Cool Blue Light is the fourth CD by Alaska native Tom Begich, and in my opinion, is his best so far. Begich is an authentic troubadour, crisscrossing the country, playing at small venues and house concerts, and obviously gathering on a first hand basis much of the material that makes its way into his songs.
Cool Blue Light is a well engineered and packaged product, and should bring Tom a whole lot of new fans...If it's your good fortune to have him show up in your neck of the woods, he is well worht the effort to go and see. On a scale of one to ten, I'd give Cool Blue Light a nine and a half. - Ron Young FolkWorks, July/August 2006
Leave the glaring limelight for others; Tom Begich prefers a more subtle hue. And the singer-songwriter explores that idea on his latest disc, “Cool Blue Light.” The lyrics and music suggest rather than demand, inviting the listener to pause and reminisce on life, if just for the moment, and find romance in the shadow of humanity while quietly dabbling in every day situations. - Amanda Becker, AK This Month
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Hotel Metropol is Begich's second CD and combines contemporary folk, rock, and blues sounds with a smattering of Latin and classical influences. "Alexe's Theme" opens the CD with a haunting instrumental which sets up the fast paced folk piece "Sweet Fear". A Latin sound with a strong trumpet solo surrounds the title track, "Hotel Metropol," in sharp contrast with the more contemporary sound of the next three tracks, "Diamonds in My Dream," "Feels so Bad," and "Everything's About to Change." The last includes a captivating flute solo. "Roll On," and "Holes in my Blues" follow the struggles of love in a more acoustic vein as does the last song "Unfinished Conversation". "Johnny's Ambition" returns to the rock sounds of some of the earlier cuts. Running time: 45:52
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Such a World combines elements of folk, rock, and classical music in a comtemporary exploration of life and almost-love. The ten songs begin with the instrumental "Sandi", followed by the reflective Buffett-esque ballad "Mexico". "Sky Burns Gold", the light rocker "Crazy World", and "This Life I Lead" continue to expand the theme of personal reflection. "Jennifer's Dream" is a simple ballad of love, while penatrating cello and piano underscore the love lost tone of "Fire in My Mind". The simple Haiku-like lyrics of "Fall" are bracketted by Begich's original instrumental arrangements of the traditional songs "Twinkle" and "Dixie". Running Time: 38:02 |
