Review by Dave Simpson
3.5
Back in 2011, Michael Tracy first took to the stage at an open
mic night in the city of Charlotte, North Carolina. At the
time, the US Navy veteran and father of two had no
experience in song writing, no history of performing and had
never worked in a recording studio in his life. Yet a little
more than three years later, he can boast about self-producing
and releasing material through indie label Spectra Records,
partaking in promotional shows and winning a host of awards
for his efforts.
The musician’s latest album, Gonna Smile, dropped on
February 10th and features eleven easy listening soft rock
tracks. Opener, “Old Paperback Novels”, is full of life and
character. The fun instrumentation runs fast and well next to
the fetching vocals. It’s followed up by the busy bass intro
of “Enough Small Talk”. As it progresses, it exhibits some
accomplished guitar work and a passionate melody.
Cool, crisp vocals march steadily through the verse of
“Fashion and Fame” into a loud and lively chorus. An
energetic saxophone session acts as a bridge into the next
verse and continues to make its presence felt in the
background. It’s a vociferous number.
Expressive vocals ring out over hectic instrument