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DYING TO HAVE A GOOD TIME | THE KISS BEFORE THE CALM | CASUAL RAKE
DYING
TO HAVE A GOOD TIME
Charlie Sohmer’s music is quirky, thoughtful, and warm-hearted or, as Charlie’s website puts it, “Honest and touching.” In other words, quintessential Canadian folk music (albeit with plenty of country, gospel, Cajun, and bluegrass influences). Sohmer sings and plays banjo and is supported by his Jazzed Up Hoodlums (players from Toronto’s The Brothers Cosmoline and The Bebop Cowboys). And while the whole album is rock solid, personally I’m drawn to the stripped-down, darker pieces, Take My Possessions and Who Do You Think It Was being two standouts. But there’s also the Cajun-flavoured Cissy Bon, the nostalgic Blue Satin (which to my ear evokes Jimmy Buffet), and country swing on Lean In A Little Closer. None of it will rock your world, perhaps, but there’s something very appealing and more than a little refreshing about Sohmer's plain spun creations.
Richard Thornley, Penguin Eggs, Autumn 2006
If country can be groovy, this new album from Canadian Charlie Sohmer knows how to shake its thing. There’s a simplicity to the voice and songs that’s reminiscent of John Prine – and it’s a similarly deceptive simplicity, disguising an emotional depth charge. There’s some interesting stuff; the sinister Waitsian whisper on ‘Cissy Bon’, for example. Other songs are in the storytelling tradition, with gamblers, bad women and cars dominant. But the tracks that stand out are those that try to convey honestly the emotions of a man looking back on the 55 years of his life, facing the lost opportunities and constraints of being born without a silver spoon. This is moving stuff, hidden behind that groovy country twang and a fondness for a singalong chorus.
Lynne Pettinger, americana-uk.com, March 27, 2006
Ottawa folk/country songwriter, banjo whiz and storyteller Charlie Sohmer, a popular festival sideliner who moonlights as an accountant during the day, demonstrates his passion for narrative song and acoustic roots music in his fifth independent album. He has some stellar help in the core lineup of Toronto's venerated country swing outfit, The Bebop Cowboys (guitarist Steve Briggs, steel picker Burke Carroll and drummer John Adames), and producer/bassist John Switzer, as well as roots veterans Keith Glass on guitar, Denis Keldie on Hammond organ and Tannis Simmons on backup vocals. As fine as this accompaniment is, and as clever as his literate story songs are, Sohmer is an awkward singer whose poor enunciation and pitchy mumbles force the listener time and again to consult the lyrics sheet embedded in the CD. Some high-grade bluegrass band with a couple of great singers could do worse than cover these songs double-quick.
Greg Quill, Toronto Star
Ze vielen tegelijkertijd in de bus, de cd’s van Eric Lindell en Charlie Sohmer. De ex skate punker, Lindell, die zijn roots vermengd met New Orleans Soul en de rustig tokkelende vijftiger, Sohmer, die rust heeft gevonden in Ottawa. Een groter verschil in “looks” en “sound” is nauwelijks denkbaar. Mooi dat we ze allebei kunnen bespreken. Sohmer speelt banjo. Niet op de Formule 1-manier maar relaxt en laidback. Misschien wel een beetje Te rustig. Sohmer heeft dat zichzelf ook afgevraagd tijdens de opnames. “Sometimes, when I listen to it, I twist between thinking, “this sounds too simple, where’s the angst,” and, “omigod, this is so honest and touching.” But the truth is, I’m fifty-five and happy. So honest and touching is what you get. I like all the songs.”. Meer zullen we dan ook niet vragen. Na een dag hard werken, kan Dying To Have A Good Time een heerlijk rustpunt zijn. Zeker voor de liefhebbers van knap gespeelde akoestische muziek en/of Rice, Rice, Hillman & Pedersen.
