Garrison Field
Dawn (2002)

review by: Michael Walls
Date: 12/1/02

The CDs pile up on my desk, and I try to keep some order in my process of listening to them. Some with slick packaging and extensive press kits – others with obvious CD-R basement recorded markings. Eventually, they all start to look alike and the packaging doesn't really matter. What matters is what the music does to my aural senses.

I've also seen (or heard) a steady stream of Radiohead/ Coldplay/Jeff Buckley wannabees, which isn't so much bad (I've reviewed and compared a few bands to these) but getting old. If only something would stand apart from the usual and pull me out of this funk…

A band called Garrison Field has started me on the road to hope. No Radiohead comparisons here. No experimental sounds and music techniques. This is good 'ol fashion rock music, leaning on the fundamental sounds of clean guitar work and catchy song structures, with the focal point on powerful lead vocals.

Providing those vocals is Jon Allmet, principle songwriter and '80s throwback. So rarely do vocals dominate rock music nowadays. It's a quality that drove bands like Foreigner, Journey, The Eagles, Little River Band, and the like, throughout the early '80s. Now, Garrison Field isn't a Foreigner or Journey rip-off. Their guitar sound and hair aren't big enough. It's mostly a comparison of Allmet's vocal style. A powerful, yet soulful voice, with a hint of insurgent country. A voice with the ability to belt out hook-laden rockers like "The World Waits", and "Dawn", and also provide tender emotion in songs like "Straight Story" and "Love's White Lie".

The exceptional guitar work and skillful arrangements are key to the successful showcasing of Allmet's vocals. Almost each tune provides an instant hook that prevents any skipping over songs. Two of my favorite songs on this CD are "Change" and "Big Wheels". Both providing a hint of the insurgent country sound I mentioned earlier. "Big Wheels" conjuring up images of Glen Frey "standing on the corner in Winslow Arizona…"

And just went I've gone and slightly pigeon-holed them, they provide a great ending tune called "Ms Take", a funky, soulful, horn-driven, song with tongue-in-cheek lyrics, ending with an entertaining double-entendre phone call. But wait. Don't miss the bonus hidden track - a cover tune of a classic muppets ditty, "Rainbow Connection".

Garrison Field is a welcome breath of fresh air, amidst the clutter that comes across my desk and through my radio. A finely produced CD, without a hint of compromise, that fans of several different music genres should enjoy.