Review in SD Troubadour

Christopher Cash Invisible By Bart Mendoza

With a name like Christopher Cash Perkins, incorporating as it does the sur-names of two of the founding fathers of rock music, the standard is always going to be high when it comes to both musicianship and songwriting. His first album, 2005’s Hollywood Mirage , hinted at what was possible. Invisible delivers. As might be expected of an artist who cites watching the "Ed Sullivan Show" on February 9th, 1964 as a key influence, Invisible is a pleasing mix of sixties-era pop rock with country and folk overtones. The album wears its influences on its sleeves with a sound somewhere between the Smithereens at their hit-making best, a Chris Hillman jam, or Richard Thompson in his pop prime. Cash is backed by an excellent band that features bassist Bill Maine; guitarist Mark Schmidt; and drummer Kevin Walker; with Barry Hovis contributing keyboards; and an all-star group of backing vocalists, including producer Jeff Berkley, Catheryn Beeks, Bill Coomes, and Barbara Nesbitt. Invisible kicks off with its strongest track "Morning Star." Any disc that opens with radio static and sitar is going to grab your attention, and this song does just that. Beatle-esque without being obvious, "Morning Star" has hooks a mile long, capturing the musical innocence of a sixties pop hit, but with a modern edge, particularly noticeable in the layered harmony vocals before the choruses. The title track is also a winner. A mid-tempo ringing guitar riff adorns a melancholy melody line that would sit comfortable in a collection of Townshend demos. Also interesting is "Tangled in Wire," which mixes angular new wave sounding keyboards with a more traditional rock sound. It’s am ear-catching aural experiment and clearly shows that Cash isn’t afraid to take chances with his music. Indeed, Berkley and Cash must be commended for Invisible’s warm, lush production. Case in point, "Houdini Knew." A great title to be sure, and it has nice hooks. But where many performers might be happy to have your basic guitars, bass, drums and overdubbed vocals, for Cash this is just a starting point. Percussion, synthesized strings, spoken-word parts, electronic, and more are blended in, complete with counter melodies. The arrangements really bring out the best in these songs. Even with excellent production, songwriting, and playing, the secret weapon here is the diversity in song and sounds. Cash has his foot in a lot of musical stylings, so Invisible will appeal to a broad spectrum of music listeners, particularly country, power-pop, singer-songwriter, and indie fans. All will find an excellent album worth investigating. Invisible manages to maintain a high standard from start to finish and shows that Cash really knows his way around a melody. Once you hear these songs, you’ll want to hear them again and again. You can get your own copy at CDBaby.com/christophercash2