2008 LA Music Awards Nominee for Best Male Vocal Performance

9 MP3 Songs
POP: Folky Pop, FOLK: Folk Pop

Details:
Eric Erskine
Singer/Songwriter



Eric Erskine immediately eases the soul into his calming sea of music.
Combining elements of pop, folk and rock, Eric delivers songs that can elicit emotions, provoke the mind, or just relax the body. With a unique vocal and writing style Eric takes the listener on a musical journey with varied but integrated themes and musical styles.


An early connection to music, lyrics and performance led Eric down a musical path at a young age. Studying both guitar and voice gave him the tools to pursue his passion for writing and singing. Music grounds his life whether it be working in the recording studio or performing in front of an audience. Paying his dues touring nationally for many years, Eric settled back in New Hampshire and into songwriting.


In early 1997 Eric began working with acclaimed musician, singer/songwriter and producer Tom Dean. From the very beginning it was apparent that Deanâs production style was a perfect fit for Erskineâs songwriting. With Tomâs guidance Eric progressed both as a songwriter and musician. Their efforts would come to fruition with the release of Ericâs highly anticipated âNovemberâ CD in 2000. Over the past eight years Erskine has teamed up with Dean to release 3 more albums. âStill Lifeâ and âDigital Ageâ received rave reviews and helped Eric stand out as a singer/songwriter. His latest CD âThinking Out Loudâ was released in late 2007.



Still Life
by Kris Garnjost

I have to admit when I got Eric James Erskine's latest album, "Still Life," I had high hopes. Almost two years ago, I reviewed his last album and said nice things and gave it a "9." It was a well produced album of strong songs sung with a wonderful voice.
On his new album, Erskine has met every one of my expectations and exceeded them. This is a beautiful album. Erskine's voice has matured, rounded and mellowed. Before, his excellent tenor voice was almost too high. Now it is just about the perfect tenor for popular music.

Tom Dean is again the man behind the album. His production is almost flawless. His musical accompaniment is right there as well. It's a good thing, because he plays almost all the instruments except Erskine's
acoustic guitar and Tom Yoder's violin and mandolin. Yoder adds outstanding highlights to several of the songs. His violin on "All The Answers" is a haunting final touch on a great song.
There are nine tracks on this album and all of them are exceptional. It is hard to pick favorites. My first choice if I have to make one, is a great swing song called "Almost An Angel." There is a delightful bounce to this one, some great background vocals, and Tom Yoder's swinging fiddle licks. This is one to listen to over and over again.

Another extra special one is "All The Answers." It is a wonderful story about the roles of parent and child. It starts with the singer remembering how he looked up to his parent. In the end of the song thechild is grown up and preparing to be a parent.

"Memphis Blue" offers something a little different than the typical singer/songwriter fare. The song has an almost surreal sound to it. The lyrics are mysterious and cryptic. And Dean uses an electric guitar with a lot of reverb effect to add to the atmosphere. It gives a bit of the Twin Peaks soundtrack sound.

Some are more conventional singer/songwriter type music, but that is not to discount it at all. Dean has given the lush full sound and Erskine's lyrics are always interesting, sometimes profound, and always
well-crafted.

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