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"FULL OF AIRY AND HAUNTING NUMBERS"
Few are the singer/songwriters who can truly cast artistic
embodiment upon the phrase, "less is more." But by the second
song on his third full-length effort, Reese Neal follows the
footsteps of John Mayer and Chris Carraba [of Dashboard
Confessional] in proving that sometimes the real strength of an
artist is most apparent when there is none but performer and
guitar.
Equal parts Big Star and Ryan Adams, Neal's Traces of Me is full
of airy and haunting numbers that wear their influences and are
often a little too easy to get lost in. But with vocal passion and
obvious aspirations to achieve a Jeff Buckley-like range, Neal's
potential outweighs his pratfalls. Highlights include "Drawings
You Did," "Traces of Me," and "When You Go."
- Brian Matthews, Free Weekly (March 2007)
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"IMMEDIATELY HOOKED"
When you first put the album in you're immediately hooked. "In
Need of Shelter" sounds like the upbeat Reese Neal songs of
the past, but thicker and deeper. The full-band sound on tracks
like "What a Ride," "Out of Reach" and "So Easy" are bold and
powerful, but it's the moments in "Drawings You Did," "When You
Go" and "Traces of Me" when it's just Neal's vocals and a guitar
that truly define the album. It's an intimate album that can be the
soundtrack to the best relationship you've ever had. This album
solidifies his unmistakable singing drawl and honest songwriting
as one of the best in the immense talent pool of Northwest
Arkansas.
- Jerry Oliver, Free Weekly (June 2006)
Few are the singer/songwriters who can truly cast artistic
embodiment upon the phrase, "less is more." But by the second
song on his third full-length effort, Reese Neal follows the
footsteps of John Mayer and Chris Carraba [of Dashboard
Confessional] in proving that sometimes the real strength of an
artist is most apparent when there is none but performer and
guitar.
Equal parts Big Star and Ryan Adams, Neal's Traces of Me is full
of airy and haunting numbers that wear their influences and are
often a little too easy to get lost in. But with vocal passion and
obvious aspirations to achieve a Jeff Buckley-like range, Neal's
potential outweighs his pratfalls. Highlights include "Drawings
You Did," "Traces of Me," and "When You Go."
- Brian Matthews, Free Weekly (March 2007)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"IMMEDIATELY HOOKED"
When you first put the album in you're immediately hooked. "In
Need of Shelter" sounds like the upbeat Reese Neal songs of
the past, but thicker and deeper. The full-band sound on tracks
like "What a Ride," "Out of Reach" and "So Easy" are bold and
powerful, but it's the moments in "Drawings You Did," "When You
Go" and "Traces of Me" when it's just Neal's vocals and a guitar
that truly define the album. It's an intimate album that can be the
soundtrack to the best relationship you've ever had. This album
solidifies his unmistakable singing drawl and honest songwriting
as one of the best in the immense talent pool of Northwest
Arkansas.
- Jerry Oliver, Free Weekly (June 2006)
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