Music Review: Andy Evans – ‘Miracle’

Set for release at the end of next month, Miracle is a full-length album by Austin, Texas’s Andy Evans that brings inspiration from various genres together while remaining at the same time in a limited auditory area. Evans seems to have found a formula that works, and he makes it work throughout the set. It’s the kind of music you would expect from a Top 40 adult contemporary station, something soothing and familiar and sometimes with just enough variation to make one track stand out just a little bit from the others.

This makes the less than a minute-long “Intro” so odd; basically it’s a collection of distorted sounds and vocals that create a sound completely different from the other songs on the album.

The title track is a mellow, mid-tempo rock pop track infused with blues elements. Soulful and melodic, it incorporates layer upon layer of instrumentation and a catchy guitar solo. Evans adds a country twang to his album in “45”, a slow tempo, almost sad track about a gun gifted by one’s father. An almost delicate introduction plucked on an acoustic guitar opens up the soul-imbibed rock of “Lesson Learned” which picks up quickly with extra layers progressively being added. The heartfelt vocals are a constant line around which the melody ebbs and flows. Its abrupt ending is quite jarring.

A horn-led introduction opens up the jazzed up “Shape of Love”, a funky and groovy mid-tempo yet feel good track. “Judas” comes in as quite a surprise; the gloomy rock and roll tune features a slow and heavy beat, distorted guitars, and breathy, echoing vocals. While the composition and instrumentation go back to what is expected in “I Wish She Was Mine”, some of the gloominess lingers. The acapella introduction leads the way to a slow, blues-infused melody; both vocals and melody reflect a profound, heart-wrenching sense of loss.

The album finishes off with two slow tempo tracks. The blues-tinged “Elemental” would make for great lounge music. The keyboard-led number is simply built yet rich in layers. Similarly, “Make It” is simply built but even richer in layers; the heavy rock number features mildly distorted vocals and a great guitar-led groove. It closes off an album that remains familiar yet intriguing enough to warrant a listen. Tracks are available for streaming on SoundCloud. More information about Andy Evans is available on his Facebook page.

Pictures provided by Independent Music Promotions.

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