Reuben Butchart Wing

"DUSK" the debut CD from REUBEN By Jed Ryan While listening to "DUSK", the long-awaited debut CD from Reuben Butchart, I envisioned that I was listening to Robbie WIlliams' younger brother. Reuben, who only goes by his first name, has heartfelt soul to spare, but he also has a quality in his voice and deliverance that evokes a hungry sense of yearning and a wide-eyed youthfulness and innocence, as if he's still looking at the world with fascination. It's a quality that many artists strive for but simply can't create. As Reuben sings on "DUSK", his voice is accented by smooth grooves, jazz-flavored rhythms, and electronic zings. He's aided

by expert musicians as well; the violin segment at the end of "Justified", for example, makes for a particularly striking musical touch. The lyrics, all written by Reuben, seem to document his voyage through the mountains and valleys of romance. Despite the vulnerability in his voice at the beginning of the CD, Reuben's not afraid to confront a possibly negligent lover in "Do Something". A looser sound is explored in "Care of Myself". "Me and Rico", the best song on the CD, is destined to become a classic anthem in the new generation of love songs; never before has an ode to a lover sounded more refreshingly fun or real. "Service Man", in which Reuben declares, "Treat me like I am your service man...my duty is to service you" may be the most dignified nod to masochism in recent musical history. Ever so subtly, the lyrics and music on "DUSK" become more alive as Reuben's personal journey toward romantic fufillment reaches its destination. The music just becomes increasingly more alive. The same way Reuben's voice can emote vulnerability yet retain its pride, it can emote the joys of love without becoming saccharine or giddy. By the time we reach the end of "DUSK", Reuben definitely seems to have found happiness. And now, the roles are reversed. At the beginning of the CD, it was Reuben who was yearning and>searching; but when "DUSK" comes to an end, it's now the listener who's yearning... for Reuben's next CD! "DUSK" is highly recommended. Buy it at Amazon.com. You can also buy "DUSK" and learn more about Reuben at www.ReubenButchart.com.

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