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Album Details

• Artist: John Haesemeyer
• Album: Come Along Quickly
• Label: Independent
• Year of Release: 2012
• ME Rating:
• Reviewed by: carlito on 2013-01-21

If you visit San Franciso-based singer/songwriter John Haesemeyer's website, there's a short little film where you'll learn about the making of Come Along Quickly.  Once I heard him talk about quitting his corporate job to focus on his songwriting, I have to be honest, I liked the guy immediately.  But the proof is in the pudding, as they say, so I gave the record a listen.   

It opens up with the title track.  It's folk, almost country really.  And it was obvious he draws inspiration from the great singer/songwriters of the past: Neil Young, Springstein, Dylan, Taylor (not Swift, by the way).

"A Little Confidence" was my favorite out of the bunch.  It's edgy with a good amount of distortion on the lead guitar.  There are times vocally where it seems John doesn't hit all the notes, but the song is so interesting otherwise that I really didn't mind it.  There's a beautiful sax solo that comes in about a minute and a half into it, and then sporadically throughout.  Lots of dynamics on this one.  This is followed by "Open Up," a short but certainly sweet ballad. 

"Love, Why So Far Away?" actually has a bit of a hip-hop edge to it, with some funky drums and adlibs, and even a guest rapper.  A little risky for an otherwise folksy sound, but I really enjoyed this one.  It worked.  I wouldn't mind an entire hip-hop/folk collaboration for John's next project.  Just a suggestion. 

Haesemeyer is a story-teller.  His lyrical style is in the truest vein of the singer/songwriter genre.  The mood on Come Along Quickly ranges from melancholy to a drive-on-the-open-road type of vibe.  These songs are deep, both musically and lyrically.  So if you're looking for annoying catchy tunes that stay stubbornly in your brain for days on end, I wouldn't play this record.  But if you want a little more depth, a little more meaning from your music, then come along with John Haesemeyer, but not too quickly.  This is not an album to rush through.  

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