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Stylus Magazine : Review - June 2006 Winnipeg Sun: Review - April 21, 2006 Uptown Magazine : Review - March 31, 2006 |
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STYLUS MAGAZINE, Winnipeg - June 2006
ATHAVALE / s/t
Here we have Winnipeg soul unit Athavale's (pronounced ah-TUV-lay) new
4-song EP and it's quality material that showcases the natural
progression of frontman Erik Athavale's musical vision. Athavale the
band is rounded out by Marc Arnould on keys, Christian Dugas on drums
and Kevin Torgalson on bass. Having played together extensively now
for nearly a year, their sound is tight and cohesive and grooves very
comfortably behind and around Erik's urbane vocals. The set is very
balanced despite its brevity, and the band makes the most of the short
format. Their versatility is evident as they lay it down on the
playful, radio-ready 'the second hand shop', the introspective and
hopeful 'bounce', the soul-bearing 'raise up' and funky dancer 'nothin
new (under the sun)' which features roof-raising background vocals by
Lisa and Natalie Bell. All four numbers are tastefully arranged and
imbued with a consistent mature and soulful undercurrent. This
release should make local soul afficionados proud and leave them
wanting more. A full-length offering is highly anticipated and we can
only speculate as to how the music will evolve from this point.
Preview the goods at myspace.com/athavale. Available direct from the
band's website. (www.athavaleonline.com)
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ATHAVALE- INDEPENDENT
SUBSTANCE: It's pronounced ah-TUV-lay. And it's the last name of singer-songwriter Erik Athavale, who shows off his creamy pipes and soothing songcraft on this four-track EP of smoky melody and black-velvet jazz-pop grooves.
FILE UNDER: A heartful of neo-soul.
STANDOUTS: The get-down funky workout Nothin' New (Under the Sun).
Darryl Sterden
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UPTOWN MAGAZINE, Winnipeg 3.31.2006
Local Heroes CD Review:
B+
Erik Athavale - athavale
Soulster Erik Athavale is back with a follow-up to 2005's Quess Presents ReSOULutions V. 1.1. Athavale is only a four-track EP, but the frontman has enlisted the help of [bassist] Kevin Torgalson, co-writer/arranger [and keyboardist] Marc Arnould, multi-instrumentalist Joey Landreth and drummer Christian Dugas to take things further than his previous full-length did. Funky closing track Nothing New (Under the Sun) is a good example of the new sound as it puts backing vocals by Lisa and Natalie Bell to good use. The highlight, as always, is Athavale's voice. He's got a sweet, light tone that's perfectly suited to the lyrics of Bounce. The next time you're working your mojo for a prospective bed partner, let Athavale help seal the deal. -Mike Warkentin
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UPTOWN MAGAZINE, Winnipeg 6.30.2005
Frequencies:
Quess is back, and if previous outings are any indication, he's gaining converts with each show.
We already know Uptown has given quess' latest release, quess presents: reSOULutions v.1.1 the thumbs up, (check the most recent Local Heroes, from the June 30 issue), so we might as well swing down to Bar Italia to find out what all the hype is about.
Quess will be playing with his band: Christian Dugas (Scruj MacDuhk, Leaderhouse, Jennifer Hanson, Benwah, Paul Bellows, Dan Freschette), Marc Arnould (Johnny Cajun, Benwah, Eqospank) and Kevin Torgalson (Ellen McIlwaine).
If you need a minute to check him out, you can listen to quess by logging on to myspace.com/quess. Once you've taken in the preview, make your way down to the show at Bar I. Admission is free, and quess will play two sets between 10 pm and 12:30am. -Angelou J. Flores
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UPTOWN MAGAZINE, Winnipeg 6.30.2005
Local Heroes CD Review:
B
Quess - quess presents: reSOULutions v.1.1
Website: www.whoisquess.com
Who is quess? Well, he's Erik Athavale, for starters. He's also a vocalist who blends jazz, soul and funk styles to create an interesting collection of sounds. This eight-track disc is a studio version of a series of 2004 concerts, and it's worth picking up. The arrangements here are light enough to really bring out quess' clear, crisp singing, which is carefully layered to give the entire album a delicate character. The best track here is probably Beautiful, a catchy acoustic tune that features some nice guitar work. A full length is coming in 2006, and on it quess might think of shortening a few songs before they lose their momentum. -Mike Warkentin
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