MONROE COUNTY
“With a long life as a musician, Monroe County is the record that launches the talented vocalist and instrumentalist (harmonica and guitar) Joe Minger as a soloist, leaving us to imagine what a soloist career for Joe Minger might have been. A good Americana record, well-written and composed songs, that do not lead astray from the path laid out with his harmonica and Hammond organ in all the 10 pieces, allowing Monroe County to not be held back within the confines of a limited melody to satisfy all tastes at all costs. The crystalline talent flows through the guitar chords and harmonica, very convincing in “The First Time I Saw his Face”, “This Kind of Life”, and the amazing electric ballad “Beneath the Streets”; the harmonica sounds continually ebb and flow in the grooves of stories that are hazy but real as in “Walking”. The rhythm seems to overflow; instead it’s the words that come flooding in, sometimes dark and impenetrable, as described in “This Kind of Life” and “Dreamer’s Prayer”. The fender shows its American roots in another pearl like the title track “Monroe County”, and in “Twenty Years”, Joe reasons on small town concepts in ideologically exquisite terms, adding balance and equilibrium with his guitar in “Overnight Sensation” and “Bristol”. On the road he composes a series of evocative metaphors coming to light while driving through the windows or reflections in the rear-view mirror of his car, Joe Minger fills the countryside of Monroe County with Americana shapes and colors.” - Rino IACOVELLA
“Artist: Joe Minger Album: Monroe County With a lifetime spent playing music, over 40 years in total, guitarist, vocalist, harmonica player and songwriter Joe Minger has brought his extended musical experience to his latest record Monroe County. Minger’s years of practicing, writing and performing breathe through his well-written songs, creative arrangements and high level of musicality. Never over playing or moving too far away from the original compositional intent of any song, Minger brings a heightened sense of songwriting, catchy melodies and interesting lyrics to this record, the result being an enjoyable musical experience, one based in the American musical tradition. One of the elements that grabs one’s attention is Minger’s use of Hammond organ on the album. The blend of acoustic guitar, electric guitar and organ on tracks such as “The First Time I Saw His Face” lifts the song to a new level of audience engagement. The three instruments come together in a way that forms a unified blend of sonic timbres, while maintaining their own unique aural pallets at the same time. Minger uses this musical trio of instruments to emphasize important moments in the song, as well as to highlight the different sections of the track, which only adds to the success of the song and the album as a whole. Other tracks, such as the dark and brooding “This Kind of Life” bring a Fender Rhodes sound to the mix. Focusing on the underlying rhythmic groove of the tune, Minger builds his vocal lines over top of the soft and effective rhythms that float up from the bass, drums guitar and keys. His electric guitar solo in the middle of the song is one of the best on the record. It is not fancy or over the top, but tastefully crafted in a way that organically grows out of the previous vocal section, later bringing it back to the next vocal entry a short time later. While the guitar solo focused on subtle melodic shades to build energy, the harmonica solo enters with a flurry of notes, before building a repetitive melodic phrase that leads to the solos climax. By mixing a laid back and more aggressive style between the two solos, Minger showcases his ability to find the right musical vibe for the moment. He never lets chops dictate his playing, the song and feel and intensity at that moment guide his note choices during each solo, something that shows his high level of musical maturity. Another aspect to Minger’s song writing that strikes a chord with the listener is his love of traditional chord changes, which he then layers in creative and interesting ways to prevent them from becoming monotonous. Songs such as “Dreamer’s Prayer” and “Twenty Years” have recognizable progressions that have been used by other writers in the past. But, while the chord changes may be recognizable, they are anything but uninteresting. Instead of just falling back on a common progression as the basis for his writing, Minger breathes new life into these changes with his creative use of instrumentation, lead fills and rhythmic variety. By writing tracks that have a sense of tradition, as well as a personalized approach to the arrangements, Minger ensures that listeners will find something familiar and new in his writing, keeping one guessing as to where the songwriter will take them next as he moves through the 10 tracks on the album. Overall, Monroe County is a strong release from songwriter and performer Minger. His many years of experience are evident in his mature sense of composition and arranging, compiling a collection of enjoyable and engaging songs. Reviewed by Matthew Warnock Rating: 4.5 Stars (out of 5)” - Matthew Warnock