Regardless of how well she sings or plays her instruments of choice (piano and acoustic guitar), Akre would not have the album she has without help from producer/musician Steve Fisk. In addition to co-producing the album, he appears on nearly every track, usually playing some sort of keyed instrument. Along with Mark Pickerel (drums and percussion), Johnny Sangster (guitars and bass), Danny Newcomb (guitar), and Jared Clifton (guitars), Fisk takes the solid base created by Akre and brings it out of the living room and into the concert hall. Yet the music retains the intimacy that must have been present the first time Akre sat down at the piano to play the basic outline. The title track and "Half Shelf Life" are both examples of songs that could stand on their own in a solo acoustic show, but the enhancement of additional instruments on the album make them stand out even more.
With Akre's powerful vocals throughout, …Last the Evening encourages the listener to take chances, even though fallout can often be painful. The flow from one track to another tells the story of love and betrayal, and ultimately, disconnection. However, the beauty of modern technology allows the listener to linger at whichever point they should choose, or even start over from the beginning. My optimism and I tend to prefer the latter option.
Article comments
1 - Connie Phillips
Congrats! This article has been forwarded to Advance and Boston.com.