated conclusion to James Gunn’s MCU film series: “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3”.

LISTEN TO THE FULL EPISODE HERE

BBB RADIO S03E13 / RETROSPECT REVIEWS – RIP Jerry Springer & Harry Belafonte, Trailer Talk, Bel-Air (Season 2), Peter Pan & Wendy, Iron Man (15th Anniversary Review)

In this week’s episode, Matthew and Ricardo pay tribute to the late talk show host Jerry Springer and singer/actor Harry Belafonte, discuss the second trailers for “The Flash” and “Transformers: Rise of the Beasts” and the first trailers for “The Equalizer 3” and “Twisted Metal”, review the second season of Peacock’s “Bel-Air” and Disney Plus’ “Peter Pan & Wendy”, and celebrate the 15th anniversary of the genesis of the Marvel Cinematic Universe: Jon Favreau’s “Iron Man”.

LISTEN TO THE FULL EPISODE HERE