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The New Amsterdams Para
Todo Vida
By: Rodney Skaggs (Lawrencerock.com writer) |
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The newest release from The New Amsterdams, the acoustic project of Matt Pryor (leader of the Get Up Kids) will leave you reaching for the whiskey bottle at 2 am. This time Pryor plays the record solo, leaving behind the debut album's sparse bass and drums. "Para Toda Vida" ("For All Life") starts off with the strumming of Pryor's guitar and the pulse of a harmonica. The opening track, "My Old Man Had A Pistol" sets the tone for the entire album, letting listeners know that these songs are on a personal scale with Pryor. The next song "Picture in the Paper" holds one of my favorite lines of the album, "It's possible the piano may be drinkin', but it's not me, it couldn't be...", which explains the truth behind letting the music we listen to affect our actions while painting a picture of an old west saloon. The longest song rolling in at 4 1/2 minutes, "Stay on the Phone", is another descriptive gem from Pryor. Half-way through the album comes "That Side of Me", a song depicting the anguish of parting ways while trying to stay friends, which is arguably the best song on the disc. The banjo kicks in next on the song "Four More Years", and it really pushes the song along, leaving everyone shouting along "Angel don't die for four more years...". Like the debut album, Pryor covers a couple of songs, first from the Tijuana Crime Scene, "Forever Leaving" and then an amazing cover of Kill Creek's "All Ears", which Pryor has played live before. The final song is probably my least favorite. It's somewhat slow and is really the only disappointment on the entire album. Overall, The New Amsterdams "Para Toda Vida" is an excellent acoustic album and could be considered a must for any local music fan.
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