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Basement 3 — Under
(no#, 2007, CD)

by Paul Hightower, Published 2008-10-01

Under Cover art Bay Area singer-songwriter-musician Kenny Schick (also known under the moniker Basement 3) is back with a new album that’s a left turn. Basement 3 albums have always been an outlet for Schick’s songwriting, no matter what the style or how many collaborators appeared, and this one more or less continues down that road with the biggest change being the overall style which is acoustic folk rather than the eclectic art-rock of past releases. The songs relate to Schick’s online relationship with a woman from Australia, his travels to that country, and subsequent return and all the emotional baggage and issues that arose from the experience. I won’t argue that acoustic folk is a better medium for pouring out one’s soul than rock (Neil Young put that one to bed a long time ago), though there’s no arguing there’s a raw and open intimacy to these songs rarely seen on previous Basement 3 albums. This peaks on Gillian Welch’s “Revelator,” the one song Schick didn’t write but perhaps the closest to what he was after. Various guests and friends help out with vocals and instrumental work, including long time guest singer Heather Courtney, DB Walker (dobro, guitar), Steve Crain (cello), Pam Page (violin), and even the subject of many of the songs, Sabiné Heusler. As much as he may try to paint this album as a radical departure, in many ways it’s a natural progression for Kenny Schick and fans of his past work should enjoy the results.

Filed under: New releases, Issue 36, 2007 releases

Related artist(s): Basement 3

 

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