See what music sites around the country are saying about these Maine-based performers:
Seekonk, in Delusions of Adequacy, a Webzine:
Were Seekonk Southern, they would sound exactly the same, for indie rock knows no boundaries and cares not a whit for provinciality. . .
Seekonk’s song “You Got What Was Coming to You,” for instance, with its jaunty acoustic strum and deft stabs of cello, sounds more like 10,000 Maniacs than Low. Lead tune “Move” might fit that overly touted rap, but then it turns into something more lush, more tunefully insistent, and more like former New England fellows Galaxie 500. “Move” is a Low song that blossoms into a droning pop epic with particularly good lyrics.
Sara Cox, in No Depression Magazine:
Cox demonstrates an economy with words, an understanding of the dynamics of vocal and instrumental lines, and a sly sense of fun — all of which engage the listener and suggest she has been listening intently to herself. You can hear echoes of Linda Thompson’s phrasing in “Look Up” and Aimee Mann’s in “Paper Cup.” Neither shading sounds forced, but they seem to reflect an artist still developing her own personal sound from interesting and challenging sources. The range of styles on Arrive might seem excessive, but it’s a tribute to Cox and her longtime collaborators in the band Coming Grass that the performances remain true to their divergent roots.
Sean Mencher, in Jumping from 6 to 6, a French Webzine
After two singles — one on Deke Dickerson’s Eccofonic and one on Goofin — issued something like ten years ago, it’s good to finally see a long player from High Noon’s ace guitar player: Sean Mencher. It’s a solid rockin’ album mainly made of classic covers which is a bit odd when you know Sean’s ability to write songs. This album sounds like Mencher wanted to play every genre he likes and sometimes mixing them together. You’ve got plenty of rockabilly of course (“Rock’n’Roll Jump And Jive,” “Hot Rod Man,” Go Cat Go’s “Little Baby Doll”) with Zach Ovington’s fiddle giving an original and nice country flavour.
Mark Erelli, in Paste Magazine
The sepia-toned cover of Portland, Maine, folksinger Mark Erelli’s latest deliberately evokes Bob Dylan’s classic 1964 album The Times They Are A-Changin’. It’s an audacious comparison Erelli can’t possibly win. He doesn’t, but he certainly doesn’t embarrass himself either. The 11 tracks here — love songs rooted deep in the New
