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Erik Shepard - Chasing Storms
By Cassie Gressell
Published: June 28, 2008
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Band: Erik Shepard
Album: Chasing Storms
Label: Self-released
Overall Score: 3.5/5

 

Admittedly, the whole acoustic singer-songwriter deal is probably the hardest genre to mess up. Given the right song or the right environment, even someone with an average voice that only knows two or three chords can sound pretty okay. Because of this, one of the determining factors for a great acoustic song is how connected the listener feels to it. Talent is important, of course. Talent is step one. But all the talent in the world doesn’t matter much if you can’t make your listener feel something. Whether it be a joyful little ditty about the best day of your life, or a surefire blow to the heart (and possibly, the ego) about lost love, sympathy is key. Emotion makes all the difference.

This is one thing that Erik Shepard very obviously understands. Chasing Storms is strong musically, with interesting and sometimes surprisingly technical arrangements coming from such a stripped down sound along with vocals that tend to shift between what you might hear from Damien Jurado or Kevin Devine’s long lost brother. But in addition to all of that talent providing the backbone to Chasing Storms, Shepard allows vulnerability and passion to permeate throughout each track. Closing your eyes at any point during this album, it’s easy to trick yourself into believing that Shepard is playing right in front of you. In this sense, the decidedly raw arrangements work immensely in Erik Shepard’s favor.

“Sirens” and “Shadow of the Past” are two of Chasing Storms’ strongest tracks vocally, the first coming across as somewhat breathy with a memorable, pleading chorus, while “Shadow of the Past” is more straightforward, with Shepard showing a bit more strength but still managing to put forth a grabbing, poignant performance. The vocals aren’t the only area where Chasing Storms shines, though, with Shepard showing off his delicate, and sometimes downright stunning, guitar work; such as what can be heard on the instrumental “Moon Compass” and later working as the calming background to “Zoe’s Song”.

Chasing Storms came my way through chance – a friend from another site was reviewing it and suggested that Erik Shepard send it my way as well, and I’m insanely glad that he agreed to do just that. Filled with songs that are both emotive and well-played, Chasing Storms had me falling in love almost instantly. Any fans of acoustic music that don’t check out Erik Shepard are simply doing themselves a severe disservice. In addition to all of the positive qualities musically, the album is set up for download with a set-your-own-price setup – and even better, the proceeds of said donations will be going towards The Shinners, a charitable group that focuses on helping women and children in Kenya receive health care, education, and food. Consider buying Chasing Storms your good deed for the day – a good deed that also happened to result in such a beautiful album finding it’s way to your ears. It’s a win-win.

To check out Erik Shepard, head to his MySpace.

Click Here to purchase the album and read more about Erik Shepard and The Shinners.



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