Daryl Stuermer – Rewired – The Electric Connection The most interesting aspect of Daryl Stuermer is that unlike any artist he quickly became one of my favorites overnight. This particular decision took very little thought or deliberation. From the initial disc to that very first concert experience, it was a short journey from obscurity into my top three. My tastes run the gamut, but it's not at all due to underexposure. If you ask me, I feel as if I'm quite literate on the matter. When I share my selections, it's plain to see that I've truly crossed through opposite ends of the prism.
One : I enjoy the melodies that emanate from The Flower King's guitarist Roine Stolt.
Two : I'm a huge fan of Dream Theater and G3's tastefully-technical John Petrucci.
Stuermer makes three and in a way, he utilizes both approaches by smearing disparate points of the musical spectrum together.
He is a guitarist's guitarist while at the same time, he also appeals to the ears of the radio-friendly listener. It's actually hard to believe there is no human voice in his music as his instrument sings with the sweetest and most hospitable voice. When he plays in public, passersby's stop dead in their tracks. After they've thawed, they pay attention and gape. The only complaint you'll ever hear is that that his spectators desperately need the means to sing-along. Without words, they'll be relegated to body language and humming. That's a small price to pay in order to receive something so intelligent and absorbing.
When I saw him in concert, heads bobbed, knees bounced, and hands gestured. His music was extremely lively and absorbent. It bypasses the epidermis and seeps directly into the earlobes' fleshy lining. He's so good at what he does; you'll get prickly sensations, goose bumps, and tingles on the fibrous inside of your ears. Regardless of the mood, his music will hypnotize you, and this album is a far cry from the exception. If anything, it's even exceptional when compared to his finest cache of catchy tunes.
Here he provides a plethora of pleasing ditties. Like a good book, his stories literally leap from the pages. The highlights include… You know what? Feel free to fill in the blank . Seriously, I could put anything into that mad-lib query and like George Washington, I wouldn't even be telling the littlest lilywhite lie. To be Frank, every song is amazing. I might be Josh, but in all actuality, I'm not joshing with you whatsoever.
To clarify, this album isn't just some hodgepodge of hits. They're good enough for a “best of” collection. Moreover, each song meshes well with the next. For that reason, it exhibits the cohesiveness of a regular studio release too. Rewired reveals speed, tenacity, and technicality. Without question, it features a mound of melody. This is a rare combination of styles even in the already wide-ranging world of fusion.
Many of his songs harness the vibe of Genesis, so it should come as no surprise that he works closely with Phil Collins in real-life. This energy can be seen in songs such as “Determined”. This particular song is so good that it will send sparks, jerks, and jolts through your nervous system. It's about as brisk as skinny-dipping in a vat of ice-cold water or as stunning as touching the contact points of a livewire.
If you're a fan of guitar rock and you haven't heard of Daryl Stuermer, I'd hate to offend you, but you're seriously lacking vital information. If you churned Steve Morse, Steve Hackett, and Eric Johnson in a bowl, out would pour a generous serving of Stuermer. Luckily, your loss is easily remedied, making me the fool for the aforementioned insult. In retrospect, my slur was presumptuous and premature, because all you need to do is get familiar with his music. If you do, you'll be instantly enlightened and you'll see the light straight away. After one brief test, anybody with taste would be hooked on this artist's phonics. Hopefully, you'll become an early adopter and won't need further home schooling or instruction. As it turns out, this composite of cuts would be an appropriate initiation to his music. In addition to his brilliant playing and outstanding song selection, the production is unbelievably crisp. An apple might keep the doctor away, but a bite of these bits will heal the mind for an unusually long time. Try it, and I guarantee he'll be in your play list ad infinitum.
Before we lower the curtain and send you on your way, let's shred through Stuermer's latest display of musically imbued magic:
“Yin Yang Boogie” is The Pledge made by The Illusionist. As he steps onto the stage, he immediately earns your attention with a flood of tricks. He puts on a show of sleight-of-hand that closely mimics the juxtaposition of a juggler and the intensity of a swimmer.
“Road Warrior” is a solar car that covers plenty of ground without consuming much gas. With its lightweight frame and aluminum shell, it can pretty much coast past all obstacles in its path. In “Determined”, we're taken along a passage known affectionately to frequent flyers as The Turn . Here the musician makes something that might otherwise be bland do something that is quite extraordinary. Once this lifts off, the skies the limits and in my opinion, this piece exceeds the perimeter.
“Deadline” gleans the vats of Steve Morse's distillery and chases the shot with an intoxicatingly good glass of Genesis. Conversely, “American Fields” robs Eric Johnson's estates and then runs away with a number of his most priceless goodies.
“Morning Train” is right on schedule and glued to the track. This song is heavily lubed and uses the Real McCoy in its gear-shaft. As if it were engineered by Tesla, this is as graceful as a gazelle, but as mighty as Fastrax (a.k.a. The Bigfoot Tank).
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