George Usher - Dutch April

Artist: George Usher Title: Dutch April Catalog#: Parasol-CD-045 Price: $7.50	Tracks on this CD:
	My Life With Jack The Fool
	Before The Next Bell Rings
	You Better Let It Go
	Wooden Nickel
	Orpheus Turning
	I Can Still See Her Eyes
	Violent Courtship
	Lucky Guess
	Why Don't You Say What You Mean?
	Begging For Rain
	Another Fall From Grace
	Tomorrow's Gonna Bring A New Man To Town

Other releases by George Usher

The Band:

George Usher-Lead Vocals, Rhythm Guitar, Mellotron
Doug Larcey-Lead Guitar, Vocals
Dennis Ambrose-Bass-Vocals
Greg Mattison-Piano, Organ
John Bellon-Percussion
Doug Wygal-Drums

Dutch April

New York’s George Usher recently found an American label with as much faith in his art as the Europeans exhibit. After four solo and collaborative releases overseas—Miracle School, Ludlow, Neptune (with House of Usher), and the Gornack Brothers’ Refund (an acoustic album with Beat Rodeo’s Steve Almaas)—Usher’s latest, Dutch April, was released by Parasol Records on November 17, 1998. Tabbed by Pulse! as "…one of the New York scene’s most underappreciated resources…" Usher is best known as a late-stage part of the Bongos, and a Beat Rodeo member during the recording and support of Home In the Heart of the Beat. His current line-up includes Crossfire Choir/Let’s Active participant Dennis Ambrose on bass and the Individuals’ Doug Wygal on drums.

Reinforcing all of Usher’s previous accolades, Dutch April is a jangling, harmony-drenched, piano-painted, pop-folk marvel, a mellow collection of melodic, lyrical anthems, shimmering ballads, and sepia-toned country-tinged pop, blessed with top-flight musicianship, and a host of graceful, silver-lined songs. Alternative Press’ "nineteenth-century Romantic poet inhabits the body of a Beatles ‘n’ Byrds pop-rocker" description of Usher, applies beautifully here. Twelve classy pop songs to make everything better.

Veteran tunesmith (and former Bongos/Beat Rodeo/ Schramms sideman) Usher is one of America's foremost unsung pop auteurs, and this, his long overdue first domestic release, offers a compelling …sampling of his talents. By passing the garage entirely, Usher uses Pet Sounds/Odessey and Oracle - vintage baroque-pop as a jumping off point for his evocatively poetic lyrics, heart tuggingly haunting melodies and complex, yet oddly hummable arrangements. Hs nimble band deftly navigates the turns and Usher's keening voice is well suited to the sweeping hooks and humanistic sentiments of tunes like "Before the Next Bell Rings," "You Better Let It Go" and "Orpheus Turning." - Pulse!

Dutch April ladles thick, meaty gravy over melody, with honey-throated warbler Usher coming across as the heir apparent to Tommy Keene. -Magnet

This is the fifth longplayer from New York's George Usher, though curiously this is his first on an American label. Style wise he's a deadringer for Roger McGuinn. Guitars jangle and ring, and his voice has that little catch which is the Byrd man's trademark sound. Don't get me wrong, for all that Dutch April is a fine LP with more than enough good, original songs. Usher sows that he is a subtle and understated lyricist with a good understanding of pop aesthetics, and the band contribute with a tight, delicate sound, with a special mention of Greg Mattison's piano and organ licks. Overall, good pop-folk music, strong on the harmony and gentle on the mind. -Luke

Dutch April is every bit as good as it's predecessor… if not better. The first song on the disk, "My Life With Jack The Fool," is a jangly, twangy tune that would make a great single. In fact, many of the twelve cuts on this dick would make terrific singles, the Byrdsian song "Begging For Rain" was included on the recent International Pop Overthrow compilation disk. George performs the lead vocals, rhythm guitar, and mellotron on Dutch April, and he gathered a superb cast of studio musicians to give each song a rich, layered texture. "Violent Courtship" flirts with psych-pop and many of the other tunes further cloud the boundaries between pop, rock and folk. There is a strong similarity between George's lyricism, vocal style and presentation and former Byrd's member/Hall of Fame performer Roger McGuinn. No reference to other artists should belittle the fact that George Usher's pop music stands on it's own merits. Since Dutch April will be more available to the pop public than his previous releases, perhaps George will finally receive more wide scale recognition. Folks in the know were tuned into George Usher years ago. If you haven't already discovered him, it's time to tune in and enjoy his timeless, hum along pop music! -Amplifier