Patrick Donders, Hanx.net
ThereÕs nothing fancy about Ottawa singer/songwriter Charlie Sohmer; his voice is simply what it is and his delivery basically gets the job done. But gosh, this boy knows how to put together a story including, this time around, the ŅLet me be your lovinÕ daddyÕ tune Lean In A Little Closer, the going-over-Jordan song Take My Possessions, and the dandy little tale of life in the old west The Queen of Kentucky, starring a lady of easy virtue, a card game, and a double barroom death. Accompanying himself on banjo and helped out by Burke Carroll on dobro and Keith Glass on guitar, Sohmer casts an easy-going spell with his mix of Appalachian, gospel, western swing and old-style country.
Patrick Langston, Ottawa Citizen
Charlie Sohmer is 55 en gelukkig. Dat klinkt als het toppunt van saaiheid, maar dat blijkt reuze mee te vallen. Op Dying To Have A Good Time (Glowing Hearts) slaagt de Canadees er in om zijn prettige gemoedstoestand over te brengen op de luisteraar. Zo valt bij het huppelende cajunachtige Cissy Bon niet stil te zitten. Samen met The Jazzed Up Hoodlums serveert Sohmer veertien afwisselende nummers waar een louterende werking van uitgaat. Sohmer (zang, banjo) is geen moment zwaar op de hand, altijd overheerst de wetenschap dat je aan je eigen geluk moet werken. Dat levert heel wat fraais op. NobodyÕs Baby is jaren zestig countryrock met bluegrassinstrumenten, terwijl Lean In A Little Closer pure western swing is. Op Who Do You Think It Was zet Sohmer een andere stem op en klinkt hij opeens als Stephen Yerkey. The Jazzed Up Hoodlums bestaan uit Steve Briggs (gitaar, mandline, zang), John Switzer (bas, zang, productie), Burke Carroll (dobro, pedal steel) en John Adames (drums) en ze doen hun ding uitermate ontspannen. Dit is de vijfde plaat van Sohmer en zijn originele lichtelijk jazzy countrymuziek blijft zich ontwikkelen.
John Gjaltema, Alt.Country.nl
Charlie Sohmer is an Ottawa-based singer/songwriter and self-confessed banjo playing fanatic. This marks his fifth album release; and itÕs filled with all original folk/country and roots flavoured songs. Sohmer delivers the material with a somewhat unique vocal style Š certainly not smooth, but gritty and gutsy enough to keep you listening, and finding special little nuances with each listen. ItÕs Charlie SohmerÕs songwriting that is the main attraction hereÉ a lot of this would fit snugly alongside the works of writers like Tom Russell, Ian Tyson and Stewart MacDougall. Quirky stuff at times, but like the vocals, youÕre always hearing something new in the songs with each progressive listen.
There are a number of special moments hereÉ the tongue-tying I Never Lost Someone I Loved As Much As I Love You, has a jazz/country feel, while Trouble On My Side is a bluesy ballad, which Sohmer delivers in a half-spoken mode. Quite effective. Also high on preferred list is The Queen Of Kentucky, an old wild west tale.
Variety in style is also the key hereÉ Charlie Sohmer doesnÕt get stuck in a creative rut for sure, as he injects a touch of Cajun in Cissy Bon, thereÕs a reggae feel to Blue Satin, while Who Do You Think It Was offers up some blues, with a spooky story line. ThereÕs even a hint of bluegrass, most notably on the mid-tempo Ride Billy RideÉ and SohmerÕs versatility as a songwriter goes into another phase on Old Friends, a ŌprisonÕ story song that has an effective echo intro.
Not a Ōhardcore countryÕ album by any stretchÉ but one that keeps you listeningÉ and that, after all, is the objective of putting your music on disc. The album was produced by John Switzer at Audio Valley Studios in Perth, Ontario and features, in addition to SohmerÕs banjo, the session stylings of Burke Carroll on dobro and steel, Steve Briggs on guitar and mandolin, and Keith Glass (of Prairie Oyster) on guitars.
