CHAGALL
Soundlight (Seven Thunders Music)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson

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It would be a gross oversimplification to dismiss Keith Chagall as a Beatles copycat with a Harrison fixation. Granted, there are quite a few moments on Soundlight that tempt one to rename the album "Soundslike," but to be fair there are some fine, dreamy, guitar-driven pop tunes here that are all Chagall. On top of that, the photograph of Chagall with Harrison found in the CD insert and the presence of all four Beatles' names at the top of the Thank You list seems to point more toward spiritual tribute. If you can sit back and go with the flow, then, I have to recommend this, because it's some sweet stuff, generally sounding like the musical neighborhood Harrison may have moved to had it not been for Krishna.

Midway through the album, Chagall throws a hard breaking curve with "I Know What You're Thinking," a soulful tune unlike anything else on Soundlight. Two groups came to mind, more for the feel of it than the actual sound, and those were Hall & Oates and The Tubes. Make of that what you will.

The strongest production number is the title track, and it's here in two versions (beginning and end of the album), the second being the "Radio Cut." It may feel a little too much like Tears For Fears' "Sowing The Seeds Of Love" (which was also heavily Beatles-influenced) to get much airplay. There are better tunes to spin, ones with more Keith Chagall and less of those other people, tunes like "Hard Livin' Tonight" and "We All Go On." Chagall's a good songwriter and a talented musician with an engaging voice, and with a release that sounds this fine and makes me feel this good, the worst I can bring myself to say is he has great taste in role models.

© 2005 - DJ Johnson