Creativity and Diversity Shine on Maybe Believe
Tara Joan
Posted On May 10, 2017
The Jon Stickley Trio prepares to release the follow-up to their 2015 critically acclaimed album, Lost at Last, when they unleash their third full-length, Maybe Believe, on May 12th. The Trio – Jon Stickley (guitar), Lyndsay Pruett (violin) and Patrick Armitage (drums) flex some seriously creative musical muscles on the twelve-track project which contains nine originals and three covers that beguile with the trio’s skillful, energetic musicianship.
Beginning with the delicate twists and turns of the brief opener, “Jewels”, the trio continue to ignite a music fire layering genres in ways that are the definition of unique and creative including the eclectic “Playpeople” which draws inspiration from Green Day, Duran Duran, Grateful Dead, and David Grisman Quintet; and “Slow Burn” which does just that as it grows from a subdued piece to one with hard rock elements before returning to melodies that fit a fairytale.
Maybe Believe’s originals veer from the infectiously quirky (“The Price of Being Nice”) to potently punk (“Mt. Sandia Swing”) to those that can only be described as a – delicious – musical stew (“Cecil”). And while the originals are interesting and inventive, the covers are equally compelling. Written by Richard James (a.k.a. Aphex Twin) “Avril 14th” is brief and delightful, while Bill Monroe’s “Jerusalem Ridge” is dynamically updated and “Birdland Breakdown” (John Reischman) sweeps you away. The collection closes out with Pruett’s “Lady Time” a two-parter that blends regal and soothing melodies reminding us that while words make music relatable, melodies carry a power all their own.
Originally appeared in The Daily Country
