The Lock, Stock & Soul EP (Digital Only)
WAL4109 2011-08-23
Track List
Til My Heart Quakes - 4:42
Exploded View - 4:04
Watching The Sky - 3:16
High Time - 4:34
Musicians
Alyssa Graham - vocals
Douglas Graham - guitar - acoustic
Chris Bruce - guitar
Meshell N egeocello - acoustic bass
Keefus Cia ncia - keyboards, piano
Mich el Jerome - drums
Jesse Ha rris - guitar, vocals
S even Elllio t - lap steel guitar
D avid Garza - vocals - background
"Peeling back the layers on a quest for her truest voice, The Lock, Stock & Soul EP, is Alyssa Graham’s latest outing, produced by Grammy winner Craig Street. Hauntingly beautiful and full of delicate melody and plush sonic detail, this offering bravely dispenses with many of the jazz trappings that flavored Echo, her Sunnyside Records debut. While Echo was focused on travel – indeed, it functioned as a musical travelogue – The Lock, Stock & Soul EP represents coming home. The EP is a full circle return to Graham’s longtime musical loves: Neil Young, Nick Drake, Francoise Hardy and others capable of delivering heartfelt emotion in the simplest of packages.
As befits the ‘60s and ‘70s artists Graham named as touchstones, the approach to recording was something of a throwback as well. Sessions were tracked live, with all the musicians gathered in a communal circle, without even isolation booths to prevent sound from bleeding over. Feel and raw emotion, rather than airless perfection, was the goal. The result is an extraordinarily whimsical vibe that conveys both an intimate vulnerability and steadfast resolve. The songs range from the quirky art-pop of “Exploded View” to the country-flavored duet with Jesse Harris, “Watching The Sky” and Graham has the right band to make it all sound exquisitely sultry and bold. The band includes longtime musical partner and songwriter Doug Graham on guitar, formidable artist MeShell Ndegeocello playing bass, two members of Ndegeocello’s regular band – guitarist Chris Bruce and keyboardist Keefus Ciania, Michael Jerome (John Cale, Richard Thompson) on drums and lap steel player Steven Elliot. Also, contributing to the sessions and the songwriting are Austin’s Davíd Garza, and Graham’s former college buddy Jesse Harris, known for his solo albums as well as his work with Norah Jones, Madeleine Peyroux, Melody Gardot and others.
Signed to Sunnyside Records in 2008, Alyssa Graham has already garnered impressive critical acclaim. Her debut album Echo charted at #24 on the Billboard Music Charts, earned praise from The New York Times as a “Critics’ Choice” CD, iTunes named it one of the ‘Top 10 Vocal Jazz Albums of the Year’, Elle Magazine highlighted Echo as one of ‘Elle’s Music Picks’ and Amazon named Graham one of their ‘New & Notable Artists.’"
