181.4 Degrees from the Norm!Issue 5, Year 3: January 15th, 1998
Mike Shupp
"October Sun"
Private Mind Records
The sun seems to shine a bit overcast on Mike Shupp with the release of "October Sun!" This is not because it is a bad album, but several of the songs examine the difficulties of love and how (as the cliché goes) breaking up is a hard thing to do! The most interesting thing about Mike Shupp's writing abilities is he doesn't seem to be an extremely angry person, which is a refreshing break from the angst filled rock of the 90's. The lyrical imagery is more of a balanced and mature way of looking at the difficulties of love, and hope that one day we may get things right.
Shupp is a multi-talented musician who plays bass, keyboards, and guitar on various tracks. He also has support from Mike Marzullo and Joe Parsons on drums/percussion and on a few tracks, Steve Kaye on bass. His voice sounds like a hybrid of Elvis Costello and Matthew Sweet.
The opening track "Letter to Annette" is one of my favorites because it has such an innocent quality to it. The images are filled with a hope and desire to see this special woman again even though their encounter was brief and she is now halfway across the country.
On the opposite side of the spectrum, "Without You" is a song that should be on every break up tape. It speaks volumes on how breaking up is difficult, but hey, you have to get your act together and move on.
My favorite track on the album is the final song, "River to the Sea" which is really upbeat and has a driving drum rhythm and bass line that is tempered with a layered guitar effect. The lyrics break through the overcast and offer hope for the future. The song has a quality that builds with time much like a gentle rainstorm that turns into a heavy downpour.
Mike Shupp is a multi-talented musician that has a lot to offer and this
album is one that has some really craftily composed songs. I look
forward to hearing what he comes up with next.
Ian L McDowell