Genre: singer / songwriter, alt
country, folk rock
New York City, NY
October 2009
How many inoffensive
folk-rock, "adult alternative" artists can this world support?
Sadly, Gripka brings us nothing we haven't heard before - his
style is starkly reminiscent of that of Ryan Adams, Jack Johnson
and their ilk, crossed with a vague classic rock flare and a
noticeable alt-country angle. The songs are competently written and
produced, with many a fine melody; the real issue is that the music
scene is already saturated with budding singer/songwriters, and
Gripka provides nothing groundbreaking or particularly original
on this rather lengthy, twelve-song album.
With that said,
Gripka can be commended for the strong melodic composition found
on many of these songs. "Evening" packages a perfectly hummable
melody in a downtrodden, Neil Young-esque sound (see video
below). Breezy "Either Way" (dig the falsetto) and passionate
"Bricks" also boast respectable hooks. Still, this record's
disappointingly generic nature imbues much of the proceedings with a
sense of "going through the motions." In an industry flooded with
this sort of fare, Gripka will face an uphill battle
trying to separate himself from the hordes.
