Reviews

The Michael Louis Band: Morning Gasoline Review

Hailing from Gravesend, South Brooklyn, The Michael Louis Band’s album Morning Gasoline successfully intertwines urban and rural values to create a sound that will appeal to city-dwellers and country folk alike. With heavy guitar riffs that seem to point to the band’s Hendrix and Zeppelin influences, alongside the album’s more southern rock oriented tracks like “Late September” and “Makin’ Time,” Morning Gasoline is an album that will appeal to blues lovers across the country and beyond. With Michael Louis on guitar and vocals, Andrei Sebastian on bass, keyboard and backing vocals, and Keith Crupi on drums, sit back and relax as The Michael Louis Band satisfies your appetite for genuine blues.

The opening track “Morning Gasoline” is a great teaser for the rest of the album’s sound. Drawing from southern rock, the track delivers a sound that is relaxing and pleasurable with some great percussion. Aside from Crupi on drums, special guest Chauncey Yearwood appears here on the congas. As with most of the songs, Sebestian’s keyboarding and bass playing are both crucial for the groove of this track. The second track, “City Boy,” strays away from the southern rock vibe for a more soulful and funky sound as the band pays homage to the fabulous NYC. Home is where the heart is for this band, and as Louis sings: “you can take the boy out of the city, but you can’t take the city out of this boy.” “Makin’ Time” is a laid-back track that would be a great soundtrack for a summer day, with Louis confessing: “Makin’ time is all I wanna do, and I’ll spend all my time here with you.” “Late September” is a slower, ballad-like track with a southern rock feel. Sebastian’s keyboard makes its way front and center here, and Louis’ solo is definitely worth listening closely to.

The album’s Stevie Wonder cover, “Superstition,” takes a funky soul song and infuses it with some hard rock and roll and serious blues. “Flower That Blooms” might be the album’s most powerful and energized track, a definite head-banger. “One Time” showcases another side to The Michael Louis Band with a psychedelic blues sound. “Vanilla Plain” is another soulful track, with a nice groovy Sebastian bass line that happens to be my favorite on the album. Tazer is a really fun instrumental track with plenty of funk and rock and roll to get anyone off their feet. Louis’s guitar work here is an exceptional moment on the album as well. “Yes It’s Good For You” is another great funky dance tune. Yearwood’s congas make a third appearance here after “Morning Gasoline” and “Makin’ Time,” and make a perfect addition to the soulful, upbeat track. The Michael Louis Band closes the album with the very bluesy “When You Used To Be Mine,”  a great closing track, wrapping up the album nicely with a sound that brings many of the band’s musical approaches together.

Louis’s songwriting on Morning Gasoline is definitely solid and enjoyable, and Louis, Sebastian and Crupi have a great musical rapport throughout the album as a whole. This album will make a great listen for southern rock fans as well as R&B and soul fans. Taking a little bit of the South and mixing it with the edginess and vibrant, eclectic energy of New York City, The Michael Louis Band has clearly created something fresh and exciting with Morning Gasoline.

The Review: 7.5/10

Can’t Miss Tracks

– Morning Gasoline
– City Boy
– Late September
– Flower That Blooms

The Big Hit

– Morning Gasoline

Review by Eileen Quaranto

Buy the album: Amazon | iTunes

One thought on “The Michael Louis Band: Morning Gasoline Review

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Bulk Email Sender