Howard Rose - Long Night Out [CD]

Brian Culbertson's major label debut Long Night Out is a one-man band tour de force. All those years of sequestering himself away in his bedroom/recording studio have paid off. Except for a few other musicians, Culbertson writes and performs all the music himself. Instead of a vapid "look ma, no band" effort, the tracks sparkle with creativity. On the laid-back opener "City Lights," Culbertson lays down a swaying groove punctuated by muted trumpet, elegant piano, and lazy, lower register electric guitar runs. It's great for a midnight drive. "Heroes of the Dawn" conveys optimism through it's use of syncopated percussion and interwoven horn lines. The lilting "Beautiful Liar" has solid acoustic piano and tasteful fuzz guitar by Harry Hmora. The double time-tempoed "Double Exposure" smoothly glides along atop a sinewy melody. [Note: This product is an authorized CD-R and is manufactured on demand].