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April 14, 2002
Spooner or Later
By DAN SHORT |
About as far away from metal-core as one could get is the singer-songwriter. While the former seems obsessed with being heavy and hard, the other seems obsessed with being light and sensitive. At their worst, both camps can be as rigid and doctrinaire as any Stalinist.
The difference is that the singer-songwriter genre places importance
on other things besides being light and sensitive — namely, melody
and craftsmanship. Hence, it’s a lot easier for a singer-songwriter
to get out of the ghetto by talent alone. New Hampshire-based Jason
Spooner could do just that. On his eight-song demo CD, Spooner plays
in a style one would expect from a singer-songwriter — plenty of
delicately strummed melodies and sensitive lyrics, with arrangements
that consist of just his voice and guitar. However, his skills make
the whole affair more than the usual singer-songwriter fare. His
melodies and lyrics are well-crafted and memorable. His singing is
effective, and his guitar playing is beautiful without being showy.
Anybody with an interest in singer-songwriter music will definitely
be interested in Jason Spooner.
Jason Spooner plays at Three Dollar Dewey’s,
241 Commercial St., Portland, on April 24
at 6 p.m. No cover. 772-3310.
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