Artist: Scott St. LouisAlbum: Scott St. Louis
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Scott St. Louis is an alternative pop/rock singer songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist from Long Beach, CA. His self-titled solo record features an impressive cast of musicians; Stephen Ferrone (Tom Petty) on drums and percussion, Abe Laboriel Sr. on Bass (Elton John), Jimmy Earl also on Bass (Jimmy Kimmel), and Russ Irwin (Aerosmith and Sting) on piano, and a few other notable musicians Michael Sanford (guitars), Aaron Danks (lead guitar), and Mike Malone (piano and organ). Scott has toured and performed extensively in the United States, London, Scotland, Berlin, Hamburg, Prague, China, Japan and Thailand and many other smaller venues in between. He has collaborated with networks like CBS, handcrafting songs for television, and collaborating with countless bands and recording artists as a lyricist, musician, and/or producer.
Scott defines his record as "An intense trip into one man's version of human relationships and the pain that presents itself through the process.". Let's take a listen.
Scott St. Louis has a Bruce Springsteen quality to his voice, raspy, welcoming, and warmth emanating from every syllable that he sings. In the first track off of the album, we are greeted with an upbeat tune called "Today". This radio ready track is very well produced, clear vocals, a pleasant mix of bass drums and electric guitars, with the occasional piano melody bubbling to the surface. “Today is the first day of the rest of my life, it won’t be the worst day".
In the next song, "I Think You’re Beautiful" (See Video Below) there is electric guitar ringing, a beautiful melodic part, harmonies mesh with Scott's voice perfectly, while bass guitar rolls over a steady rock groove. “I think you’re beautiful, and I hope that you can get that through your head, so please please don’t misunderstand this song, I care about you more than you should know”. A love song, wishing that one day his lover could gain his perspective, to see how much they mean to them.
"Not Good Enough" blends layers of warm organ sounds, over arpeggiated guitar, drums, and bass. Scott's vocals are powerful and a little rough around the edges on this track, giving the song depth. “I feel so vulnerable telling you how I feel, but it’s obviously not good enough for you”
"Follow You Down" boasts the most intricate rhythmic changes on the record, with a syncopated shaker beat and tight bass and guitar segments weaving in and out. Scott sings with promise and confidence in this time, “and wherever you go, I’ll follow you down” ..singing in bewilderment about people who all seem want to keep two lovers apart, when he is so sure they're made for each other.
"Stay" is where the album pulls you in, as it simultaneously drops down to acoustic guitar, piano, and a laid back groove. Subtle feelings of forlorn longing, Scott sings “Waiting for you to come around and catch me when I’m down, lift me up and then set me right again, drop me to the floor, and tell me you want more, and look me in the eyes, and you’ll stay." There is a notable lead guitar solo, dark and punchy right before the song drops back into the piano from the beginning, and buttery smooth bass brings out the low end.
"Deepest of Loves " is an honest, vulnerable tune... who hasn't struggled with trying to be sober, or long distance relationships? “my emotions are dry, my head is a mess” Instrumentation is broken down to piano, guitar, bass, warm synth pads, powerful drums. “I know that we need some distance between us, my hope is one day we’ll get to enjoy this”, just two souls staring up at the sky seeing the same moon... “I hope that you become content with you are, because who you are is beautiful”.
On "Does Anyone Know the Way" a cool bass line and drum pattern push this song along, creating an exciting energy/current for Scott's vocals to swim through. He starts describing a man wandering through a two star ghost town, wanting to break free from the mundane, to a safe new place. “Let’s break out to a quaint little space, to a place that feels like home, does anyone know the way?”. Any traveler knows the feeling of wanting to find that safe place to call their own. It can be a lonely feeling, but empowering all the same.
Closing out the album, we have "What I Wouldn't Give". The tune starts with vocals right away, immediately pulling on your heartstrings singing ”You have filled my heart with joy, you have filled my house with tears alike”. Throughout the song you can hear burly wurly organ / rhodes sounds, crisp, sometimes overdrive effected guitar, warm rounded bass, and drums keeping in the pocket perfectly. “What I wouldn’t give to hold you one more time, one more time, what I wouldn’t give to have you in my life one more time” Overall this album is a true reflection on the song craftsmanship and production capabilities of the talented, accomplished, multi-instrumentalist Scott St. Louis. We hope you take the time to listen to his self titled release! Scott's record is available everywhere digital music is available.
https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/scottstlouis
Watch the official video for "I Think You're Beautiful" by Scott St. Louis: