J.C. Cinel - "Before My Eyes"
(Lonestar Time/Black Widow 2007)
J.C. Cinel - "Before My Eyes"
(Lonestar Time/Black Widow 2007)
From Aural Innovations #38 (January 2008)
I'm sure many Aural Innovations readers are familiar with the 70s inspired Italian Prog-Psych band Wicked Minds, who have released two amazing albums on the Black Widow label. Their powerful and talented singer, J.C. Cinel, has a variety of classic 70s interests. And on Before My Eyes he exercises his more purely song oriented passions with a set of 12 tunes that are as deeply influenced by 70s rock as Wicked Minds are. But instead of Deep Purple and Uriah Heep, Before My Eyes tips its hat to the Doobie Brothers, Eagles, Lyrnyrd Skynryd, Bad Company, Steve Miller Band, Jackson Browne and… well, I think you get the idea. YES, this is a 70s retro experience. But for those of us who grew up in that era, it's clear that if J.C. were on the scene in those days he'd have been a star for sure. The songs are beautifully melodic and have an instantly memorable quality. J.C. is shown on the back cover with an acoustic guitar and if that's him playing on these songs then his talents extend well beyond his gifted voice. Blues rock, melodic hard rock, country rock, folk rock, all manner of American rock influences from the 70s are here. If these descriptions spark your interest then you'll surely be pleased.
For more information you can visit the J.C.Cinel web site at: http://www.jccynel.com.
Hear music at the J.C. Cinel Myspace site at: http://www.myspace.com/jccinelitaly.
Email at: giuseppecinel@hotmail.com.
Reviewed by Jerry Kranitz