Blake Morgan - Burning Daylight (Remastered) (2005/2018)

Blake Morgan's Engine Company Records enables the producer to explore the different dimensions of his own music while working with the other artists on his roster. A good case in point is Lesley Gore's subdued interpretation of Morgan's eerie need for a more efficient celestial being to help him through the trials of life. "Still hoping better angels come to me," he sings in "Better Angels," the tune finding a more comfortable setting on Gore's Ever Since disc. With his own rendition Blake seems like he is fighting the demons rather than trading up. The producer as singer/songwriter is more effective when he belts it out, as on "Right as Rain," his gruff vocal style better suited to that tune and fearful episodes like "Danger to Wake You." "All Your Fault" moves like the Nervous Eaters classic on Elektra Records, "Last Chance," or the Smashing Pumpkins' "1979" before it explodes into its Led Zeppelin-gone-modern rock riff. Jangly George Harrison-influenced guitars and Beatles ideas find their way into "She's Coming Down" (perhaps the up-tempo sequel to Paul McCartney's "She's Leaving Home"?), while "Only Anesthesia" and "Silver Linings" deliver the angst with the singer's for-the-moment philosophy. It's something that is reinforced on "Safe Beats Sorry out Again," combining the admonishments with elegant guitar lines that rock out when least expected. Burning Daylight features 11 originals that sing out in productive fashion, strong material that is ripe for reinterpretation.