Jim Donohue - Lorelai
Rock, Pop, Country
New York, United States
Overall Impression: Singer/songwriter Jim Donohue delivers an original toe-tapping, down-home country blues number, with the release of "Lorelai" from his 2021 full length album Still Kickin'. "Lorelai" opens as a sparse and simple Texas two-step played between a single acoustic six string and bass with drums providing the backbeat before being bolstered by various additional guitars that round out the sound nicely. Donohue gives a spirited vocal performance here, with multi-instrumentalist Harry Lawrence contributing spectacular background harmonies, in addition to playing both bass and rhythm guitars on this track. Fans of American roots music definitely need to check out "Lorelai" as well as the entirety of Jim Donohue's album Still Kicking', available digitally wherever you get your music. Physical copies are being sold at select retailers in the New York Hudson Valley area.
Strongest Point(s): Outstanding production, great mix. Really nice full sound. Very interesting song structure. The way you get from the verse in F to the chorus in C is quite unique. Off the top of my head, I can't think of another song example that uses that particular harmonic device. It's deceptively simple, yet totally defines the character of this song. Excellent vocal performance and production, great energy that comes through in the recording. Amazing arrangement on the background vox, gives it a real "Bakersfield" sound. Fantastic lyrical content, perfect in context. Plus, the name "Lorelai" really lends itself to that little yodel you do, thanks to the long "I" vowel sound at the end. All in all, wonderful job on this track. Great work, by everyone involved.
Target Audience Appeal: Fans of Traditional Country, Country Pop, Folk, Folk Pop, Americana, Country Rock, Country Blues, Roots Rock, Mexicali
Artist target suggestions: Lead Belly, Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Bob Dylan, The Band, Old Crow Medicine Show, Dave Rawlings, Buck Owens, The Beatles, Big Bill Broonzy, Doc Watson, Taj Mahal, Henry Thomas, Sonny Terry, Mississippi John Hurt, Dwight Yoakam, Gram Parsons, Roy Clark, Johnny Cash, Richard Thompson, The Byrds, Flying Burrito Brothers, Billy Bragg, John Hiatt, Canned Heat
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About the Reviewer:
Steven Azami is a multi-instrumentalist with over 25 years of experience in the music industry. Both as a touring/session player and as a producer, his career has spanned nearly every genre, from bluegrass to jazz, from rock to reggae. In addition, his work as a music educator has allowed him to cultivate and foster talent among the next generation of musical explorers