Kick ass and groovin' too...
author: Todd Bender
We love this album! I'll have to get another copy so I don't have to keep moving it from my truck to the house and back all the time. We bought this originally to support Greg in his writing/playing but we absolutely love it. This disc is introspective without being annoying or depressing. The lyrics are actually understandable and mean something. Not the same old $#*&!!! Every song is a great one, not just one or two tracks like seems to be the trend.
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Saskatchewan rocker delivers on every track
author: Yorkton This Week - Calvin Daniels
Ricasso is a Saskatchewan solo rocker who has put together a very solid effort with the release of Pollution, a follow-up to his debut recording Disgraceland.
Ricasso (aka Greg Hargarten) has developed a rock style where the lyrics have a flavor which reflects folk mentality in the writing process. That folk lyric feel transcends every self-written cut on the eight song offering.
The songs are all aided by Ricasso's own guitar work as well.
The intimacy he clearly has with every cut adds to the vibrancy of the material, as the listener understands the roots of the music it came from deep within the performer. There is a passion in Ricasso's work which is refreshing in this age of bubble gum pop rock.
The title cut is one of the CD's best, but no so far ahead of the rest of the songs offered up here. There's enough driving guitar to impress most any rock listener.
Ricasso doesn't rely solely on guitar rock though, choosing instead to borrow from other genres, including punk on cuts such as Bipolar.
With Dear Abbey Road, you get a 60's inspired pop-rock number that obviously pays a tip of the hat to a certain Beatles effort.
The bio of Ricasso suggests this effort shows a more confident artist, and you certainly feel that this guy is were he wants to be on this album. There is little suggestion anything is here except because the artist wants it to be, and it's good to see a recording sans radio and record label influences.
That isn't to say progressive radio will pass on this effort. There are songs here which should find ready fans out there given a chance to hear this CD.
Big kudos to Ricasso for a solid album, which lets you see there is still some soul in rock.
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