Larry Delaney, Country Music News
THE
KISS BEFORE THE CALM You don't hear country music like this any more. Charlie Sohmer's The Kiss Before the Calm is redolent of Bob Regan and Lucille Star, Doug Kershaw, and Orval Prophet. This is old time country with a definite Quebec/Cajun edge. I'm not sure Sohmer even knows that he's doing country music, let alone that he's doing it so well. His publicity includes references to his music as "singer-songwriter" and "folk and roots music with a country twang" and "New Orleans rhythms, jazz consciousness, a taste of the blues and a beatnik cool" sound. When I received this release, I rather expected to hear music somewhere in the jazz/blues genre. "Murder in the Air" quickly cured me of that notion. A cowboy song with just a bit of a Cajun flavour, "Murder in the Air" has a lyric fraught with impending doom and the sort of edge one might expect if "High Noon" had been written by Neil Young. I once heard a social scientist refer to country music as the Anne Landers of the Air. If this analogy could be extended to include Jerry Springer, "Roll it Off the Highway" surely fits the bill. This depressing lyric tells the story of a woman's abuse through "eleven years of loveless marriage" to a man who has the temerity to tell her, "I'll kill the children as they sleep; you can keep them when they're dead." Her only way out is to kill him. (Okay, I gave away the ending, but this well-written song is still worth a couple of listens.) A sweet country waltz, "Marielle" begins like a love song but quickly becomes a story of unrequited love and potential suicide. There is no happy ending here. Those who love tear-jerkers will love this song. Those who enjoy a good old fashioned Cajun sound will want to hear "Don't Lie" with its spirited, danceable rhythm. Taking a bit different direction, "Comfort Me" is a bright country waltz that leans strongly toward western swing. "Heaven Calling" is a special favourite of mine, but I must say that there's not a bad song on this release. I'll be very surprised if at least some of these tracks don't get substantial airplay. It doesn't at all hurt Sohmer's sound that this recording includes some of Canada's finest musicians, including such folks as Willie P. Bennett and Terry Tufts. Sohmer does well to live up to the high quality of musicianship represented by the twelve players he bills as the "Jazzed-Up Hoodlums" in the liner notes. The Kiss Before the Calm ends on a slightly different note. While "Fool for You" retains the county feel that pervades the rest of this CD, it introduces a sort of Paul Simon African rhythmic element that sets it apart. Perhaps, since it's the last track on this release, "Fool for You" is predictive of Sohmer's next. My suggestion? Don't wait for Charlie Sohmer's next release."
Bob Mackenzie, Sound Bytes
It's not easy to pin down Ontario-based Charlie Sohmer's style. It sounds like folk roots with a country twang and a bluegrass flair. The songs tell stories about heartbreak and love lost but there is a cool element in the arrangements, something that brings other musical influences to bear. The Kiss Before the Calm contains a dozen songs performed by Sohmer with a backup complement that just doesn't quit. The arrangements are tight and crisp and the quality is consistently high throughout. The rather self-deprecating liner notes give you an idea of how he came to write each song and are flip and funny, yet get to the point. The common thread that binds the songs together is that each tells a story that portrays a slice of the human condition. The devil-may-care attitude of "Murder in the Air," with its rollicking honky-tonk hyperbole, gives way to a frankly sexy backbeat, shimmying fiddle and sassy banjo picking in "Never Been on Time." "Marielle" is a sweet old time waltz laced with evocative imagery. A bluegrass-style fiddle provides a swinging backdrop to "Don't Lie" while "Goodbye Goodbye" is a classic "I done you wrong but I'm sorry" song, again, telling a story with vivid and gripping images. "Every Feeling in my Heart" is a slow ballad-like song about a broken relationship; the mood lightens somewhat with the driving rhythm of "I Love My Iris Like a rose," although the bouncy melody belies the lyrics with also deal with a relationship in trouble. "Comfort Me" takes a step in the direction of rockabilly, and "Heaven Calling" is a lovely bittersweet song leaning more heavily toward country, about a man facing his final run: "Heaven calling, don't hang up the phone / I have fallen a long long way from home / If you catch me in the passing lane / Just honk a little louder, we may not meet again." The mandolin and banjo blend beautifully in the background, and the fiddle's counterpoint is, well, heavenly. "Say No Money" is a lively two step with a Cajun touch and a wailing harmonica in a duet with the fiddle. It's an appealing and catchy song that should have you tapping your feet, if not dancing outright, and humming the chorus incessantly. "Roll it off the Highway" is a stark contrast, telling a grim story about an abused wife who finally takes desperate measures. Sohmer closes the CD with "Fool For You," a laidback song with sassy, killer background vocals from Stella Haybukal and Andrea Karum, and a worldbeat sound. Sohmer's voice is warm and versatile, with a range capable matching the style the song. His songwriting talent is in synch with his musical talent. Is it folk? Is it country? Wh`tever it is, it's well worth acquiring to decide for yourself."
