Saturday, June 25, 2011

C Anthony Goggin - Cardboard Boxes

Hear The Track Here


Maybe third time around might prove lucky for American acoustic musician Cody Goggin, aka the grand sounding C Anthony Goggin. On the face of it, Cody looks like he's going to have the mother of all uphill struggles. Not, I hasten to add, in a Patrick Lew kind of way - only he can (barely) get away with it. Nope, just simple lack of equipment, what you get is just a man and his songs. Both previous tracks were marred - compared to the competition of course - by the timorous delivery, flattened vocals and bare bones of songs. I've actually come across lots and lots of these types of musicians and some can take off, and some can't.

In the case of Cody, the jury is still out.

This track is considerably more 'together' than any of the previous efforts and it's obvious that Cody is learning rapidly, which brings me to my central point. We are all - to a man or woman - pretty basic at the beginning. What this online environment offers most is the chance to advance your musical knowledge rapidly, and time after time I have seen online musicians do it. All of a sudden, all that prior work pays off, and the musician(s) hit a roll. Soundclick is dotted with stories like that, and some really fine music has come our way because of it.

Cody's contribution, then, should be taken as offered; an incomplete vision sure, but one that may have possibilities down the line. Moreover, at the rate he is developing (even though it may not seem so to him) he will get there quickly enough. All it takes it to work your damn butt off every minute of every day - ask any musician. Cardboard Boxes while still some way from perfection at least has a 'proper' sound and structure, even if it is derivative. So, maybe give this one a swerve if you are not into lo-fi navel gazing, or musicians learning their art...

No comments: