smalltown

The crowd is restless. It's as if a familiar scent of excitement has intoxicated their senses. Lights dim. There is movement from the side of the stage. Figures emerge. A beating drum is heard. Guitars begin to plead with each member of the audience, asking them to participate, to surrender. The bass begins to rumble. And it begins.

Listeners are thrust into the world of SmallTown. Soaring harmonies, blazing guitars, thundering drums and 4 vocalists, numb the senses with top- shelf musicianship and talent. Not to mention, the hits from their debut CD, The Last Great Goodbye.

The Last Great Goodbye finds SmallTown culling styles that are fused of infectious Eagles-type harmonies, melodious, yet cutting edge guitar hooks, and vocals from three, that's right, three lead singers in Mace, Stayce & Jason. Rounded out with the thunderous drums of Johnny Zimmerman, and SmallTown has fans and critics agreeing that they are a musical force to be heard. The group has roots that are made up of the area's best and most formidable musicians/songwriters. Having penned songs for groups like All-4-One (songwriting and musician credits) & The Brave (songwriting and musician credits), widespread musical exposure is nothing new to SmallTown. In fact, J-13 & The Last Great Goodbye were actually two of the songs that landed two of the members a publishing deal with the same company that holds the rights to Boot Scoot Boogie and The Gambler. That is not bad company.

The album kicks off with the self-titled SmallTown. The listener is then woven through a work that recalls bands like the Eagles (Sometimes, Just Us Three), Bon Jovi and Def Leppard (SmallTown, What If I Did), & George Strait (J-13,Dancing Her Memory Away). The unique thing is how all of these influences become a signature sound that although you are reminded of some of them, you are treated to a special blend of music that SmallTown can say is "their" sound.