There's a lyrical honesty that makes this CD a must have. There's a story-telling element that captivated me---and drew me into the songs. I had nearly forgotten how much this is missing from the current "scene". The instrumentation is brilliant as well. There is a real craft and artistry to each one of the songs. This album is marked by very intentional, mature placement and development. In light of the current state of music, Colin Ward is needed. I wholly recommend adding this album to your collection to get a good dose of quality musicianship, solid harmonies, and intriguing story-telling. There's a song for every moment in life. Put this on in the car. Put it on at home...enjoy!
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Cigarettes and Gasoline, a music CD by Florida-based songwriter and performer Colin Ward, is just what the doc ordered for me on this labor day weekend. From the folky-rock feel of a song like “Hand Upon Your Shoulder”, to the bluesy-rock vibe of the title track to the country rock sounds of a song like “Back to Texas”, it is a delightful, easy-going collection of tunes tied together by Colin’s vocals and fantastic guitar playing. There is a guitar sound here for everyone, from the finger-picking of “Hey There Dad”, to the many cool acoustic leads (in fact, too many to single one track out) to the great steel guitar sounds in “You’ll Regret it”.

The subject matter varies from introspective (songs like “Warmed my Soul” and, my personal favorite, “The Water Runs Over the Dam”) to songs about former lovers (“Say Goodbye Again”), artist friends (“Standing Tall”), cool places (“The Florida Keys”) and family (the previously mentioned “Hey There Dad”). I would not describe any of the songs as story songs but they are most definitely songs with stories in them. And they (with the exception of a couple of autobiographical songs) are stories that we have all lived a version of so we can relate to them instantly.

The CD sounds great with a good stereo mix and a nice mastering. The main vocals (clear as a bell), backing vocals (wonderful) and guitars (exquisite) complement each other without stepping on each other and percussion is used appropriately. Also, the sequencing of the songs on the CD is superb with each song easing nicely into the next. From the mix of genres to the mix of subject matter to the mix of sounds, from the production to the arrangements, from the mixing to the mastering, this CD is a real musical treat.
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Colin Ward's new CD, Cigarettes and Gasoline,  from the very first note of -Hand Upon Your Shoulder -commands your attention. His fine picking and arrangements shine with highly polished musicianship throughout. He traces personal stories and creates portraits with his words, surrounded by intricate guitar work and gentle harmonies. There's not a dull moment on this cd because you are either caught up in his musical masterful melodies and guitar runs, or following an intriguing storyline throughout. The work is thoughtful and totally entertaining. You will enjoy it fully every listen.
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With a single exception (the intentionally and effectively plain “Hey There Dad”) Colin has taken full advantage of the leisurely sound explorations possible in the studio. 

For example, when Colin plays it solo, “Cigarettes and Gasoline” is a sparse, bluesy number with phrases suggestive of Stephen Stills’ “Black Queen”. In its form as the title track here, with the addition of Mike Kosacek’s insistent drumming and the ethereal vocals of (the surnameless) Jennifer and Joice Marie, the down and out musician narrating the song now seems to have more and stranger things floating around in his head than the state of his tip jar.

Colin makes plenty of use of his multi-instrumental skills here. Melodic bass guitar lines and a variety of keyboards wind throughout. A pedal steel guitar makes its first appearance on a Colin Ward record, I believe, and it helps place songs such as “Back to Texas” and “You’ll Regret It” outside the folksinger-songwriter realm and deep into the heart of Country. The twin electric guitars of the radio-ready “The Florida Keys” are as catchy as anything the king of trop-rock hooks, Jimmy Buffett, ever dreamed up. As for “Fotheringay’s”— the hidden track on the CD version of the album— that sounds like no instrumentation Colin’s used before, and it’s a gas. 

That doesn’t mean Colin has abandoned what is to my mind his signature. He’s an adept and inventive flatpicker, and lucky is the song that has one of his acoustic guitar solos in it, as many of these do.

Full disclosure: Colin’s my partner in the Blue Island Beer Club, and I already know and like some of these songs from our Blue Island Beer Club version of them. But I didn’t have to like this record— and I do.
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