“Big Man” from California based band, Idiot Grins

Cover Idiot Grins courtesy of Independent Music Promotions

Cover Idiot Grins courtesy of Independent Music Promotions
Cover Idiot Grins courtesy of Independent Music Promotions

Great new album release from one of this years hottest groups. With far reaching talents aside from their music these guys are in no way rookies in the industry. Reminiscent of Otis Redding and Sam & Dave, these guys will give you soul coupled with a hint of country rock.

Outstanding R&B group from the Bay Area are making some beautiful noise and sharing their energized sound with the world. “Big Man” is strangely old school and will wash away all your doubts and cares.

Lyrically this album is genuine and all original. Nothing prefabricated here. There is a raw edge to the singers voice that blends well with all the songs. Whether slow or country rock the balance is tight and there.

Track #1 “How To Get To (Baltimore)” is impressive for those who love a lot of brass. The songs starts out with heavy hitting horns. Harmonies are nice and flowing. Took me back to Earth, Wind and Fire. This one is a keeper for sure.

Vocals are warm, crisp, expressive and at times raw, even when they stagger just a bit. This collection will take you on a trip to the past and maybe even allow you to use your imagination to propel you into the future. Hopefully taking with you this distinctive and original masterpiece of soul and remarkable musical expression.

Track #3 “ Big Man”, the title track is slow moving. A love story in a way. The vocals are little scattered at first but the brass brings it all together with a nice instrumental section.

Full, rich, compelling and rhythmic instrumentation on this album attests to the caliber of talent you’ll find. Their grasp of the genre and the impact that their music will make on fans is evident in this newest release. It has a little something for a varied group of music lovers and I think they hit the mark with the uniqueness.

Track #5 is “All Alone” and I really like the opening with the organ and the percussion. Takes me back to old soul and slow dancing.

This album was mastered and hand crafted at the infamous Ardent Studios in Memphis TN. The accomplished and natural talents presented on this album will impress the best. Produced by Randy Strauss and mastered by Kevin Nix who used the original Stax Mastering equipment.

“One Reason” also has a nice slow introduction. The lyrics are compelling, thought-provoking and build to the raw tempo and raspy edge of the vocals. The mixture of the organ and the brass is warm and balanced and quite engaging.

Members of this talented bunch of creative souls are: Randy Strauss – guitar, Michael Melgoza – drums, John Hansen – vocals, Michael Conner – keyboards, and Evan Eustis – bass.

Other highly talented artists who shared their gifts on this album are: Mic Gillette, masterful trumpet player from Tower of Power R&B band and Johnny Bamont, exceptional talent, on the sax who played with Huey Lewis and the News. These guys have hot and blazing horns with a sound to match.

“Paso Robles” really caught my attention. I like the country sound. The song is a memory set to music and a good one at that. Of all the tracks this one is one of my all time favorites. I thought the steel guitar sound set the song on a road all it’s own. Very nicely done.

There is more than just lyrics, music and composition in this album. There is heart, sincerity and a true love for the music, it’s message, and those who came before who inspired the making of it.

For more information on Idiot Grins and “Big Man” you can visit https://www.facebook.com/idiotgrins

and http://www.idiotgrins.com/

You can also stream the album here at http://soundcloud.com/idiotgrins/sets/big-man/s-Z0y5t

About Sherryl Craig 410 Articles
Sherryl is a Senior Writer and Assistant Editor with Nashville Music Guide and her blog, Lyrics N Legends has been featured since 2012. Her articles has graced the cover and have appeared as feature stories in the NMG print edition. She is also a member of WMMW, Women of Music Music of Women, a non-profit organization in support of women in the music industry. WMMW also appears here in Nashville Music Guide.

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