So There begins with Impressions, a track that captures in a hair less than three minutes the different styles and influences that Lyle draws on during So There’s runtime. The momentum achieved by this initial track is bolstered considerably with Let It Out. The array of guitar-heavy rock and blues will draw listeners in and keep them through the next few tracks. What separates Lyle from similar musicians is that each side of So There — instrumental and vocal — bolsters the other. I contend that even the biggest guitar players (Santana, SRV) lack in terms of their ability to connect with listeners. When listeners happen upon an effort like Librium or Walk On, they will immediately identify with Lyle.
I Will Wait is an early-disc track that could easily make it on rock or adult charts and establishes Lyle’s versatility. You’ve Got Love showcases that Lyle’s efforts continue to impress even as the album begins to spin to a close. Levee Moan is a stellar cover of the Son House classic. Rather than make a straight-forward homage, Lyle’s Levee Moan crackles with energy and spins itself in a decidedly different path from the original. Lyle contextualizes the cover nicely alongside the rest of his own tracks, crafting a cohesion that few albums can achieve.
Make sure to check out Lyle’s website for more biographical information, photos, and the video for “You’re Killing Me”. Here’s to hoping that Lyle has a long and successful career, and that he can stop in a city at which we could conceivably see him.
Top Tracks: I Will Wait, You’ve Got Love
Rating: 8.5/10
Grant Lyle — So There (CD) / 2012 Self / 12 Tracks / http://www.grantlyle.com
Grant Lyle So There CD Review
