There's a bit of a neat 'Six Degrees of Seperation' in the Vermont music scene with Justin Levinson's latest album, Predetermined Fate: Not only is he friends with a couple of my friends in various circles, he's engaged to Vermont Singer-Songwriter Myra Flynn, who blew me away with her fantastic first album, Crooked Measures, last year. As such, I've seen Levinson a couple of times in concert, opening for Myra for her release party, and I think at least one or two other places over the years.
Despite those connections, Levinson's got a whole different ballgame than Flynn with this album, trending far more towards the country-folk and singer-songwriter vibe than indie soul. And I love it. Predetermined Fate is a fantastically fun album to listen to. The entire overal sound and feel of the eleven tracks has a wonderful country-twang of an acoustic guitar, combined with Levinson's inde-rock style vocals. Songs such as Bandaid on a Bulletwound, Losing You To Tennesse, Hoplessness and Soles Of Your Feet have a laidback feel that helps to not only emphasize the music, but also the lyrics that help to drive it.
If I didn't know better, I would have classified this album as country music (which isn't a bad thing by any means) because of some elements of the songs, but there's a certain blend of genres here that makes if far more difficult to seperate out, especially considering the lyrics and album as a whole. What Levinson has put together is a fun, light album that is lyrically and musically interesting and with a good range of sound, going from fun with Bulletwound to the sweet with Myra's Song.
If you're in Vermont or the nearby states, Justin has several shows coming up this month and next:
February 6, 2010 @ 5:00 PM-Spruce Peak, Stowe, VT
February 25, 2010 @ 7:00 PM- University of Vermont, Burlington, VT
March 6, 2010 @ 8:00 PM- Vergennes Opera House, Vergennes, VT
March 27, 2010 @ 5:00 PM-Spruce Peak, Stowe, VT
Bandaid on a Bulletwound - Justin Levinson
Myra's Song - Justin Levinson
