Toward the Sun
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Description
The singer-songwriter canon has seldom been a one-size-fits-all affair. Indeed, there often seem to be boutiques full of urgent, emotive voices to match every foible, heartbreak, and occasion. That's why the opening lines of Jeffrey Gaines fifth album—"I don't believe anybody / Really can feel anybody else" from "Falling Apart"--bristle with promise and integrity. Gaines may not put much faith in emotional salvation here, but that shouldn't be confused with cheap cynicism, either. Instead, what Gaines's soulful singing--he's a cross between Elvis Costello and Lenny Kravitz in full voice, yet capable of a chameleonic range of nuance--offers is less hollow inspiration than steadfast instigation and encouragement in a world of pain, isolation, and indifference. The rewarding collaboration with veteran producer Mitchell Froom also suggests that Gaines here is goading himself as much the subjects of his songs, casting the material in a powerful, yet wholly organic, new range of dynamics, from the plaintive "Our Lie" and "Come Out Tonight" to the sultry, updated Stax vibe of "Together," and the big, anthemic nod to his fans, the single "Over and Over." Liberated by an almost palpable indifference to concerns of taste and trend, Gaines's expressive voice rises to new heights, conveying a heartfelt simplicity of purpose and message that is anything but simple. --Jerry McCulley
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