Dr2 View "The Boulevard" by Ty Stone
Dr2 View:
Ty Stone is an amazing artist. Pure and simple. His latest effort, The Boulevard, has set a new high-water mark for him, a new level of raw honesty, songcraft, and emotion. We have always loved Ty’s pure vocals. He possesses a voice that can wrench every ounce of emotion out of a lyric, a voice that is truly amazing in its range and tone. I have to admit, when we here at DR2 received our advanced copy and I gave it the first spin, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I felt this disc was going to be different than what we had heard from Ty to this point. It had to be. We have known Ty for a long time and in that entire time he has been genuine and passionate about his song writing, but he has always had the music industry trying to package him in one way or another. He has always had outside influences because of the music business model. This disc would be different, I knew it would. Following his incredibly successful Kickstarter campaign to raise the funds for this disc, Ty was going to have a chance, bought and paid for by his fans, to make a true TY STONE album. Knowing his sincerity, and ability, I really felt this was going to be special…..and Ty delivered. If you are not one of the legion of fans that helped make this album possible by pre-purchasing it, you have to get out and get one. Ty has shown us everything he is in this his 11- track testimony. It is pure Ty Stone Blue-Eyed Soul, Rock & Roll, Rythym & Blues, Country Heartache, going-to-make-you feel SOMETHING music! This collection defies genre classification but if I have to label it (and I guess I should because that is probably why you’re reading this), I would call it Detroit Country Americana. If that doesn’t make sense, it is because you haven’t listened to it yet. The disc opens with, Money in the Mattress, a funky-country tune with fuzzy keys in the background, a steady beat and homespun advice. The backbeat and rhythm are classic funk, but the lyric and message are pure Hank Williams Jr., how’s that for a combo? Ty is known for his message, his story buried in every song, and this disc is chock full of examples like the heartfelt Can’t Let On, or Love and Hate, and Both Of Us. It also has its upbeat moments like Feel Good, and the cocky swagger of That’s Me. But, the pinnacle for me is in two incredible songs that display everything that I revere in music. They have an incredible lyric, masterful vocals, and an arrangement that is perfectly suited to the previous two, all three are balanced perfectly to create a mood, tell a story, & connect you to the music. I’m talking about the title track The Boulevard, and the closing track, familiar to anyone that’s been to a show in the last year, Backslidin’. The Boulevard is a storyteller’s song, singing about life and love. The spare arrangement of light guitar work and, at times, a near acapella delivery set the mood perfectly. To describe Backslidin’ I can only say transcendent! This is gospel truth, with choral backing, and gentle vocals that build in intensity as the organ joins in and the voices rise in harmony, Ty leading the chorus. Magnificent in its emotion! Incredible. Now, I think this may be the longest review DR2 has ever had, but to just write that this disc is good is not saying enough. Ty Stone has a voice that this country needs to hear!! Ty Stone is Detroit, he has had his ups and he has had his down times, he has fought for everything he has, he has maintained his faith in his art through a lot of hard years and he has worked through it all with a blue collar mentality, Ty’s music reflects his city, it represents everything good about this country, it is Americana at its best. As I said in the beginning, I wasn’t sure what to expect when I first listened to this disc, when I first did, it had a kinda unfamiliar feel to it, then as I relaxed and turned it up, I knew I was listening to Ty, uncensored, unshaped by the industry, and it was beautiful man…....
Ty Stone drops the Boulevard Saturday night May 10th, 2014 at Saint Andrews Hall in Detroit, all ages show, tix HERE. Download your copy today at Ty Stones Bandcamp Page by clicking HERE. DetroitRockReview.com ~ The Only Place for Local Music News & Reviews!