Reviews

Clay Hughes' Burn could be a radio juggernaut, if in the hands of the right people. Mixing the laid-back surfer folk of Jack Johnson with the psychedelic soul of Gnarls Barkley, Hughes has all the earmarks of a potential hit-maker.

Granted, the album isn't 100% perfect. The recording quality suffers at times, with the horns on "Passing Thoughts" and Jabee's guest spot on "The Truth" both sounding as if they were recorded inside a steel trashcan. Those are the sorts of touches that can really take you out of a recording. Funnily enough, however, other elements that might be described as "amateurish," like the dog barking at the end of one track, or the "oh, yeah!" on "Some People" actually end up lending an enthusiastic air to Burn.

There are attempts to make the album a little more hip-hop, with turntables on "Sunday Stroll," as well as the appearance by Jabee and Reach on "Better Than Me." Olivia Stover (Dysfunksion) does a nice Mary J Blige turn on "War of Life," providing a counterpoint to Hughes' mellow rasp, but Burn is really a down-home affair. The slide guitar on "Pointless," and the banjo on "Passing Through" stand as perfect examples of that. Burn is best summed up by the fifth track, "Some People," which is mellow and relaxed, and it's during that song that you realize what Hughes is aiming for. His voice manages to sound both intimate and soaring, something like Coldplay's Chris Martin, a comparison brought home during the title track, which is a sparse affair, with a gorgeous backing track that sounds like a cello and piano backing Hughes' deepest thoughts.

Nick Spacek
The Pitch
Kansas City, MO

When reviewing an album from the Kansas City music scene it only brings a feeling in your gut that you’re about to listen to something that’s generic and overall just not very enjoyable. I mean we have the death metal groups that scream something about…well I don’t know! I can’t understand those lead singers who seem to be testosterone junkies and are mad about something their mother did last week. On the other hand there are the rap artists who just want to be the next Tech Nine or Tupac, but at least we have jazz right? It really is just sad, almost a crime, and at the end of the day it’s just silly that Lawrence, Kansas makes us look like musical hacks; surely we can step up and change this can’t we? Well I have faith and I am so glad to report that Clay Hughes is a step in the right direction.

As soon as I put the album Burn in by Clay Hughes and heard the first track “Mr. Dylan” I knew this album and I were going to have romance at full speed and all preconceived notions should be tossed out the window, this album had a pleasant surprise in store for me. As I continued to listen to the song “Mr. Dylan” I paid close attention to the lyrics, I mean if you’re going to put Bob Dylan’s name in a song you’d better bring some fire that makes you want to put the track on repeat. Somehow Hughes pulled this off, the song made my heart beat faster and I wanted to scream, so I did, I mean why not? It was now a whole minute into the song and it showed that Clay Hughes wrote with passion, this was truly genuine music and there are a lot of artists out there who need to take a cue from Hughes and not just in Kansas City. It’s very ballsy to write lyrics like “the power of the bible being negatively used” in the Midwest, I applaud this, it’s better to go against the current, it will pay off in the end. I’m getting into my poetic nonsense so let’s move on shall we?

I can’t say any of the other songs on the album matched the watermark left by track one but oh well we still had good stuff on our hands. When track 2 “The Truth” began to play I was expecting something powerful (I mean with a name like that) but it was not so much powerful as it was just a good jam and a solid song. The album takes a smart turn with a few tracks like “pointless,” “Some People,” and “Passing Through” with a mixture of folk music and a Jack Johnson feel that seems to appear at the end of every romantic comedy, this really works in that it gets away from the bluesy tracks of the album and gives it an overall balance to the mood.

The tracks that have a touch of blues are great, they abandon traditional “when I get back to Georgia that women going to feel my pain” sounds (even though there is a song called “Georgia Girl”) and take on modern topics like politics to the classic house of blues relationship songs, but I must say, the songs that seem to be about relationships are not straight forward, Hughes leaves a lot of room for interpretation and that’s great, that’s why it’s art. I don’t want to get stones tossed at me but oh well, I would say that Hughes’ blues style is more of a new wave blues just because it takes old styles and combines it with something new and fresh (ha almost wrote “NU” where is my mind now-a-days?). That brings us to the tracks with Rap and this is really one of the only falls of the album, it just does not fit with the rest of the songs. Mike Jones and Bob Dylan do not mix well together, I’m opened minded but let’s face it: folk and rap belong in two different universes. Also it may not be a great idea to put your friends who are completely different, musically than you in your songs or maybe I should just say Hughes has a lot more talent than the other featured artists except for Olivia Stover, she was a welcomed addition in the song “War of Life.”