Dona Scanlon, Rambles
Folk and roots music with a country twang, Ottawa's Charlie Sohmer could probably be likened to a bit of Ian Tamblyn here, a bit of Ian Tyson there. Stories of romance and heartbreak, mixed with pleasant banjo and dobro pickin' and ragged harmonies, making The Kiss Before The Calm arguably the most down-to-earth album since the late Jerry Garcia's country excursions or The Band's early records. Just as Every Feeling In My Heart hurts as good as Heaven Calling, I Love My Iris Like A Rose is as toe-tapping fresh as Don't Lie. Credit backup help from the likes of local fave Terry Tufts and Willie P. Bennett. A Winner on all counts."
Ian Nathanson, The Ottawa Sun
Kissing The Oh So Calm Charlie Sohmer Kiss no. 1: a caress with the lips 2: a gentle touch or contact. Calm no. 3: a state of freedom from turmoil or agitation. I love definitions. It?s hard to be anything but straightforward when you start with the facts. I will define Charlie Sohmer?s latest CD, The Kiss Before the Calm as a big sounding Americana country folk landscape. Charlie employs just about every standard instrument the genre has to offer, and a well collected group of musicians to play them. Listening to this CD took me way back to those placid Sunday nights when my father would remind us all that he indeed was overlord of the TV set as we watched Don Messer?s Jubilee and later The Tommy Hunter Show. It was far from my favourite kind of music but man, those fiddlers could really fly and some of those square dancing girls were real babes. This is Ottawa based singer/songwriter Charlie Sohmer?s third CD, the second on his own ?Glowing Hearts? label. The Kiss Before the Calm is ?lazin on the hammock while you self reflect? music. Even when the song is upbeat it generates just enough energy needed to go and grab another beer from the fridge. The line up of musicians is stellar and the performances are excellent, featuring wonderful ?beyond blues? harmonica from Willie P. Bennett. Aside from track 12, ?Fool For You? which features Ottawa local divas Andrea Karem and Stella Haybukai doing some African style do-wops and the band digging into a kind of ?folk-trance? sound, there are not a lot of risky experiments with the sound or arrangements.The somewhat hidden treasure is the lyrical prose that the music is built on. Sohmer?s words are grand examples of slowly revealed, visual emotions where the trip is more satisfying than the arrival."
Ric Denis,The Humm
CASUAL RAKEThis Canadian has been listening to a lot of Appalachian music. This is some really funky country stuff. The production is beautiful with every instrument bell clear. His songs are fine, too! This CD is a REAL treat!"
Folk Acoustic Music Exchange
From somewhere in central Canada, Sohmer leads his quartet through 11 smoky songs with a late-night ambience, embracing New Orleans rhythms, jazz consciousness, a taste of the blues and a beatnik cool. If this suggests another Tom Waits acolyte, the comparison is unavoidable, but Sohmer and his group sound like a working rhythm and blues band and accordingly put this material across with a fluid, casual efficiency."
The Vancouver Province