 |
| Stuffy
at the hotel |
|
| Arno
Hecht solos |
|
| Charlie
Giordano digs Aerosmith |
|
The
other tracks on the CD are a semi-autobiographical journey
through Shmitt's loves, losses and longings. His songs,
at once, put love and life on a pedestal, and question
their absurd twists and turns. Yet Shmitt's consistently
sensitive and soulful lyrics and delivery leave the listener
hopeful. For example, in Heart Above Water, Shmitt
poetically implores a lover to be his safety net, while
in Rosie he wonders how she could love him so much.
Cold Shoulder is a painful examination of a relationship
gone sour. Just Between Us Lover's celebrates the
yearnings of uncomplicated love and Long Water
tells of emerging from grief. The last track, When
The World Doesn't Love You, with its purposely raw
production unenhanced by effects, stands as a gritty anthem
to true love.
For Shmitt, this production grew to be bigger than the
obviously grand task of making a debut record. In the
process of putting the album together, the project morphed
into a very personal audio scrapbook. "I wanted the
people who are important to me, the people who are my
history, to be part of it. I
needed that blood on the record," says Shmitt. As
a result, the tracks on the CD are littered with contributions
of talented friends and family members.
Very much alive and well these days, Shmitt has completed
his mission. With the release of his CD, Nothing
Is Real, Shmitt offers a musical peek at the world
through his viewfinder. And as anyone who knows him will
tell you, it's quite a view. |
 |
| Fred
Kevorkian at Absolute Audio |
|
| Fred
Walcott & David Shapiro at Fluid |
|
| Billy
Ward at Drumpike |
|
