Chris Arduser's dedication to the art of songcraft has propelled an impressive career that's captured the imagination of listeners near and far from his cincinnati, ohio base. the multi talented musician, known as a singer-songwriter, drummer, guitarist, and mandolinist, has contributed to some of the most interesting and intriguing rock acts to emerge since the 80's.
The Bears, psychodots, The Graveblankets among others.
Flibbertigibbet is his fourth solo record filled with trouble and tall tales.
CHRIS ARDUSER DELIVERS AGAIN WITH "FLIBBERTIGIBBET"
Late last year, veteran multi-instrumentalist/singer/songwriter Chris Arduser released the latest addition to his discography, a new solo album titled Flibbertigibbet (yes, it’s a real word, meaning “a flighty or excessively talkative person”). Arduser is known for his work as the drummer/singer/songwriter in psychodots and The Bears, as well as being the frontman for his own Roots Pop outfit The Graveblankets. Flibbertigibbet is his fourth solo effort.
Arduser is one of the city’s best drummers, a great vocalist and remarkably talented on mandolin, guitar and several other instruments (he plays a little of everything on the new album, but is also joined by guests like his Graveblankets mate George Cunningham and his fellow psychodots Rob Fetters and Bob Nyswonger, among others). But Arduser’s songwriting skills may be the sharpest tools in his ample toolbox, showcasing a fantastic sense of melody and some phenomenal lyrics.
Flibbertigibbet is an impressively dynamic Pop Rock album full of depth, soul and instantly unforgettable melodies. The album kicks off with the sparkling “Stalling,” a mid-life crisis-like tale about a person who’s stuck in life and “can’t move forward, can’t move back.” Arduser is known for trademark darkness in his lyrics, but “Stalling” shows glimmers of hope, a trend that pops up throughout the album. “Wake Up Screaming” is the album’s highlight, a gloriously arranged slab of Power Pop, shifting from an engagingly herky-jerky verse to a dreamy, ethereal chorus and sounding like a lost Elvis Costello track. Other album highlights include the propulsive “One Girl Show,” which rumbles like The Who; the gorgeous, airy “Dark Dream”; the rootsy “Stayed Too Long”; and the gentle, melancholic “Sharyn,” in which the narrator fondly remembers a teenage paramour who loses her life to a drunk driver.
Flibbertigibbet is available through most major online music retailers, as well as local-music friendly Cincinnati record shops, like Shake It Records and Everybody’s Records. Mike Breen Citybeat jan. 7 2015
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