Bootleggers Radio

Overall Impression: Packed with a great deal of genuine sincerity and emotional heft under its wings, "Words" is a welcome departure from The Bootleggers Music Group's usual fare. Sung and written by a dear close friend of the group, Pastor Bob Near, Paul E Jones and crew have helped craft a beautiful arrangement to accompany Bob's highly endearing song. Bob's tender lyrics and welcoming vocal style make for a particularly calming and hope-evoking listening experience, and the way in which The Bootleggers have managed to elevate these qualities even further through their lushly detailed and very fitting musical accompaniment is excellent.

Strongest Point(s): Pastor Bob Neal gives a wonderful performance and I can only hope that I'm able to perform with such grace and decorum at the age 0f 87, it really is quite remarkable. Despite the calm and laid-back demeanor of Bob's vocal style, you can still definitely feel his strong sense of spirit, infusing the lyrics with just the right amount of vigor in order to effectively convey them to the audience. A song of this nature definitely needs an arrangement that best reflects the themes that are being explored and the decision to focus on lushly layered strings, piano, and brass elements is definitely a good one. The intertwining nature of the track's many lushly arranged melodies helps provide a cozy blanket made up of contrasting shades of tonal color that really help complement Bob's vocal style, it's also important to note that the distinct use of contrasting articulations, such as with the legato and pizzicato strings, provides ample sonic intrigue for listeners.   

Target Audience Appeal: I can certainly see this appealing to music lovers who like their traditional singer/songwriter styles.   Artist target suggestions: Johnny Cash, Joe Cocker, Billy Dean, Kenny Rogers, America, Seal and Crofts, Brice Springsteen, Chicago, Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp, Christopher Cross, David Soul, Michael Johnson, Dan Fogelberg, Kris Kristofferson 

Overall Impression:
Bringing both his brilliant lyrical and vocal prowess to the table yet again, Paul E Jones is quite simply a bona fide natural when it comes to writing catchy, hook-laden tunes that contain both great depth and a staggering amount of charm. "You Make Me" continues this trend with great success and helps further solidify Paul E Jones as an inspiring songwriter that knows his craft inside and out. With its highly melodious nature and fantastic rhythmic qualities, "You Make Me" is another home run for Paul and his equally accomplished fellow musicians.

Strongest Point(s):
Along with the obvious strong tonal characteristics of Paul's undeniably sultry vocal style, it's important to highlight the great sense of rhythm that his vocal lines possess. They help really animate the lyrics and help add to the song's strong sense of forwarding motion. Paul's knack for writing engaging and highly relatable lyrics is a focal point of his songwriting style and "You Make "Me" is no exception to this, I strongly believe it's hard not to be uplifted and draped in a cozy blanket of positivity and optimism whilst listening to the majority of Paul's song's, and this is something I think we all need right now. Along with the stellar arrangement, I've always appreciated the way every element of a Paul tune is well balanced, particularly when it comes to the mix. The full stereo field is always well utilized, creating this feeling of breadth and scope in the mix. The way certain elements of the track interact from one another on opposite sides of the stereo field always helps add these fascinating little details here and there that really solidify the level of professionalism that's gone into every aspect of the track.

Target Audience Appeal:
This is yet again another great example of modern country and I have no doubt music lovers who appreciate the style will have a great time with "You Make Me".

Artist target suggestions:
Keith Urban. Tim McGraw, Zac Brown Band, Eric Church, Brad Paisley, Brett Eldredge, Joe Cocker, Chris Stapleton, Big Country, Luke Combs, Creedance Clearwater Revival, The Cadillac Three, Whiskey Myers, The Marcus King Band 

Overall Impression:

I understand that I've made this point before, but nonetheless, it needs to be reiterated because it is such an integral part of both Paul E Jones songwriting and musical identity, and that is how each new song that I come across can feel both very much a Paul E Jones track and yet rather different to the rest of Paul's previous tunes, and "Little Yellow House" is no exception. Paul always manages to strike a great balance when it comes to exploring new ideas whilst also retaining his own unique sound, which is no easy feat and I always find this striking. Whereas previous tracks have forayed into the country, blues, and rock genres, to name a few, "Little Yellow House" slows things down considerably, opting for a more ballad feel that includes beautifully sweeping strings courtesy of Miladin Stojkovic and a strong yet delicately handled piano chord progression. 

Strongest Point(s):

The strings are certainly a very strong addition, and I really like the way they are used in conjunction with the lead vocals, the way both parts interact with one another is particularly inspired and definitely adds some interesting melodic contour to the track, the way they have been layered really adds to the warm and velvety nature of the texture and makes for an arrangement that. The lyrics and vocal performances are as strong as ever, both highly expressive and deeply emotive they make it so easy to become heavily invested in the music and what it has to say. There is a particularly interesting idea that is first heard in the opening, forgive me I get this wrong, but it sounds like a harmonica with some interesting fx processing added, either that or it is in fact strings with similar fx added, the idea returns at 1:39 and it adds a great sense of ambiance to the song, the way it glides across the stereo field is also a nice touch, creating a floaty dreamlike quality that adds significantly to the general atmosphere of the track..

About The Reviewer:
Andre is a freelance session musician, composer, and sound engineer based in the U.K. Having studied music production and composition at a degree level, he has taken his passion for all things audio-related to a level that has allowed him to become both a competent musician and performer. Being a self-confessed "Guitar Nerd" Andre has been continually studying the guitar, as well as teaching it, helping students both learn the instrument, develop their songwriting, and how to become proficient in home recording.  

 Overall Impression:
Many songs manage to get the basics right, such as solid performances, good songwriting, and decent production, however, many also tend to be missing an oh so important ingredient, charm. I'm glad to say "Come Together" has this quality in abundance. Paul E Jones has rustled up a marvelously feel-good-natured slice of Americana-infused country that boasts engaging lyrics, great spirit, and performances filled with plenty of character. Great stuff!

Strongest Point(s):
We'll begin with the very strong lead vocal performance, not only do the vocals perfectly fit the style but they showcase superb control over both tone and dynamics, and when combined with the poignancy of the lyrics, this makes for an excellent package. Speaking of the lyrics, the message that underlies them is obviously a very important one, and as a listener, you can really tell that they are coming from a place of true sincerity and this only adds to their effectiveness and relatability. The laid-back rhythmic pace of the track certainly works in its favor, helping to create a brilliantly chilled and relaxed vibe to the track that again helps add to its overall charm. In terms of melody, I really like the main repeated note motif, courtesy of the banjo, it serves as the main theme throughout and certainly helps create cohesiveness in the arrangement.

About The Reviewer:
Andre is a freelance session musician, composer, and sound engineer based in the U.K. Having studied music production and composition at a degree level, he has taken his passion for all things audio-related to a level that has allowed him to become both a competent musician and performer. Being a self-confessed "Guitar Nerd" Andre has been continually studying the guitar, as well as teaching it, helping students both learn the instrument, develop their songwriting, and how to become proficient in home recording.  

 Overall Impression:   "Love What You Do" is the latest release from veteran country music artist, The Bootleggers Music Group. Told from the perspective of a father, passing along sage advice to his boy, "Love What You Do" captures the rough and tumble sound and spirit of outlaw country as Jones delivers lines such as "Son, you'll never work a day in your life, if you love what you do", with passion and conviction. Highlighted by some fine electric guitar work and held together by a rock solid rhythm section, The Bootleggers' "Love What You Do" would be an excellent addition to any country rock playlist.

Strongest Point(s):   Great mix, really nice production. Good use of the stereo space, the separation adds clarity to the different guitar and fiddle tracks. Vocal sounds good, solid performance, especially in the choruses. Outstanding lyrics, great messaging. It's a philosophy that more people really should be made aware of, or at the very least, reminded of more often. Fantastic guitar arranging and playing on the multiple parts. They really blend nicely to create a full wall of sound, lots of "rock" energy there. Loved the fiddle, and the interplay between it and the slide. All in all, great song, great track. Very nice work!

About The Reviewer:   Steven Azami is a multi-instrumentalist with over 25 years of experience in the music industry. Both as a touring/session player and as a producer, his career has spanned nearly every genre, from bluegrass to jazz, from rock to reggae. In addition, his work as a music educator has allowed him to cultivate and foster talent among the next generation of musical explorers