The only other complaints I have about the album and I can’t stress enough how tiny this complaint is, is that it does get a little repetitive in musical structure. About half way through the album, a few songs on the album sound kind of similar musically and fail to change things up. This is saved by the quality of the lyrics, like I said before Clay Hughes’ passion is in every song and gives every song power to strike emotion in you while you’re listening. Something tells me that the talent of Clay Hughes, if pushed, could do something groundbreaking and not just on a local level. That’s saying something since this is a self produced album.

All in all Clay Hughes’ album Burn is a Local Kansas City treasure especially if you like artists like Jack Johnson or I would say The Flowbots but really no matter what music you enjoy listening to you’re going to get something out of the album. The change in style for the most part keeps the album fresh and organic and I would really like to see more artists doing this instead of being a one trick pony. If half of the artists in Kansas City started to take notes from Hughes then maybe, just maybe Kansas City would be known for more than jazz and Puddle of Mudd, musically that is. If the music industry is just, then Hughes is going to have a bright future and I can’t wait to see what he does next.

Josh Davis

There are attempts to make the album a little more hip-hop, with turntables on "Sunday Stroll," as well as the appearance by Jabee and Reach on "Better Than Me." Olivia Stover (Dysfunksion) does a nice Mary J Blige turn on "War of Life," providing a counterpoint to Hughes' mellow rasp, but Burn is really a down-home affair. The slide guitar on "Pointless," and the banjo on "Passing Through" stand as perfect examples of that.

Burn is best summed up by the fifth track, "Some People," which is mellow and relaxed, and it's during that song that you realize what Hughes is aiming for. His voice manages to sound both intimate and soaring, something like Coldplay's Chris Martin, a comparison brought home during the title track, which is a sparse affair, with a gorgeous backing track that sounds like a cello and piano backing Hughes' deepest thoughts.

