Steve Dunn - Plan B
I've heard lots of good things about Steve Dunn. I've had many friends say that he's put on great shows at Murphy's and Rookies. So when I got the chance to review his newest CD I had high hopes. And usually that leads to a let down when it doesn't come off as great as I had hoped. But in the case of Steve Dunn it delivered exactly what I was hoping for. Which is why Plan B has earned CT/MA Music's very first 5 star review!
...Ok, it's only our second CD review, but still a great, catchy rock CD. It's sort of a mix of roots rock and adult contemporary, but not nearly as mundane as that sounds. Steve Dunn's vocals are mature, but relevant, with inflections of Jason Mraz and even Jack Johnson. And his band is definitely capable.
The album opens on a light note with the grooving "Just Like The Movies." It's a catchy pop tune with a very 'sing along' chorus. But what really captured my attention was the second track, "Good Enough." The song starts with a bit of a Cars groove to it. But quickly opens into a song that could easily be on the radio or a movie soundtrack right now. The song is clever and Steve's songwriting talent shines throughout the track.
It was while listening to this track that it dawned on me that Steve Dunn is in a different league than most of the rest of the state in terms of original music. Many bands in the state fail to realize that, yes it's cool you wrote your own songs, but someone still has to enjoy listening to it for you to go anywhere. And that's just it; Steve Dunn gets it. Every song on the disc is well written, catchy and most importantly memorable. There isn't a dull moment on the six track album.
Other stand out tracks on the disc are the almost country inspired "Flying Down The Highway" that has a ripping guitar solo, the bouncy "A Moment," and the extremely clever cover version of Paula Abdul's "Straight Up." It's almost enough to make you forget about her incoherent ramblings on Idol! I especially enjoyed his interpretation of the song. Instead of taking the easy way out and just covering it as I expected, Steve nearly rewrites the song, but in a very interesting way. From the rocking opening to the reggae/ska bridge, this is very cool version of a very unexpected tune.
Steve Dunn's Plan B is a refreshing and well crafted effort. I've yet to see him live in the area, but after listening to the album I'm already planning a trip to see exactly what everyone's been talking about. This is a local artist that lives up to the hype!
For more information on the band, check out their site at www.stevedunnmusic.net
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