So it was very surprising when he broke his silence in 2018 for an extended press run promoting an album. Traces was said to have come together in the aftermath of his girlfriend’s death from cancer, and indeed, the bulk of the album is melancholy yet passionately delivered, and occasionally rocking. Still no dope, each song is a collaboration with a different songwriter. We don’t know how much singing, if any, he did during the decades away from the spotlight, but his voice has a layer of gravel that wasn’t always there. To his credit, he doesn’t try to hit notes he can’t reach anymore, but you kinda feel sorry for him anytime he approaches that portion of his register.
“No Erasin’” is a strong opener, a good combination of arena chords and yearning lyrics, even if a guy his age singing about back seats in cars is a little creepy these days. It effectively ends on an unresolved chord—an unsung Perry trademark—and “We’re Still Here” burbles slowly in. There’s not a lot of substance here, but his layered vocals (another trademark) carry the chorus. “Most Of All” is the first ballad, the type of thing that would normally close an album, but here it sets a tone. Written with the ubiquitous Dan Wilson, “No More Cryin’” is too slow in the verses to support the incongruous chorus, and the title is too similar to the first track, right down to the apostrophe. Slow and mildly orchestral, “In The Rain” is an improvement, with all the ingredients coming together nicely.
Right on time, “Sun Shines Grey” reminds us he can rock again, thanks to a hook from goth guitarist John 5, then “You Belong To Me” turns and slows everything down again. The subdued “So Easy To Love” is another showcase for his Sam Cooke impressions, and that’s meant in a good way. One of the more obscure Beatle covers, “I Need You” by George Harrison is taken at half speed, but it’s not exactly revelatory. Slow as it is, it only inserts a dash of rhythm before “We Fly” which would be considered an ambient piece if not for the vocals.
The Target chain of stores offered an exclusive edition of the album with five extra songs, all but the lush, orchestrated “October In New York”—considered so important it took up Side Three of the vinyl version, despite being only four minutes long—credited to only Perry as songwriter. “Angel Eyes” has pop potential, though the chords go all over the place. “Call On Me” is based on the same canned reggae rhythm as “Baby I’m A Leaving You”, though it does feature a very real telephone ringing that will have listeners of older generations hitting the rewind button. “Could We Be Somethin’ Again” is ordinary, but he actually approximates a growl over the otherwise nonsense coda. Finally, “Blue Jays Fly” provides another sad finale in case “We Fly” wasn’t enough.
Traces is good, but boy, is it a downer. We hope it did the guy some good; he was proud of it, and two years later unleashed a “stripped” selection of seven songs from the album, along with a “radio mix” of “Most Of All”. (Press reports suggested he did this to clear the decks for his next album already in progress, though we’re not holding our breath.) Subtitled Alternate Versions & Sketches, these versions are basically enhanced demos, which usually translates to no drums. He takes even more liberties with “I Need You”, but “No More Cryin’” works better in this format, while “Sun Shines Gray” retains its key riff.
Steve Perry Traces (2018)—3
Steve Perry Traces (Alternate Versions & Sketches) (2020)—2
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