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"There's a smoldering
Marlboro in a Tiffany ashtray
With a red lipstick kiss on the end.
And
there's a slow melting ice cube in cool crystal glass,
And a door that's
still flung out on the hinge."
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Reviewed by
Maria Mesa, Austin Daze Magazine, Issue #59, June 2006
" First
Things First" - Jim Halfpenny
"This
little gem is one of the better singer/songwriter albums
that have come my way. Jim Halfpenny and his band have
created a well rounded package that seems to have everything
well in check. Catchy songwriting, experienced
musicianship, and a quality well-polished production.
Instrumentation includes soprano sax, mandolin, accordion,
violin, and fretless bass for added depth.
Halfpenny writes deep, thought provoking lyrics. "Like
the cradle and the hearse, first things first" is a great
way of saying death is just another beginning. The
opening song "Pentagrams" has lines like: "She goes in 5
directions like the points on a pentagram, and when I look
for haven in her eyes, I just see reflections of the fool I
am." The insert contains complete lyrics with
landscape photography and cool graphics.
With it's musically KGSR friendly feel it's a bit hard to
categorize. Bluesy pop rock with a bit of Texas twang comes
close. A dash of Americana? Sure, why not. Most songs
are good, but my favorite is the final bonus track "The Long
Bar". A great classic drinking song and an ode to
friends and family no longer with us, it wraps the disc up
nicely. While he is also deeply involved in soundtrack
work in his backyard hill country studio, Jim Halfpenny's
time would be better spent on projects like this." |
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Reviewed by Bryan Beck, Morning
Host/Imaging Producer, KGSR Radio, Austin Texas, January 2007
"First things first, LISTEN to
this CD! Jim Halfpenny writes from the heart about things we all
love and fear and then puts them to a beat you can cruise to." |
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Reviewed by Jim Caligiuri, The Austin
Chronicle, Vol. 25 #50, August 11, 2006
"An Austinite since 2002,
Jim Halfpenny escaped L.A. after a successful career as a composer
of film music with more than 20 feature films to his credit.
His band debut, First Things First (Strong Domino), is filled with
sturdy roots rock and occasional treks to Dave Matthews' space
jazz thanks to sax work from John Mills. Vocally, Halfpenny recalls
the reedy sound of Drivin' N Cryin's Kevin Kinny, but
unfortunately his music never approaches that Georgia group's
boisterousness."" |
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All music copyright 2007 - Strong Domino Music
- BMI |