Nick Spacek
The Pitch
Kansas City, MO

The record companies might not realize this, but the public likes listening to different styles of music. You know it. I know it. Clay Hughes knows it. Which is why if you like G Love, Jack Johnson, Sublime or Citizen Cope, you might like the mix of old school country, Hip-Hop, rock and blues that Hughes performs on his debut, independent solo album “Burn.” “I’m a person that can listen to almost anything,” said the Kansas City-based Hughes. “I’m not a pop music fan or a pop country fan, though there’s some of that that I don’t mind. Mostly I’m influenced by the older Hip-Hop stuff and older country, like Johnny Cash, and blues-style country. I have trouble writing one style of music, so I use a little bit of everything.” Enjoying listening to several musical styles and performing them, however, are two different things. Yet the 26-year-old Hughes, who grew up in the small Kansas town of Waverly hearing country music, is making his way in the urban setting of Kansas City, where his love of urban and rural country music merge. “I don’t write rap lyrics, but I’m influenced by its beats. I’m into old country and singer-songwriter stuff when it comes to lyrics, people like Hank Williams Sr., Ray LaMontagne and Amos Lee. That’s the style I dig on when writing,” Hughes said. That much is clear listening to Hughes’ “Burn,” which includes 15 original, laid-back folk-rap songs like “Mr. Dylan,” “Pointless” and “Sunday Stroll.” The album, which includes several guest musicians from Kansas City, like Ha Ha Tonka’s Lennon Bone, took two years for the singer-songwriter-guitarist to produce while performing with the Kansas City band Tidehouse. When Hughes makes his Des Moines debut on Saturday, Jan. 9 at the Ritual Café, DJ Tony Beats (a former Tidehouse band mate who contributed to three songs on “Burn”) will accompany him. “We have more than three hours of original material between us, and if we want to throw in the occasional cover of a popular song we can because Tony can sample and cut in so many beats,” Hughes said. Though Hughes said fans appreciate the duo’s ability to mix genres and create a full sound, it is sometimes difficult for them to find gigs because their music isn’t easily categorized. “Sometimes when you tell club owners that as a live band you perform Hip-Hop, it throws some places off because they think you’re into gangsta rap. It’s a stereotype I guess,” Hughes said. “Even when I bring Tony, they don’t know what to think. But it’s nothing too loud or obnoxious.” To help market his music, Hughes recruited the award-winning director Jonathan Dillon (“Fight Night”) to produce a video for the good-times song “Sunday Stroll.” He plans to release the video on his Web site later this month. Shortly after that, Hughes, who calls himself an “unknown,” also plans to release an EP, which he intends to give away for free at his shows as a way to entice fans to buy “Burn.” “Who doesn’t want free music?” he said. Though giving away a few songs might help Hughes find a bigger audience, he knows that ultimately he needs to be able to sell his music to make a living performing it. To help make ends meet, he recently took a part-time job working as a graphic designer. But he hopes to return to making music full-time in 2010 and is looking forward to the opportunity to perform in new markets like Des Moines and Omaha. “It’s worked out well so far, but I’d like to be on the road more. It’s something I’m ready to do,” Hughes said. “I like finding new places to play.” As long as Hughes continues to seamlessly blend so many musical styles that appeal to so many people, he has a chance to succeed. At the very least, he wants to remind people it’s acceptable to listen to and perform a variety of music. “I hope people know that all music blends together,” he said. Michael Swanger Scene Scribe Cityview Des Moines, IA
Solve this musical equation: Add rap, alt-country, reggae, turntables, and a Dave-Matthews-meets-Hootie croon. What do you get? You’d think it would be something close to a train wreck in front of a dance bar in Kansas by a road that leads to Jamaica. It’s not. The actual solution to the equation is Clay Hughes’ new album, “Burn.” Clay Hughes, a musician from Kansas City with comparisons to Sublime, Jack Johnson, and Citizen Cope, has a vast supply of tools in his musical tool belt. He showcases each with his varying styles on “Burn”. Clay teams up with a host of guest artists that drives the album, giving it swing, twang, and flow all at once. clay hughes “The Truth” (track 2), features OKC rapper, Jabee, who contrasts the comfort of Clay’s voice with sharp lyrics that cover war, politics, society, and relationships. Wait 2:40, and you’ll hear the southern slide of the lap steel guitar and Lennon Bone's (Ha Ha Tanka) precocious percussion on “Pointless.” “Burn” continues in this unpredicted fashion, and its shining moments include “Some People,” with a combination of whistling, clapping, and a smooth reggae groove and “Passing Through” with liberating sounds of the banjo, trumpet, and singing high-hat. “Burn” peaks late with “Sunday Stroll,” the most rockingest song on the album, and closes with a southern sound and smooth, clear vocals on “Take Me Home.” Though the genres seem to differ from track to track, “Burn”s strikingly cohesive elements are Clay’s crooning and the graceful incorporation of talented musicians. These elements form the theory behind the “Burn” equation, and it makes finding the complex solution utterly enjoyable. Kristin Russell Station Manager KSDB-FM, The Wildcat 91.9 www.wildcat919.com Kansas State University Manhattan, KS

The record companies might not realize this, but the public likes listening to different styles of music. You know it. I know it. Clay Hughes knows it. Which is why if you like G Love, Jack Johnson, Sublime or Citizen Cope, you might like the mix of old school country, Hip-Hop, rock and blues that Hughes performs on his debut, independent solo album “Burn.”

“I’m a person that can listen to almost anything,” said the Kansas City-based Hughes. “I’m not a pop music fan or a pop country fan, though there’s some of that that I don’t mind. Mostly I’m influenced by the older Hip-Hop stuff and older country, like Johnny Cash, and blues-style country. I have trouble writing one style of music, so I use a little bit of everything.”

Enjoying listening to several musical styles and performing them, however, are two different things. Yet the 26-year-old Hughes, who grew up in the small Kansas town of Waverly hearing country music, is making his way in the urban setting of Kansas City, where his love of urban and rural country music merge.

