New Music - Casey Stratton - Memories & Photographs

OK, I am a complete dork. Soon as I got the Tweet that Casey Stratton's latest CD, Memories And Photographs, was available for download on Tuesday night, I went there to buy it. I saw the cover, and Casey looks cute as a nerdy button, and immediately loaded it onto the iPod so I could listen to it at work - great time for me to do just that, listen. Memories And Photographs has 14 tracks, with a running time over 70 minutes. Wow.

Highway is the opening song, a lovely love song, offering his strength to a lover. Just beautiful. It is followed up by Sea Change, an uptempo pop song about dealing with change. I just love the richness and depth of What If? The vocal control on I Fail Again takes the melancholy to another level. The Hundreth Time has a building urgency, accomplished with Casey's great vocals and a few additional instruments. Broken Sky has a fluid but languid feel, the ebb and flow of the ocean. The ending reminds me of the legend of the sirens of the sea. The Most Human Thing has an honesty, a truth so heartfelt. Slow Motion is anything but. It is full of movement, both emotional and thematic. Shut You Down might be my favorite track off the CD, the use of rhythms and cadence along with some spectacular vocals. When You Go explores the depth of emotion and loss. Love In Flames is a song with a depth of music, layers of sounds and meaning. Really love it! Coming Back For More has a plaintiff tone, not of sorrow, but of resignation, knowing your own fate. By the end, it moves from plaintiff to acceptance to strength. The joyousness of Time Will Melt Us Away is interesting. The final song, Done For, is a sweeping epic ballad, rich in tone and orchestration.

The collection is well named, for it gives the feeling we are walking through Casey's photo album, sharing in his life experience. Some songs offer snapshots of life, while others are vibrant memories being shared. Hell, sometimes I swear he was giving a tour of my own memories. There is a richness and depth to the music, layered and textured to serve the emotions.

Find out more about Casey at his website here. You can find a link to his online store and purchase music. You can listen to some great music at his Reverb Nation site here.