Warren Malone - The Great Big Bubblegum Heartbreak (Self)
The life of a singer-songwriter is littered with heartbreak, pain, joy, piss & shit, and... well, life! For the Manchester-bred, NYC-based Warren Malone, life is an enormous canvas, a canvas he paints with deftness and combustible energy -- from his gentle brush strokes to brash colors and muted grays and everything in between. Ten songs that encompass his life and loves. "You Get What You Paid For / I've got a broken heart..." sings Malone; straight ahead, tightly woven in an evocatively simple arrangement with help from two of his favorite New York collaborators -- Brandon Wilde and Lenny Monachello. They represent a small but unified group of mighty professionals who have kept the art of songwriting very much alive. Armed with acoustic guitars and amazing songs, Mr. Malone, along with them, continue to spread their joy of songwriting.
For this album, his collaborators helped expand his acoustic sound by adding very cool keyboards, programmed drums/percussion, electric guitar and bass, even horns, to fill out his sound. This new production should pay huge dividends.
Moreover, one would hope that these "enhancements" will expand his fanbase. Just listen to his catchy-as-hell "hit" single "Cry Baby" -- a song that could be a chart topper for Van Morrison or anyone for that matter (hopefully Malone) -- and you'll find yourself in singalong with him. Or get lost in the moody ballad of "Just Lonely"..."there's no such thing as just lonely... I was out being just lonely without you..." With Warren Malone, you will not be alone. He's a songwriter that knows your pain and sings it so that you may heal. You can order his new album through his Bandcamp link above.