“I don’t write rap lyrics, but I’m influenced by its beats. I’m into old country and singer-songwriter stuff when it comes to lyrics, people like Hank Williams Sr., Ray LaMontagne and Amos Lee. That’s the style I dig on when writing,” Hughes said.

That much is clear listening to Hughes’ “Burn,” which includes 15 original, laid-back folk-rap songs like “Mr. Dylan,” “Pointless” and “Sunday Stroll.” The album, which includes several guest musicians from Kansas City, like Ha Ha Tonka’s Lennon Bone, took two years for the singer-songwriter-guitarist to produce while performing with the Kansas City band Tidehouse.

When Hughes makes his Des Moines debut on Saturday, Jan. 9 at the Ritual Café, DJ Tony Beats (a former Tidehouse band mate who contributed to three songs on “Burn”) will accompany him.

“We have more than three hours of original material between us, and if we want to throw in the occasional cover of a popular song we can because Tony can sample and cut in so many beats,” Hughes said.

Though Hughes said fans appreciate the duo’s ability to mix genres and create a full sound, it is sometimes difficult for them to find gigs because their music isn’t easily categorized.

“Sometimes when you tell club owners that as a live band you perform Hip-Hop, it throws some places off because they think you’re into gangsta rap. It’s a stereotype I guess,” Hughes said. “Even when I bring Tony, they don’t know what to think. But it’s nothing too loud or obnoxious.”

To help market his music, Hughes recruited the award-winning director Jonathan Dillon (“Fight Night”) to produce a video for the good-times song “Sunday Stroll.” He plans to release the video on his Web site later this month. Shortly after that, Hughes, who calls himself an “unknown,” also plans to release an EP, which he intends to give away for free at his shows as a way to entice fans to buy “Burn.”

“Who doesn’t want free music?” he said.

Though giving away a few songs might help Hughes find a bigger audience, he knows that ultimately he needs to be able to sell his music to make a living performing it. To help make ends meet, he recently took a part-time job working as a graphic designer. But he hopes to return to making music full-time in 2010 and is looking forward to the opportunity to perform in new markets like Des Moines and Omaha.

“It’s worked out well so far, but I’d like to be on the road more. It’s something I’m ready to do,” Hughes said. “I like finding new places to play.”

As long as Hughes continues to seamlessly blend so many musical styles that appeal to so many people, he has a chance to succeed. At the very least, he wants to remind people it’s acceptable to listen to and perform a variety of music.

“I hope people know that all music blends together,” he said.

Michael Swanger
Scene Scribe
Cityview
Des Moines, IA

Solve this musical equation: Add rap, alt-country, reggae, turntables, and a Dave-Matthews-meets-Hootie croon. What do you get? You’d think it would be something close to a train wreck in front of a dance bar in Kansas by a road that leads to Jamaica. It’s not. The actual solution to the equation is Clay Hughes’ new album, “Burn.”

Clay Hughes, a musician from Kansas City with comparisons to Sublime, Jack Johnson, and Citizen Cope, has a vast supply of tools in his musical tool belt. He showcases each with his varying styles on “Burn”. Clay teams up with a host of guest artists that drives the album, giving it swing, twang, and flow all at once.

clay hughes “The Truth” (track 2), features OKC rapper, Jabee, who contrasts the comfort of Clay’s voice with sharp lyrics that cover war, politics, society, and relationships. Wait 2:40, and you’ll hear the southern slide of the lap steel guitar and Lennon Bone's (Ha Ha Tanka) precocious percussion on “Pointless.” “Burn” continues in this unpredicted fashion, and its shining moments include “Some People,” with a combination of whistling, clapping, and a smooth reggae groove and “Passing Through” with liberating sounds of the banjo, trumpet, and singing high-hat. “Burn” peaks late with “Sunday Stroll,” the most rockingest song on the album, and closes with a southern sound and smooth, clear vocals on “Take Me Home.”

Though the genres seem to differ from track to track, “Burn”s strikingly cohesive elements are Clay’s crooning and the graceful incorporation of talented musicians. These elements form the theory behind the “Burn” equation, and it makes finding the complex solution utterly enjoyable.

Kristin Russell
Station Manager
KSDB-FM, The Wildcat 91.9
www.wildcat919.com
Kansas State University
Manhattan, KS