Colin Armstrong – Lost and Anonymous
  1. Colin Armstrong
  2. Lost and Anonymous
  3. Rithmetic Records
  4. myspace.com/colinarmstrong

Colin Armstrong – Lost and Anonymous

“Where is the voice that speaks for me?” asks Colin Armstrong as he begins “Hey Yoko,” a song longing for John Lennon to come back and redirect the current state of rock and roll. And while he admits Lennon is “Long gone, chasing the sun,” Armstrong may not even realize he has a chance of becoming his own dreams. Now, “Lost and Anonymous” is certainly no Beatles record, and I sincerely doubt Armstrong’s music will spark a similar revolution, but he does help the cause by adding these twelve tracks to a market that is otherwise shallow and lackluster.

Colin Armstrong’s influence from day’s gone by runs deeper than a desire for music that is more than simple entertainment. His style picks up an 80’s Americana charm, blending it well with modern singer/songwriter rock. For example, the man behind “Carolina” has obviously spent a lot of time listening to Bruce Springsteen, but the song avoids novelty by forgoing the saxophone that would have fit so well at the end. The sax would sound great in this song, for sure, but leaving it out helped to keep us in 2009. “Leaving” also has a heavy nod in this direction, with bluesy acoustic guitars, a catchy upbeat feel, and fun vocals. Other songs sound more like Tom Petty or occasionally even Phil Collins (especially the vocals on “Brighter Days”). Fast danceable songs like “Miss Sympathy” or “Lost and Anonymous” have a good 70’s rock vibe and would fit well on a roadtrip soundtrack.

Combining subtle rockstar confidence with classic everyman appeal, Colin Armstrong’s ability to write quality pop-rock songs that are both catchy and meaningful has me surprised he hasn’t been picked up by a bigger label yet. This dude will remain both in my CD wallet and my list of artists to watch for a while to come.

8/10