A treasured member of the New York music scene (and perhaps as under-appreciated as his cohort Richard X. Heyman), George Usher may have charmed your ears before during stints with Beat Rodeo or The Bongos, if not his solo work. Dutch April finds him wallowing in Byrdsian jangle pop with wonderful arrangements, thoughtful lyrics, and a voice that perfectly blends the lilt of Art Garfunkel with the earnest pining of Matthew Sweet.
The classy "You'd Better Let It Go" uses counter point harmony vocals to frame Usher's gentle lead and draws heavily from classic California folk-rock roots; lead guitarist Doug Larcy also contributes a restrained and tasteful solo. Bongo and Richard Barone fans might do a double-take when they hear the bouncy tempo and stinging guitar of "Orpheus Turning." The rocking "Why Don't You Say What You Mean" could very well be an update of another New York anthem, Dylan's "Positively Fourth Street:" "Your rifle mouth keeps your dark eyes glowing while you're shaking my hand, you think I can't see where your fangs are showing, you want to be friends but you gotta be going…
My favorite is the angelic "Begging For Rain," twelve string and keyboards and sweet voices cradling the hook. Dutch April is twelve such moments, perfect for savoring with the car windows down or in front of a crackling fire on a wintry night. - Bucketfull of Brains

It's taken a little while for the U.S. Market to catch up with singer-songwriter George Usher, but thanks to the vision of Illinois based Parasol Records, Usher will soon be receiving stateside recognition. Following European releases of his earlier albums, Usher's latest album should hit the spot with pop fans from coast to coast…A mainstay in the Downtown NYC music scene since he arrived from his native Cleveland back in 1977, Usher has chosen some fine players to assist him on Dutch April including guitarist Doug Larcey and drummer Doug Wygal. It's easy to her why Usher has constantly turned up on a number of critic's best unknown pop artist list. Intelligent and melodic pop, played with stirring arrangements is Usher's calling card. - 20th Century Guitar

George Usher is not likely to be the next big thing anytime soon. But work like Dutch April is proof beyond doubt that he can stand shoulder to shoulder with the best that this style of music ha to offer… Success for George Usher cannot be measured on a yardstick as mundane as chart sales. It can only be quantified by the number of great rock songs that he has written, and that amount makes him the Rockefeller of pop/rock. - Audiocafe

One of New York's best pop craftsmen -Village Voice

Brimming with imaginative songwriting, this superb release features Usher's engaging, tremulous vocals and the punch and polish of his versatile five-piece band… Power pop doesn't come close to capturing the deep moods of Dutch April. - Resident

Welcome to America, George. After four solo and collaborative release on European labels, NYC's George Usher finally has a domestic deal. It's an irony, since Mr. Usher's country twinged guitar an' harmony driven ballads represent and expression so American that it suggests a Wyeth painting - a portrait that strikes at one's inner sense of heartland regardless of where you're from. Longtime associations with The Bongos and Kate Jacobs have instilled in Usher's music the colorful pop-folk drive associated with Hoboken's best tunesmiths, but Usher's work benefits by existing in a co-inspired orbit with the probing watercolors by his artist/wife Laurie Webber…With a deep creative well to draw from, Usher can get artful without ever sounding like he's stuck for ideas, and now that his band is so thoroughly groomed it wears his songs like a second skin, he can give his music free creative reign. - Sound Views

A nineteenth century Romantic poet inhabits the body of a Beatles 'n' Byrds pop-rocker…Light the candles. - Alternative Press

George Usher
Dutch April
Parasol Records | 1998

I wish the contemporary pop music scene in Hoboken, New Jersey and New York City had been around when I was toiling in the shadows of the World Trade Center back in 1977! I also wish that George Usher had been performing at some of the NYC venues that I used to hang out at back then. If he had, I'd probably still reside/work in that area! Ever since I acquired his previous disc, Miracle School, I became an unabashed George Usher admirer. Dutch April is every bit as good as its predecessor… if not better. The first song on the disc, "My Life With Jack the Fool," is a jangly, twangy tune that would make a great single. In fact, many of the 12 cuts on this disc would make terrific singles, and the Byrdsian song "Begging For Rain" was included on the recent International Pop Overthrow compilation disc. George performs the lead vocals, rhythm guitar and mellotron on Dutch April, and he gathered a superb supporting cast of studio musicians to give each song a rich, layered texture. "Violent Courtship" flirts with psyche-pop, and many of the other tunes further cloud the boundaries between pop, rock and folk. There is a strong similarity between George's lyricism, vocal style and song presentation and former Byrds member/Hall of Fame performer, Roger McGuinn. No reference to other artists should belittle the fact that George Usher's pop music stands on its own merits. Since Dutch April will be more available to the pop public than his previous releases, perhaps George will finally receive more wide scale recognition. Folks in the know were tuned in to George Usher years ago. If you haven't already discovered him, it's time to tune in and enjoy his timeless, hum-along pop music!

-- Eric Sorensen
This review originally appeared on Amplifier On-Line in November 1998.