Joe Farren: Press/Reviews

MaineToday.com
CD REVIEW
Joe Farren's "Till the Day"

BOB MCKILLOP July 23rd 2007

An artist's debut CD is a very important one, and the choices that he makes in song selection, arrangements, and production qualities say a lot about what he is trying to accomplish. The CD can be a statement of who they are personally or artistically, it can be experimental, innovative, and improvisational, or it can be a showcase for their musical, performance, and songwriting talents. Joe Farren has chosen the showcase approach for his first CD, "Till The Day".
This is an album of twelve very different tracks, encompassing blues, jazz, rock, and acoustic folk, and starring Joe on piano and keyboards, acoustic guitar, organ, drums, vocals, and harmonica. The musicianship that Joe displays on this record is very, very impressive, and he has a great, natural vocal style that is expressive, accessible and easy to listen to. The variety in the music allows Joe to display his talents in many different contexts and combinations.

The CD contains a variety of guest talent as well. Richard Griffin's saxophone gets some well-deserved time in the spotlight in the lush, groovy, opening blues track, "Savannah", as well as in "Last Chance", and more subtly, in the cover of George Harrison's "Something". Ozzy Osment's diabolical fiddle work on "Lie To Me" give the song the frantic, angry feel that it needs. John Hughry's dobro is a very nice embellishment to "Away Forever". Rob Duquette's drum kit and Lance Hoppen's bass provide a solid foundation to a bunch of these songs.

I count no less than twenty-one other musicians providing instrumental or vocal contributions to this CD, giving it a very eclectic texture. Joe Farren's performance talent is the dough that holds this musical pizza together; it is Joe who makes it a cohesive body of work.

"Last Chance" is the cut that I enjoyed the most, in terms of pure listening pleasure. It is a simple, rollicking R&B shuffle, featuring slinky organ riffs on top of Joe's plinking, tinkling piano and the afore-mentioned Griffin sax foundation. Some sassy backing vocals by Krystal Louten provide the soul required in this tune, and Joe's lead vocals come forward in this track a way that I wish they did on some of the other cuts. The lyrics and melody are simple, easy to groove to, and fun. Joe seems to be in control here, and injects his spirit and energy into the mix. I couldn't help myself, I had to get up and dance to this one.

"Lie To Me", in my opinion, is the best example of Joe's songwriting talent. This is a plea from a soldier in today's desert battlefield to his girlfriend at home - lie to me one more time and tell me that you still love me, even though we both know it's over. The soldier bitterly compares the easy life enjoyed at home with his war experiences. The frantic, angry electric guitar, fiddle, and percussion tracks bring out the fear, anger, and frustration in the soldier's point of view.

"You've been toasting to your freedom, The ignorant bliss I used to know / When you were shooting down tequila, I was lining up the dead in rows / We both know the fairy tale is over, but even so, how about one last night for this solder?"

Tom Acousti of Portland's Sound Harbor Studios produced the majority of these tracks, and his vision for the album is very clear. He gave Joe the chance to display his considerable musical talent in a variety of styles and themes across the twelve tracks on this disc. He brought in a very talented crew of session musicians to augment and enhance the songs. The result is a lush, sophisticated, and complex record, full of many-layered tracks that are a pleasure to listen to. However, there are two songs on this record where Joe comes across in his most authentic style.

Joe's cover of George Harrison's "Something" (one of the most beautiful songs ever written, in my humble opinion!) is a great showcase of Joe's piano skills and his vocal talent. He digs into both the instrumental and the vocal parts on this song, and I'm betting they were recorded together, based on the groove with which Joe welds the two parts together. Very nicely done.

The last tune on the CD is "Go On", and this track also is very authentic. Aside from some nice backing vocals from Mr. Acousti, this is Joe on acoustic guitar, Joe on Harmonica, Joe's vocal. This is what you'd get from Joe in an intimate listening room or coffee house, and it's very, very nice. Punchy guitar, plaintive harmonica, powerful, deeply felt vocals, and a melody and lyric line that brings it all to your heart.

"Just leave the door open, 'cause as you walk out the whole world's walking in / When I swap out these old stings and start singing again"

There are a couple of tunes that fall a little short on songwriting, and Joe gets lost in the mix once in a while, but on the whole, this is a very entertaining record, and will definitely make you want to see Joe perform live. He is a very talented musician, songwriter, and performer, and I highly recommend you seek out a live show and purchase this CD.

"Till the Day" is also available on CD Baby, via mail from Joe (see his website http://www.joefarren.com for more information) or at Starbird Music, 525 Forest Ave, Portland, ME. (207) 775-2733.

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD
July 23rd 2007
Songs Look Inward, Outward
A review of Joe Farren's 'Til the Day'

AIMSEL L. PONTI July 23, 2007


Joe Farren teamed up with Tom Acousti and his team of producers at Sound Harbor Studios to make his latest record, ``Til the Day.`` Farren also brought in a posse of Maine musicians and some studio pros from Nashville.
Farren, in addition to vocals, plays guitar, piano, drums and harmonica.
Farren`s been ensconced in the midcoast music scene for the last few years and plays about 150 gigs a year. He`s now based out of Portland and you can find him playing in local venues as well as various spots around New England.
The players on this record include Lance Happen on bass, Robbie Coffin on electric guitar, saxophone from Richard Griffin, Rob Duquette on bass, and Johnny Bellar on the steel guitar with string arrangement done by Farren and Tom Acousti. Back-up vocals come from Acousti, Lance True and Krystal Louten. Over the course of the record`s 12 songs, you`ll also hear organ, dobro, fiddle, and violin.
The songs are best described as acoustic rockers with Americana sensibility. Farren counts Ray Charles, Van Morrison, Bob Dylan, Elton John and Billy Joel among his influences.
He`s a 2004 graduate of the University of Southern Maine`s School of Music, and as a kid ditched the classical piano in favor of a drum kit and became an accomplished jazz drummer.
The piano came back into his life when he was 17, and it`s likely a permanent thing. While at USM he continued with the piano while also studying voice and guitar. Yes, he`s one of those annoying people who is a whiz at many instruments.
So let`s get down to brass tacks. Farren is a solid songwriter who draws on life experiences from both the interior and exterior vantage point.
``Well, I don`t have a red jacket like James Dean and I`m not as handsome as Springsteen but maybe I could offer more than a schoolgirl crush that still hangs on your wall,`` sings Farren on ``Red Jacket.`` Ozzy Osment`s violin zigs in and out of the song along with John Hughry`s dobro. Farren`s got a sturdy voice that has a country tinge to it.
``Believe`` is a piano-based song, with acoustic guitar from Acousti and gentle bass from John Lawson. ``I believe in the wisdom in the lines on your face and I`ll be following your exit as you drop out of this race.`` It`s a lonesome yet hopeful song in which Farren tries to restore the beauty of a rocky relationship.
``I`m Coming Home`` is a love letter to New Orleans, where Farren spent a semester while in school. The harmonica, piano and organ are terrific, as are the back-up vocals from Acousti and Krystal Louten. ``I`m going down to New Orleans, back to the city, to my river queen. So you can stop writing letters and put that phone card away cause baby I`m coming home.``
``Broken Man`` is infused with the troubled moodiness of a guy behind bars who wound up there when his aborted suicide attempt on railroad tracks caused an accident that killed a few people and injured a whole bunch. The fiddle adds to the torment of the song as do some subtle cymbal crashes.
``He jumped out of the car, 10 seconds he had left. Dropping to his knees and failing this attempt. Like everything before, he never took control, no he couldn`t even finish digging his own hole,`` laments Farren, at times using vocal effects to achieve a haunting edge.
``Til the Day`` is packed with ballads, medium tempo songs and some snappy blues rockers like the two-minute ``Last Chance`` and its fantastic saxophone.
Bonus points awarded for the superb production from Acousti. It`s got a grade A sound to it without being glossy or drab and is particularly enjoyable when it`s not raining and you can roll your car windows down on a back road and crank it.
You can buy ``Til the Day`` via good old-fashioned U.S. mail. For a copy send cash or a check for $15 to: Joe Farren, PO Box 10665. Portland, Me 04104.
For more info on Farren visit www.joefarren.com.
Aimsel Ponti is a Portland freelance writer. She can be contacted at:
aimselponti@yahoo.com

