Scott Gagner – Pins & Needles

With Pins and Needles, Scott Gagner gives us one of the more interesting releases this year. Pete Thomas appears (while on hiatus from The Tex Pistols with Martin Belmont and Phil Rambow) to play drums on this one. Ken Stringfellow adds his talents to the mix as well. With that in mind, expectations are high even before hearing a single note. Fortunately, Gagner delivers big time with songs that are diverse, engaging and memorable.

At some point in time, we’ve all stayed at “The El Rancho Inn”. “Someone” has an almost Cars-like motor and is an instant hit single for this listener. The song benefits from a great melody and lyrics that flow so easily. Let’s not forget the killer hook of a chorus.

The chiming guitars and poignant words of “You Don’t Know” will grab the attention of anyone who isn’t already captivated by the first half of Pins & Needles. The juxtaposition of this song with the softer touch of “Place in the World” feels just right. On the more delicate side, “Place” boasts a great string arrangement and soothing background vocals that make this track something special. The disk comes to a close with interesting take on “America the Beautiful”.

Scott Gagner’s Pins & Needles is available thru iTunes, CDBaby and Scott’s Bandcamp page. This one is highly recommended so go get it!