OFFICIAL: http://elliotschneidermusic.com/
Elliot
Schneider’s new album, the improbably titled Don’t Put All Your Eggs in One
Basketcase, is an eleven song collection accompanied by some supplementary
historical material intended to further elucidate Schneider’s musical career
for the uninitiated. The mixture of this new and past material never damages
the overall presentation of this release; there’s a clear distinction between
the new and old material while still sounding part and parcel of the same
artistic vision. Schneider’s skills as a musician, performer, and songwriter
are naturally honed to a razor sharp edge because he continued playing and
writing for passion’s sake alone so his albums released since his late-life re-emergence
as a recording artist come across as impressively well rounded – he’s just as
home with modern rock as more traditional guitar driven styles. Don’t Put All
Your Eggs in One Basketcase is one of the year’s most inventive recordings and
pulses with life.
It
begins on a decidedly high note with the track “The Moon Has Flown Away”. This
has a pleasant, non-assertive feel while still maintaining a solid stream of
energy. There’s definitely a strong retro influence on the song, but it has an
engaging and warm sound coupled with sharply worded lyrics brimming with well
chosen energy. Some of the songwriting is particularly engaging, like the way
it builds up to its pay off line and the light touch of harmony vocals exerting
their influence over the final product. “Diehard Killjoy” uses backing vocals
more generously and it tempers what might be a lightly tedious recitation in
song of an obnoxious subject. Other elements of the performance are equally
good at distracting us – namely, the understated piano brawling just under the
mix along with rough and rowdy guitar work. There’s a more meditative mood
coloring the song “Captain Argent” and it comes with far less reliance on the
guitar and the classic rock tropes of earlier numbers. Schneider’s vocal
displays much of the same spirited engagement we hear on the earlier numbers,
but there’s a little more consideration at play here as well.
The
propulsive drumming opening “A Key To You” unfolds like you might expect when
some low-hung, riffing guitar dive bomb in over the top and the band
immediately establishes an immediate groove. There’s some light keyboards
buried in a little in the mix, but their effect isn’t negligible. There’s a
practically doo-wop sound coming over on one of the song’s more memorable bits
of rock and roll, “Overruling Neo-Fascists”, and both every instrument is
handled with considerable aplomb. Listeners and lovers of Schneider’s more
overt rock tendencies will flock to the track “Surreal Survivor” despite it
being a re-recording of a track from earlier in Schneider’s recording career. There’s
an especially hard hitting quality about this number that’s lacking on the
album’s other guitar work outs. Elliot Schneider’s Don’t Put All Your Eggs in
One Basketcase is a thoughtful and expansive album with understated ambitions
and the talent to hit whatever lofty
peaks he sets for himself.
