Review Summary: Might just as well be Memphis.
Aaron Lee Tasjan has been a resident of east Nashville, Tennessee, since 2013. He grew up in Ohio, turned down a full scholarship to Berklee, moved to Brooklyn, and enjoyed a short tenure as a member of the later New York Dolls. And he fakes Britpop in the chorus of "Little Movies". However, what consists the glue that holds this release together, and comes to play later on the tracklist, sounds a bit more cardinal: the guy has a taste for The Blues.
It's not that obvious in the way he arranges his tabs as--other than the penultimate one--he shoots for a more conventional number than twelve, nor is it obvious in the way he treats the guitars, as there's usually more twang and slide and tremolo going on than, say, bends and minor pentatonics (both of which I bet he indulges during the live). Admittedly, some Music-City clichés have fanned out across Silver Tears; but even in tracks such as "Memphis Rain", "On your side" or "Out Of My Mind", which instrumentally deliver plenty of those platitudes, the way Tasjan builds and drives his narrative like if it was a debate between repetition & modulation, actually works quite similarly to the AAB form. Besides, he's quirky when it comes to wordplay and subtle rearrangements; I could liken most of his choruses to a two-or-three-word title that sums nicely what has led to them, or to a short primer on what will follow--like a repositioned turnaround. Plus, he's gritty enough with the verses to pull that out in a manner that won't make me feel like I've been sold a hook.
Then again, the way you'll perceive whatever he sells could depend on your compatibility with his sense of humour; or you might ponder over the fact that he appeared fifty years too late. Moreover, I can't guarantee that he won't sound like too much of a Yank to some, too much of a hick to others, and too much of a revisionist to those around his current residence. See, teaching himself to strum chords by learning Oasis, back when he was a wee lad, can't quite match the phonaesthetics; that 11th street bar wasn't enough to keep him in NY; and wearing all of his experiences as a badge of honour, wherever he goes, might be too much to match the telecasters. Anyway, to me, tunes such as "Ready To Die", "Refugee" and the "Twelve Bar Blues" will always act as reminders on what a cunning & versatile contraption the I-IV-V is, and why he, who's got it down, can make his way through such a motley array of influences without busting a gut. Oh, they remind me of one last thing: Aaron Lee Tasjan doesn't have a clue about choosing singles... at least, this time around, he got the state right.
