Neil Nathan is a singer/songwriter (or glam rock animal?, as his bio posits) from New York, New York. Sometimes folky, sometimes country-tinged, and influenced by wide range of fantastic musicians (see MySpace Music page) ranging from Neil Young and Bob Dylan to T. Rex and David Bowie and Tom Waits and Nick Cave to Creedence Clearwater Revival and Lynard Skynard.

I have recently listened to his 2008 EP Songsmiths and his forthcoming debut album The Distance Calls [release date TBA]. His reinventive, acoustic cover of Electric Light Orchestra’s “Do Ya” was featured in Showtime series Californication, and Songsmiths features additional song interpretations, “Darling Friend”, a take on Beethoven’s “Fur Elise” with somber vocals and steel guitar, “I’m So Happy You Failed” (eoriginal by Laptop), Chris MalCarney’s (of the Donuts) “Mia”, and an excellent, heartfelt adaptation of the Small Faces’ “All or Nothing”. The closing track “Old Man Time” is an original, with collaborator Mike ‘Slo-Mo’ Brenner, and my favourite on the EP, adding a dash of the unexpected, with it’s electro-funk rhythms and Neil Nathan’s husky vocals evoking Mark Lanegan (of Screaming Trees acclaim).

The Distance Calls is where Nathan takes things a step farther and serves as a document recording an expansion of his sound, recorded in Detroit and featuring an assembly of notable musicians accompanying him [Joey Mazzola on lead/rhythm guitar (Sponge, Detroit Cobras), Dean Fertita on piano/organ (Queens of the Stone Age, the Raconteurs), Kenny Tudrick on drums and acoustic gutiar (Kid Rock, Detroit Cobras), John Krautner on bass guitar (The Go), Ross Westerbur on electric piano/organ, Danny Methric on lead guitar (the Muggs, the Paybacks), Loretta Lucas on backing vocals (Sisters Lucas)]. This time, excepting “Do Ya”, all are Neil Nathan originals, and the scope of his songwriting becomes apparent, showing many various sides of emotion, from the alt-countrified storytelling anthems “California Run” and “Highways”, to the softer “When The Rain Falls” and ballad-esque “So Much More”. Definite stand-outs are “Better Be Goin’” the most rocking of the bunch and incredibly catchy, and “Eyes Wide Open” is the loveliest, most sentimental song here. Overall, The Distance Calls is a well-rounded album, while showing promise for his future musical output all the while.

Neil Nathan is one to watch! In the meantime, check out his four EPs The Nearest Future, Songsmiths, Motor City Recordings, and Glide, available to purchase at CDBaby.

Neil Nathan - Official Website | on MySpace Music | on Facebook

(above photo © Nicole Szalewski)