Howie Day
Australia
Epic
Howie’s touring with Tori Amos in the States this fall – fitting when you consider Tori’s reputation for stunning, naked live performances that float without the help of extensive instrumental accompaniment. For Day, it’s a guitar instead of a piano, but the ingenuity remains: delay pedals, samplers and a host of other tricks that make the “one-man-band” title he’s attracted more than apt.
The debut album from Howie Day, Australia, has been picked up by Epic after two years of independent release. Evident from the outset is the freshness of the cuts: the songs haven’t been overworked and there are no obvious repeated formulas. Each song emerges on its own terms and is bound to its brethren by Day’s musical vibe. The production on Australia is lo-fi but richly resonant, bedding the core of these songs (which is, of course, the guitar-vocal combination) with simple, elegant sounds. An extremely promising debut from yet another star of Boston’s indie scene.
Howie Day: http://www.howieday.com
