Giving Love
Philip A. Yurkon | scranton, pa | 10/19/2005
(4 out of 5 stars)
""Give Love", the Josh Dion Band's freshman release, is a soulful and pop-oriented rocker that fuses musical genres ranging from gospel, Latin, jazz, blues, and 70s R&B into a cohesive pop format. The album is propelled by drummer and band leader Josh Dion, who belts out soulful and chesty vocals from his high school linebacker frame as he lays down potent grooves and explosive solos from behind his big band-style drum kit. Dion's charismatic presence fortunately does not give way to egotism, as a well orchestrated balance is achieved between Dan Hindman's guitar, Pat Firth's keys, Brian Killeen's bass, and Sarah Versprille and Justin Wade's backing vocals. "Give Love" offers an infectious positive message wrapped in urban soul; a welcome relief in a pop market bereft of any palatable substance. The only current pop parallel that can be drawn might be Joss Stone; otherwise it would be safe to describe the Josh Dion Band as a less studio-polished, east coast Maroon 5 on steroids. As an added bonus, the album comes complete with a tasty yet somewhat brief guest guitar solo by smooth jazz radio's Chuck Loeb.
After such praise, I must explain the absence of the fifth star: song structure. Born with the mind of a producer, I have a third eye fixated on radio-friendly unit-shifters. Great tunes such as "Give Love", an excellent first single, and "Movin' On", with its top 40 potential, have choruses that feel more like interludes. This makes some songs repetitious and plays longer than they actually are. Fortunately, this is not an album-wide problem, as evidenced by flowing tunes like the tight-grooving, two/five Latin changes of "Lonely One" and the catchy Jackson 5-ish riff and indulgent guitar and drum solos of "Birdwalker".
Although this is an album review, mention must be made of their live performances. At a live show, you don't simply see and hear the Josh Dion Band, you experience them. Josh Dion doesn't let the confinement of a drum set keep him from commanding your undivided attention. A drummer/front-man is a rarity in the music world, particularly pop music, but the energy, musicianship, and interplay between Dion and the rest of the band make the experience hardly a novelty. In addition, the band are a bunch of personable people who seem to have a genuine affection for their fan base.
I highly urge you to give love to the Josh Dion Band in any way you can. People in the New York and Philadelphia areas are "catching the woo" as the Josh Dion Band opens for national acts such as Buddy Guy, Eric Johnson, and Los Lonely Boys in addition to club dates. The Josh Dion Band might not hit the big-time with "Give Love" in its current form, although the potential is certainly there. But then again, U2 didn't conquer the universe until their fifth album. Hopefully JDB won't have to wait that long."
Track Listings (13) - Disc #1