from New City (Chicago, IL), May 30, 1996
Thu/30
Pop & Rock
Al Rose & The Transcendos, Dave Kay & Rob Brookman
You might think of Al Rose as the male Joni Mitchell of the Midwest. Or maybe
he's just a less-melancholy Mark Eitzel. On the title track to his second CD,
"Naked In A Trailer" (Whitehouse), Rose employs
guitarist Mike Smith and bassist Steve Hashimoto (who very nearly recalls the
rubbery bass lines from Jones' "Don Juan's Restless Daughter") to create a meaty
blend of bleak Midwestern desperation and spoken-word folk. While Rose's voice
see-saws between a nasally troubadour whine and a rocker growl, it is his evocative
lyrics, especially on the title track, that save this effort from falling into
predictable coffeehouse colorlessness.
(GK)
Martyr's, 3855 N. Lincoln, 404-9494, 9 pm
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