Reviews:: Share Coco et Co.

A few years ago, Nebraskan song writer Josh Rouse picked up and moved to Spain and his song writing was impacted immensely by the journey. The country western spin he put on his acoustic driven melodies gave way to a more breezy European pop and Rouse's style was reborn. For Andrew Sisk - a.k.a. Share - the move may have only been one province to the left instead of across the Atlantic, but the rewards were just as fruitful.

As Sisk finds a new life in Montreal, it's quite obvious the language, architecture and lifestyle of the city have already changed his point-of-view. Instead of the lush, full band tracks he penned with help from the Forward Family for Slumping in your Murals, Sisk strips everything back to nylon stringed guitars, simple programming and the support of a few new friends. Sisk handles the dramatic shift nicely on this three-song EP. Opening with a more standard, country-indie rock effort - A Pause - the fantastic steel work Mike Feuerstack (Snailhouse) delivers is as comforting as an old sweater for fans of Sisk's previous releases, but without question it's the last two tracks that really showcase the new sound.

Brisé is an almost weightless melody that floats over top of some simple programming, but really lets Sisk and Miranda Durka's traded vocals steal the spotlight. You might be tempted to think that Andrew moved to Montreal and stumbled on someone's collection of French pop, but to me it feels more like he's finding his stride in a new city, without forgetting his roots. The bossa nova influence and bi-lingual vocals feel natural, not forced and everything comes together on the shaker heavy closing number, Et Cetera. Vibraphone dances behind the vocals, simple picked and strummed notes keep you moving forward but it's how well Durka and Sisk work together that makes the song something more than the sum of it's minimal parts.

Coco et Co.; it's only 3-songs and doesn't even reach 9-minutes, but Sisk has sent notice that he is sampling from a new inspirational reservoir and I for one can't wait to see where his journey takes him. Even better? Forward Music is giving you this snappy EP for the low, low cost of free. So head over and hear for yourself.

MP3:: Share - Et Cetera

MP3:: Share - A Pause

MYSPACE:: http://www.myspace.com/andrewsisk
D/L:: http://www.forwardmusicgroup.com/albums/cocoetco.zip

Labels: Andrew Sisk, EP, Forward Music, Montreal, Reviews, Share