Search - Paul Ruderman :: Wish

Paul Ruderman: On the Brink of Greatness

08/29/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"A few years back my friend Gary invited me downtown to a small New York City club called The Bottom Line to check out this band he had seen a few times. About half way through the first song I turned to Gary amazed and said, "Are you kidding me? Why isn't this guy famous?" The guy was Paul Ruderman, and the masses will soon be asking this same question as all the pieces seem to have fallen into place for this up-and-coming singer songwriter with the national debut of "Wish" (Q Records/Atlantic). Ruderman has cultivated a strong fan-base in the Big Apple and those of you who haven't heard Paul play yet are in for a treat-the likes of which we haven't seen since Dave Matthews finally realized he might have to play outside of Charlottesville to reach a larger audience. Ruderman blends lyrical ingenuity with a folksy-groove oriented sound that evokes comparisons to the early Matthews, shades of James Taylor and Bob Dylan. But his sound is entirely his own. Ruderman's sweet acoustic guitar licks are layered with richly-textured bass lines and an ethereal electric guitar from the Radiohead school of sound on "Open Room." There are the requisite feel-good songs destined to be hits such as the title track "Wish," the uplifting "Sunshine," and a Barenaked Ladies-esque number called "I Am No." There is also a good dose of rocked-out politicizing on "Left Side" and "Madman in Waco," a tripped-out foray into the mind of Branch-Davidian cult leader David Koresh which poignantly asks, "Is there any grace in this town?" Ruderman explores the depths of his heart and soul in soaring ballads "Part of My Soul," `Wait for Me," and "Jacquie's Song."
Having seen Ruderman live many a time I must say that this album, though well produced, does not do him justice. It's incredible what a creative producer can do with some talented studio musicians and an artist who's just waiting to break out. But I'm hoping Ruderman's next venture is a live album (a la "Live at Red Rocks"). There's simply nothing better once you've heard him live, and the musicians he has now have taken his music to another level. Still, the bottom line is that these songs are gems... and they speak right to your soul in a way that makes you wonder if they weren't written just for you. And that's hard to beat in an age of bubble-gum pop and jaded complaint rock."

Erudite Roll

Lee Armstrong | Winterville, NC United States | 06/18/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Paul Ruderman's "Wish" is great folk/rock/pop music. His songwriting is lyrically complex, erudite roll, from a guy who must have learned quite a bit at Tufts. His music zooms through dense lyric verses to grab you with great hooks on the chorus. What I like most about this music that it is so happy. I don't know why depression and negativity seem to be so in vogue, but if you're ready for a little joy, get "Wish."The opening track "Sunshine" is an upbeat happy tune. The buoyant background vocals will make you want to dust off Katrina & the Waves' "Walking on Sunshine." The title track is full of pep and breaks into an infectious chorus of sha-la-las, "The world is a little bit colder now; my face is a little bit older now." "Amazin' Feelin'" is buoyant and joyful. The rocker "Madman In Waco" takes on David Koresh who told his followers that it was God's will that he sleep with their wives. "Part of My Soul" is a mellow rocker. My favorite track is the hook-laden "Open Room," "I can't imagine sleeping with anyone but you." "Left Side" is an electric rocker with dense lyrics that make an abstract political statement. It's followed by a pensive track, "The Rage," where you need a dictionary part of the time if you don't just want to tap your foot to the prominent percussion, "In the middle of a cornucopia of sex & rage." "Everything's Fried" is a mid to uptempo rocker with inventive lyrics, "Gotta be where the sun's waking me behind my eyes." "Alot Like You" is another rocker with a great chorus. Finally, 11 songs into the CD, Ruderman slows down a bit on the acoustic guitar ballad "Wait for Me" about "the man with the backwards sense of time." "I Am No" is a great political song, a modern protest song, "I am no serenader but I hear something awry; there's just too much confusion in my slice of American pie." We get one more slow love song on the soft romantic, upbeat "Jacquie's Song." The CD ends with the midtempo "Midnight Pagan" with the singer "Looking for Jesus." Ruderman rocks joyfully on this CD, sings about all the stuff you weren't supposed to talk about years ago -- sex, politics and religion -- and delivers one of the best, most original sets out there."

SMILE

ERIC | NY | 08/30/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"to sum up paul rudermans album WISH in one word SMILE. his album is defently my number one album of the year. And soon will be my number one album of all time. It just puts a big SMILE on your face and to think in this day and age someone wrighting there own songs and playing there own instruments. paul will defently go places and one day become a legend. Its the real musicans that get left unnoticed but as long as paul change's one persons life for the better or worse then you know he did ok."