alternative singer-songwriter music; odd but accessible (lyrically and musically)

5 MP3 Songs
ROCK: Acoustic, POP: Quirky



Details:
S.A. Bach (Sebastian Abraham if you're nasty) was born in Sherman Oaks, California on June 23, 1984. He was very smart and affable as a child and no one really knows what happened. He has written well over 8 jillion songs. This EP follows a slew of amateurish demos, one-off experiments, and an attempt at a proper album under the band name 'The Bachs' (a collaboration with his father and sister) in late 2005. Since the EP arrives on the heels of that record (which could be construed as an attempt at something like 'indie-pop-rock'), in a sense it might constitue something of a reaction against that album. You might call this the softer side of his songwriting, although there isn't really that hard a side, nor is there really that soft a side, and either characterization is kind of missing the point. The common theme in all of the above is a focus on the songs themselves adding up and standing on their own in terms of theme, lyrics, & music, and to a lesser extent arrangement.

Documentation and presentation of all this material has been a hobby at best, which is why the artist cannot begin to claim even modest commercial success on the smallest of scales thus far, even though he's been doing this a long time and his life plan is to support himself doing it. This CD is not a polished product, but the songs blend nicely, and they are satisfying to open-minded ears from first listen through 85th (studies on further listens have proved inconclusive thus far). Sonically, the foundation is acoustic guitar strummed simply but purposefully, and an unadorned imperfect voice that at times sounds quite pleasant, even as it habitually reaches out of its range to summon up elusive emotion. These obvious elements are fleshed out with the equally obvious simple drums (Bach's first instrument; he still dabbles) and bass & lead guitar supplied by musician friends Art Paz & Darryl Blood. There are also wack strings on a couple songs that cost way too much to be taken out of the mix. (The artist assigns full responsibility for how shitty they sound to his own incompetence while recording them).

At worst, this is a pleasant collection of 5 random songs thrown together at the last minute, just to have something to sell at shows and give out to people that wasn't prehistoric or completely unrepresentative. At best, it is a thoroughly enjoyable and poignant piece of work, and it marks the start of an impassioned singer-songwriter's real commitment to make a real effort to give himself a real chance to be heard by as wide an audience as the quality of his art should dictate. Success or failure, it is an inevitability.