Kevin Salem
Ecstatic
Future Farmer 49322-6913-2

by Al Kunz

Deciding how to describe the songs on Ecstatic, the long-time-coming follow-up to 1996's Glimmer, has been problematic for me. My initial impressions were that the songs were Beatlesque. While Ecstatic is firmly rooted in the late '90s, it combines several elements at different points that recall the Beatles. The full sound -- frequently making use of horns, mellotron, and synthesizer -- will prompt memories of George Martin's production and instrumental arrangements. Salem's vocal phrasing on "End of the Addiction" and the background harmonies on several songs may also remind you of the Beatles. But to say Kevin Salem sounds like the Beatles would be way off the mark.

Salem worked on this disc off and on for the five years since his last release. Adding, rewriting, and dropping songs, apparently never entirely satisfied with the result. On those songs that eventually passed muster, Salem was assisted by several guests including Donovan Leitch (yes, that Donovan), Michael Jackson (no, not that Michael Jackson -- this is a rapper from New Orleans), Scott Yoder (Star City), and Vicki Peterson (ex-Bangles, now with the Continental Drifters). Keyboardist Rob Arthur plays on a number of songs, most notably the ode to positive mental attitude, "1000 Smiles", which features Arthur on the jazzy intro.

It's no holiday
It's no walk along the wall
It's the family tree
That falls on you and me

Forget about it all
Starting right now
Show us your smile
You know how, undo the power of suggestion

Close your eyes
For one second
And wake to find
You're 1000 miles in the wrong direction

The upbeat pop melody of "The Medicine Down" will at first obscure the dismal story of Jane, suffering from depression and unable to face the world. Ray Frazier and Donovan add sweet background harmonies during the chorus that will hook you before the lyrics have had a chance to seep into your consciousness.

What ever happened to Jane
Stays in her room all day
Down on a make believe
Disappearing eventually

Good times are wasting away
Don't have the heart to play
Sun is sinking on your will
Swallowing your bitter pills

It doesn't matter what they say now
It doesn't matter where we are
The darker is the night the brighter is the light
The medicine is on its way down

The appellation gold digger usually refers to someone chasing a relationship for financial gain. In "Gold Diggers" Salem casts a wider net, referring to materialism and the price we pay for it. "It's our addiction to gold / it's making us old / it's the things you hold onto / that got a hold on you." The addiction to gold is followed by "End of the Addiction," about the difficulty of overcoming any addiction.

I put you in your place
Behind the record stack
No one looks there anymore
Can't say it my face
Though they know what I lack
And that's what you're here for
Emotional vaseline to get me through the friction
A little bit of confidence for me and my sick friend
Until the end of the addiction

Coming on the heels of two "addiction" songs and containing the line "some of us die for it / some of us cry for it / some of us die for it / some of us die poor," it wouldn't be a stretch to interpret "Deepdarklove" as another addiction song. While I don't think that was Salem's intent, you may feel it was. If so just remember, "the first step is recognizing you've got a problem."

Jesus Christ and Mary Magdelane
Stalled on the shoulder of lover's lane
Jesus said "get out and give us a shove,"
"First," Mary said, "I want some deep dark love"

Cross-eyed Maggie lyin' in the rain
Said "I believe I've gone insane"
All good things must come from above
All good things except deep dark love

Kevin Salem received critical acclaim for his superior songwriting skills on past projects. Ecstatic continues this trend. The full pop sound, what the Beatles might have sounded like after thirty years of evolution, should appeal to a wide range of listeners. Salem's extra efforts to overcome his false starts have paid off.

*Check out Kevin Salem at www.futurefarmer.com.


Contact Al Kunz at kunz-at-rockzilla.net

 
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