Before We Turn To Dust

Singer/songwriter/guitarist Sean Hayes performs easy-going light rock songs. His unpolished voice is soulful & interesting. He’s accompanied here by keyboards, bass & drums; add horns on about half the tracks, backing vocals on a few. Many of the songs on this album have rather touching lyrics about his Hayes’ wife and child. Try any track; I’ve marked the songs I particularly enjoyed. The best (3, 6, 9) are as different as can be.

No FCC issues.

1 * Mid-tempo, sweet & easy. Acoustic piano intro; elec. piano throughout. R&B-ish horns led by baritone sax. Minimal bass & drums. (4:55)
2 Mid-tempo. More of a rock groove with guitar, bass & drums. Gravelly vocal. (4:29)
3 ** Mid-tempo. Damn! You SO fine! Catchy melody, good singing, mildly sexual lyric. Female harmony. Soulful piano & horns. (3:58)
4 Mid-slow love song. Not bad, but a bit heavy handed & thumpy on piano & drums. (3:49)
5 * Mid-slow. Pretty ballad; a bit too mellow. One of his best vocals: his voice is clear and high on lead and harmony tracks. (4:22)
6 ** Mid-slow. Accompaniment by brass ensemble (trumpet, trombone, tuba) is worth the stars. His good singing is a bonus. (3:42)
7 Fast. Groovy feel, but a bit repetitive. Driving bass & drums. Good male & female backing vocals. (3:44)
8 Mid-tempo. A bit harder with more elec guitar than most tracks. Low-fi and buzzy. (3:08)
9 ** Slow, blue. Funeral march piano, drums & bass. Powerful, emotional vocal. (3:18)
10 * Slow. Pretty as a lullaby. Nice male/female vocal duet. Minimal guitar. (2:19)