Greg Laswell: Through Toledo (Vanguard/Shock)

 |   |  <1 min read

Greg Laswell: Through Toledo (Vanguard/Shock)

The world is so cluttered with singer-songwriters that excellent albums like Josh Rouse's recent Subtitulo can go right past people. (That's a hint)

I expect this pop-rock outing by San Diego-based Laswell -- who plays just about every instrument here -- could suffer a similarly undeserved fate.

But there's a lot to like on these melodically meaty songs, some of which swirl and soar on an orchestral uplift of stacked up electric guitars.

There are elements of a more gritty Coldplay here, some similar emotional resonances as Jeff Buckley (without the vocal bravura), intelligent dynamics, and a broodiness that is compelling.

Got a feeling this guy is a real grower.

Share It

Your Comments

post a comment

More from this section   Music at Elsewhere articles index

BEST OF ELSEWHERE 2008 TV on the Radio: Dear Science (4AD)

BEST OF ELSEWHERE 2008 TV on the Radio: Dear Science (4AD)

There are very few bands in rock culture that you could describe as genuinely avant-garde, but this ambitious New York outfit certainly fits the job prescription: they are musically ambitous,... > Read more

ONE WE MISSED: Sampha: Lahai (Young/digital outlets)

ONE WE MISSED: Sampha: Lahai (Young/digital outlets)

Elsewhere was a bit underwhelmed by the 2017 debut album Process from Britain's rap-soul singer Sampha Sisay. But clearly we were out of step. It went on to win Britain's Mercury Prize.... > Read more

Elsewhere at Elsewhere

THE JAZZ BUTCHER REVISITED, PART III (2022): A farewell to the Fish

THE JAZZ BUTCHER REVISITED, PART III (2022): A farewell to the Fish

Although Elsewhere profiled Britain's Jazz Butcher (the vehicle for singer-songwriter Pat Fish) in 2017 and 2018, it's likely that Fish's extraordinary output has meant almost nothing in the... > Read more

Various Artists: Cumbia Beat Vol 1 (Vampi Soul/Southbound)

Various Artists: Cumbia Beat Vol 1 (Vampi Soul/Southbound)

This double-disc -- with fat multilingual booklet and period photos of bands and chintzy album covers -- pulls together 25 intrumental tracks from the Sixties and Seventies by Peruvian guitar pop... > Read more