Artist/ Band: Zak Smith
Title: Haunted Feet
Label: Zak Smith Records
Year of Release: 2011
Offical Artist/ Band Link

The Review:

I can’t say this actually belongs on a progressive music site but it was sent to review so here goes. Zak Smith was born in New Jersey and formed his band in New York City. Other reviews compare Zak to Leonard Cohen and Elvis Costello, and I can see just a tiny bit of that but I hear a more rootsy blues based pop along the lines of Tom Petty, Joe Cocker and Bob Seger and even a touch of Bruce Springsteen.

Now I don’t listen to these bands but I have to qualify something, because if I did like these comparative artists, I’d be crazy about this CD! In fact, I’d go buy all his stuff. It is after all, good classic rock/pop music and not a bad track in that context. I certainly went through my radio friendly rock and pop phase before High School (40 yrs ago ) so I can listen to this.

Haunted Feet also has some alt pop songs that flow really smooth such as “Suffer Like A Ghost” and then a nice ballad “The Ones That Got Away Will Bury Me” ( this one almost has a Tom Petty sound and I actually like this quite a lot). I also didn’t mind “The House You Haunt”.

I wasn’t crazy about the last song “Faith But Waiting” as it was the most like Bob Seger.(I know the artist would rather I say Leonard Cohen on that one but I just can’t hear that so much). Truly a nice collection of classic sounding pop/rock songs that start to stick with you, and quickly win you over, even if you are more into progressive music. I happen to love lots of techno pop and just well done rock and alternative, so I have a good deal of tolerance for many types of music whether or not they are anywhere near the prog genre. So you have been warned that this is not in any way a progressive music EP but it is for the classic rock lovers without a doubt. Give it a listen and see what you think, because one thing I did hear clearly; Zak Smith sings from his heart and the music has a true emotion to it. That’s hard to find in music these days.

Reviewed by Lee Henderson on February 17th, 2011

Tracks:

01. Under Your Possession
02. Suffer Like A Ghost
03. The Ones That Got Away Will Bury Me
04. The House You Haunt
05. Faith But Waitin

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