THE MAINE SWITCH
August 23rd 2007

Piano man
Farren Thrives on Nashville Influence

By William Earl 2007-08-21

When a young Joe Farren first started learning classical piano, he decided it wasn’t his passion and quit. Luckily, Farren learned to play a litany of other instruments during the years that followed, creating a strong background in music. After teaching himself chords from songs by The Beatles and The Eagles, Farren decided to study jazz piano at the University of Southern Maine’s School of Music. By the time he graduated in 2004, Farren had recorded plenty of lo-fi demo songs, eager to begin a songwriting career. In June, the Portland-based 27-year-old released his first polished effort, the soulful folk-rock-Americana “Til The Day,” which has been garnering positive reviews in the local music scene. I recently talked with Farren to discuss Nashville, mentors and the twang of “Day.”

How is the new record different from your previous work?
JF: My first record of demos that I recorded in college was pretty rough. I graduated school a few years ago, saved up my money and put my all into this new one.

One element that made a huge difference was working with my producer, Tom Acousti. Tom teaches songwriting and shared a lot with me about the craft, so I dove into the songwriting process and really enjoyed it. Everything I worked for during my whole life went into the making of this record.

We tracked most of the players up here in Maine and got some of the best local musicians to play on it. From there, Tom went to Nashville to track what isn’t as accessible up here, like steel guitar, Dobro and fiddle. Tom lived in Nashville for years and moved back to Maine a few years ago, so he had some connections. I’ve spent time in Nashville, and I feel that the influences of the area really became evident on the “Day.” I love the Americana style that developed down there, and I wanted those sounds to come through on the record.

Also, performing nonstop as a soloist has really helped to improve the way I play. I’ve been gigging solo for three years, doing about 150 shows a year. I haven’t had a day job for most of that time and I give private lessons when I’m not playing, so I’m constantly playing music.

How is your performance different live than on records?
JF: To me, my music is all about the songwriting. That is why when I play live, I play completely solo, and I enjoy that connection with the audience.

On the new record, I played most of the instruments by myself, but there were several times when we used the brilliant players from Maine and Nashville to help fill out songs. Since I do not have that same instrumentation here in Maine, it would be difficult to exactly replicate the sound of the record.

After you complete touring to support the new album, what horizons do you hope to explore?
JF: I learned how to use Pro Tools (a music production platform) while making this album, so I am eager to try my hand at using that a bit more. But other than that, I am focusing on songwriting and making a living through music. I hope my music allows me to travel more and receive more recognition and opportunities.

Email William Earl at williamjearl@gmail.com.

FMI on Joe Farren, including audio clips and tour dates, visit www.joefarren.com. “Til The Day” is now available through Farren’s website, www.cdbaby.com, at local Bull Moose Music stores and is available for download on iTunes.

The Phoenix
August 29, 2007

“Savannah” would be better
Joe Farren would just get in trouble in Atlanta
By SAM PFEIFLE
August 29, 2007

MULTI-INSTRUMENTALIST: Joe Farren.
Despite big words for Ray LaMontagne’s Trouble and Till the Sun Turns Black, I’ve often whined that I prefer his solo performances and stripped-down demos. Ethan Johns’s gussying up of the label releases is well done and all, but it sometimes feels like window dressing, unnecessary. Similarly, though Joe Farren’s ‘Til the Day features some very fine production and a number of great musical performances on nearly every tune, why does the six-minute-plus final track, “Go On,” full of nothing but guitar, vocals, and a little harmonica, seem like our first introduction to the real Joe Farren?

Sure, Farren, a music-school grad and veteran of the Portland club scene with Shufflin’ Tremble, plays all kinds of the guitars, drums, piano, and other instruments on this album, but when they’re put all together (alongside very capable Nashville and Portland session players, I might add) things can seem a bit cluttered. Take the nigh-on-spectacular “Savannah,” which opens the disc. Farren’s delivery is endearing and soulful, and the powerhouse chorus is the child of “Sweet Home Alabama” and Gary Louris, but there’s so much vying for your attention — organ and strings and electric guitar and saxophone and echoed second vocal tracks — the song can’t quite shine through the performance.


Big studio-created bands have always struck me as a Napoleonic songwriter’s overcompensation (or an irresistible plaything). Farren shouldn’t be afraid to let himself be the star. He writes a competent couplet — ”You always liked the spotlight/To play someone else’s life made your own seem alright” — and his habit of using an expected final word to transition into the beginning of a follow-on line elicits pleasant surprises. His play on contemporary country pulls out the big fiddles, pedal steel, and major chords without delving into the bravado or sanctimony.
Those paragraphs amount to a compliment wrapped in some pissy criticism, I suppose. Did I mention “Broken Man” suckered me with a mix of sounds like Bob Seger playing “Thunder Rolls?” That the mix on this album, thanks to Tom Acousti, is one of the best I’ve heard this year?

To return to the earlier theme, though: This cover of the Beatles’ “Something” perplexes me. With a piano and time-keeping high hat, Farren doesn’t do enough to differentiate it in the opening, and when he grinds the bridge and lets Richard Griffin’s sax solo run on, it’s just not a tune Farren needs on his solo album. I bet it kicks ass live, and Farren would make a terrific bandleader in general, but as part of an economical 12 tracks it seems more like a throw-in than something to say. Whose name is on the spine of this disc?



Look, the guy played Danny Zuko in Grease, but he could use a little more turned-up-collar swagger on ‘Til the Day.

“Lie to Me,” a soldier’s entreaty, evokes some impressive imagery and emotion, as he frets, “You say, I don’t laugh/Not like I used to, you say/Where’s that boy/A year ago I said goodbye to,” but when the burning resentment of the verse rolls into a hopeful desperation, it feels like a punch pulled. How can the same guy who spits, “When you were shooting down tequila/I was lining up the dead in rows,” then beg, “lie to me/Give one more peaceful night to me/Let your morning kisses lie to me?” I think the Dixie Chicks, whose sound the fiddler here apes, would have turned the knife.

But I’m quibbling with semantics and minor points. “Still on My Mind” drips with pedal steel and Farren’s introductory falsetto, the country version of Tony McNaboe. “Red Jacket” is quick and punchy, dobro riffs running in and out of the harmonica. “Believe” features a piano pretty enough to hang on the wall. These are strong, polished, heart-felt songs, sung and played from the soles of Farren’s shoes.

He’s always playing to the room, which is unsurprising considering his steady solo work. To survive in that environment, you’ve got to earn people’s attention by figuring out what they want to hear, probing for an opening as the crowd ripens. The bluesy “I’m Coming Home,” swaying with organ and harmonica, has a particularly boozy allure that indicates Farren is the type of entertainer who gets rapidly more appealing as your buzz increases (and that’s a compliment).

I don’t think you need to get plastered to make this disc enjoyable, but a couple glasses of wine wouldn’t hurt. The album gives off a warm, fuzzy glow, anyway. Why fight it?

On the Web
Joe Farren: www.joefarren.com

Email the author
Sam Pfeifle: sam_pfeifle@yahoo.com

This is what New England’s “Good Times” Magazine had to say about “This Time”, an album Joe independently released in the winter of 2005.


“This album is full of lushly layered tracks that make perfect listening for a lazy afternoon”

“Farren’s success on this album comes from his masterful acoustic guitar playing, which is the perfect accompaniment to his introspective lyrics”

“As Farren sings about the shirt his ex-girlfriend let her new lover wear in “My Old Shirt”, you can almost smell Farren’s scent fade off the shirt that is no longer his or hers.”

“Leave My Records’ is the perfect platform for Farren to showcase his more soulful and aggressive side. Similarly, “Follow Me Home” incorporates more soulful blues, with a heavy harmonica track”