Lee Shupp is a bit of a throwback. His new album Rise Up makes his retro music allegiances abundantly clear. Nonetheless, Shupp doesn’t use his chosen genres as a vehicle to travel back in time but instead modernizes them for modern audiences. The blues, jazzy influences, and rock threads running through the album’s eight songs are thoroughly fresh and invigorated. He doesn’t treat those styles like butterflies pinned under glass. Instead, Rise Up lives and breathes its music and emotions in the here and now. It’s irrepressible and teeming with life.
That vibrancy is clear-cut from jump street. “Here There Be Dragons” is one of the album’s most fully realized moments. This rollicking introduction to the album’s strengths hinges on two factors. The blazing slide guitar work and Shupp’s lyrics are the keys to its success. The former isn’t omnipresent to the point that it dominates the arrangement, but it’s a weaker song without its presence. Shupp’s lyrics are tightly written and breathtaking in their honesty. They also establish an immediate connection with his audience that the following seven tracks do nothing to undercut.
His command of an old school sound and solid fundamentals is equally clear during “Ride Tall in the Saddle”. Mixing organ playing into the song’s musical DNA makes it a fuller experience for the listener. Other secondary elements are aiding the song’s development. He has a superior sense of song construction spawned from his gifts and long musical experience. You can hear the years he’s put into playing with various first-division San Francisco bands and his Texas upbringing coming through.
“One Step Ahead of the Sandman” is an interesting song. The balance between the serious lyrics and an entertaining arrangement is one of its notable attributes. Another key to its success and other album tracks is the use of backing vocals. It lightens the edge of an otherwise uncompromising performance. It has a great deal of verve and never slackens during the song. His ability to compose one track after another that maintains a consistent flow is another mark of his seasoning.
“Elemental” and “Stay” are the dual rock and roll hearts of the album. However, both tracks continue to pursue the same balance between entertaining listeners and drawing blood with a sharp musical edge. “Elemental” runs longer than any other Rise Up performance without overstaying its welcome. The central melody holds the listener’s attention, and the dynamic contrast with the airy verses gives the song added impact.
The patient swing of “Stay” develops at a considered pace. Timing is everything with a song such as this, and the song’s drumming remains spot-on throughout the song’s entirety. Shupp belts out one of the album’s best lyrics with convincing authority. It’s the authority that each of Rise Up’s eight songs shares. Lee Shupp never forces this issue throughout this collection. The songs speak for themselves and soar with the help of such an excellent interpreter. It’s a sleeper album that’s easy to miss in the endless stream of indie music running through our digital world. However, Lee Shupp’s Rise Up is well worth seeking out.
Chadwick Easton