By Ljubinko Zivkovic, Rock At Night Amsterdam
Review: Gramercy Arms – Deleted Scenes Album Review-Release date March 3, 2023
There is something out there that definitely deserves the title of sophisticated pop. Whether it includes the elements of rock, soul or any other genre is besides the point. What distinguishes it is great, musical touches that transcend the need to solely please the daily musical tastes. That is why such music, and we can mention quite a few names here from Fleetwood Mac to Tom Petty and further on, have a more lasting, sometimes timeless effect.
Now, we can add to that list of sophisticated pop purveyors the New York City collective Gramercy Arms, led by one Dave Derby, who he himself was part of bands like The Dambuilders and Lloyd Cole. Actually, it is quite a star-studded affair, involving Lloyd Cole, Kevin March (Guided by Voices, The Dambuilders, Shudder to Think), Doug Gillard (Guided by Voices, Nada Surf), Sean Eden (Luna), Rainy Orteca (Joan As Police Woman), Mark Lizotte (Diesel), Rafa Maciejak (Lloyd Cole and the Negatives), Phoebe Summersquash (Small Factory), Lysa Opfer (Aeon Station), Kendall Meade (Mascott), Verena Wiesendanger (Semi Gloss), John Leon (Royal Arctic Institute), Hilken Mancini (Fuzzy), Richard Alwyn-Fisher (King Canutes), Mike Errico, Steve Hurley (Gigolo Aunts) and Carl Baggaley (Elk City, Royal Arctic Institute).
While sometimes such conglomerations produce patchy, uneven music, there are no slip-up here – some incredibly layered, detailed pop, great vocals and playing and excellent production, everything a great sophisticated pop album needs to be called – excellent.
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