The disc’s first track, “My One
And Only,” comes on like a deliriously cheerful pop song, with a catchy beat
and some cool work from the horn section. Toss your cares aside, and while
you’re at it, kick off your shoes and dance barefoot to this enjoyable opening
track. “Would you be my one and only/The
one that I’ve been dreaming of/I would never leave you lonely/Because you’ve
been sent for me to love.” And by the end, it’s like he’s run out of words
but still wants to sing about his love, and so does some vocal riffing. The
track has that kind of joy, a joy that will likely transfer to anyone who
listens. That’s followed by a cover of Adam Mackintosh’s “Higher Love.” The
guitar at the beginning tells us this one is going to be more of a rock song. This one also quickly takes on a fun beat, and
then the horns come in, and at that point obviously everything is absolutely fine. “Here comes your new tomorrow.” Well, all
right, tomorrow is sounding pretty damn good. It’s about time, right? The energy
is high here, particularly in that vocal performance, and then that fiery lead
on saxophone near the end is bloody great. “Some Other Guy” also has a catchy
rhythm. I particularly dig that bass line. “Life
for us, it ain’t been easy/We’ve been miles and miles apart/And you might just
think I’m crazy/But I loved you right from the start.”
“Don’t You Dare Say Goodbye” has
a classic soul vibe. You know, back when R&B actually meant rhythm and
blues. Something about this sound and this style, well, it just always works
for me, and the passionate vocal delivery helps sell it as well. This is a
wonderful track. And that saxophone seems like it is about to tear off into the
heavens, leaving a bright streak in its wake for us to try to follow. That’s
followed by a cover of Pat MacDonald’s “Invisible Pistols.” When this one kicks
in, it has a heavier sound. “How many
invisible pistols have been pointed at my face?/How many times was my risky business
saved by heaven’s grace?/How many miles of whiskers have I shaved from my
face?/How many gallons of your tears have come and disappeared without a
trace?/I don't know.” We then get a
good rendition of “Breaking Up Somebody’s Home,” a song written by Al Jackson
and Timothy Matthews. It has a cool, kind of funky groove, and this rendition
features some delicious leads, including on keys and guitar. That is followed
by “Three Shades Of Black,” which comes on strong, the horns delivering some
powerful, vibrant work. The music is a force that won’t be trifled with, so get
on board and get the hell out of the way.
“It’s You” makes me smile like
mad. This song has a classic, kind of sweet sound, and so the lyrics come as
something of a surprise. “But I lied,
cried and tried my best/To make things work, it’s true/Trouble is, it’s not me,
it’s you.” And I love this line: “Trouble
is your screws ain’t all in tight.” Yeah, there are a lot of memorable and
good lyrics in this one, and “Well, a
drunken fight won’t convince me you’re right” might be my favorite line of
the song. Also, I love that stuff on keys. That’s followed by “Deeper Kind Of
Love,” which features another strong groove. But it is that guitar lead in the
second half of the song that really stands out for me on this track. A passionate
cover of Blood, Sweat & Tears’ “I Love You More Than You’ll Ever Know”
follows. Then the band delivers a fun song about dancing, “Dance With Me, Baby,”
another track with a classic and kind of innocent sound. “If you hold onto me tight/It will be all
right/They’re playing our favorite song/So dance with me, baby/Dance all night
long.” This track features a cool bass line, as well as some nice work on
keys. The album then concludes with “Welcome Home.” There is something about
the concept of home that makes it a perfect subject for songs, and there are an many excellent songs about home, several of them titled simply “Home.”
Anyway, this is a great closing number, with lines like “You’ve been searching all the time/For something you don’t need to
find/So come home.” This song welcomes us home, so wherever we are, we feel
at home. Though of course, in these days of the pandemic, the chances are
pretty good that we are actually at home.
CD Track List
- My One And Only
- Higher Love
- Some Other Guy
- Don’t You Dare Say Goodbye
- Invisible Pistols
- Breaking Up Somebody’s Home
- Three Shades Of Black
- It’s You
- Deeper Kind Of Love
- I Love You More Than You’ll Ever Know
- Dance With Me, Baby
- Welcome Home
Stephen Cooper And The Nobody Famous was released on January 17,
2020.
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