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 Caught in the Carousel - Music Reviews and More
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Ian Walsh
Please Remember
Plus 5 Records
Please Remember is a collection of lovelorn pop ballads by Ian Walsh, a 19-year-old singer-songwriter and student at the Berklee School of Music. It's a slick CD, especially for a debut from such a young musician, but Please Remember is produced by Ritchie Rubini (The Caulfields) and mixed by Nick DiDia (Pearl Jam, Bruce Springsteen)—it's hard to go wrong with that much talent at the board. Although the arrangements are polished and hook-filled, once underway, Please Remember suffers from a morass of sameness; Walsh's crooning, unmitigated grief misses the final mark of redemption and hope that I'd expect from a study of the theme. Walsh does, however, nail a very particular demographic. I consulted an expert—my 15-year-old niece—and asked what she thought of him. Her emailed reply: "I like his voice a lot! I think he does well with a slow song like 'Goodbye' or 'Apology.' 'Goodbye' is my favorite 'cause it really shows his good voice."
She's right. "Goodbye" is the best track on Please Remember.
Walsh is a talented musician and a rising young songwriter, but I'd like to see him explore his range, both vocally and lyrically. It's not enough to sound like the next American Idol.
—Lyn Dunagan
(with thanks to Taylor D.)
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