Anders Parker - Tell it To the Dust

Anders Parker’s solo effort, Tell it to the Dust, comes across as a similarly toned but sweeter and more polished effort than his previous project, the likable Varnaline. With Tell it to the Dust, Parker plays the chef by mixing various yet complementary music styles. The meat and potatoes of this meal is clean guitar rock. Add a dash of country, and a pinch of piano-rockin’. Stir in a little distorted guitar for spice. Garnish with some handclaps. Now, cover with sugar and don’t skimp. The result of Parker’s cookery is an album of struggle and balance. Lyrically, Tell it to the Dust struggles between being whimsically murky and just tired and trite (the song “Don’t worry honey, everything’s gonna be alright” is a prime example of this). Musically, refined vocals are balanced with edgier instrumentals. Parker lets his guitar and harmonica interludes convey his darker moments more often than his voice. The song “Into the sun” pulls this off well. Parker sings pristinely over a chunky riff before ripping into a blistering harmonica solo. Pleasurable elements overcome the few boring missteps scattered though the album. Listen to the title track that kicks off the album; it gives a solid preview of the better moments Tell it to the Dust provides. Early on, I found myself wishing Parker would put a bit more growl in his voice, but by the end I found myself surreptitiously wrapped in introspection and listening again. [www.andersparker.com]