La Bonte', Rick: Living It Up

Sea Of Tranquility’s own Rick Labonte has released a 2 disc set of solo material titled Living It Up. Straight up tunes with a focus on melody in a classic rock vein. Disc 1 is labeled “Day�, and you are treated to tracks like “Fragile� which sets the rocking tone, while the acoustic guitar and vibe of “Let It Show� reminds me of the Doobie Brothers. The track features a catchy harmony guitar outro at the end which is a nice touch. These songs are filled with tasty guitar breaks, and plenty of hooks to latch onto. Its obvious Rick’s ear is tuned into melody; you’ll find plenty in the vocal lines, and background vocals to compliment the music. “Now and Then� is my favorite track on side 1, while the blistering solo in the closing “The Gallery of Love� is most impressive!

Disc 2 “Night� kicks things off with another heavy rocker “Cabin Fever�, maybe inspired by our Covid Lockdown? The first three tracks of disc 2 are a bit darker and heavier than disc 1. “Night Shift� mixes it up with acoustic guitar and Rick on harmonica, showing off a bluesy influence. A number of different musicians are used throughout, but the album has a cohesive and comfortable feel. “No Way� has a funky feel, some of my favorite guitar breaks on disc 2, and what I find to be Rick’s most expressive vocals on the album. In addition, the CD packaging and booklet are beautifully illustrated, and include the lyrics and all the musicians who appear on each track Music is a reflection of the artist, and what you see of Rick on Sea of Tranquility is what you get on Livin It Up, upbeat, energetic, and fun. The dream of every musician is to write and record their own music, and I tip my cap to Rick who has made his dream a reality.

Track Listing
Disc 1 �" Day

1. Fragile
2. Full Speed Ahead
3. Let it Show
4. All To Yourself
5. Living It Up
6. Since I Met You
7. Moved On
8. Now And Then
9. Time Well Spent
10. Tell Me Now
11. You
12. The Gallery Of Love

Disc 2 �" Night

1. Cabin Fever
2. My Opinion
3. I Believe
4. Night Shift
5. It’s A Matter Of Time
6. Coda
7. Drama
8. Jane Doe
9. No Way
10. Memory Lane
11. Colour Blind
12. Big Brother

Added: April 9th 2022
Reviewer: Eric Porter
Score:
Related Link: Artist Website
Hits: 1217
Language: english

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