I'm taken back to another time and place.  The music of Bill Gibbs, Dennis Gurgul, and Lenny Solomon harks back to a time so long ago that country music was still called folk, or western, or perhaps hillbilly.  It's old-time music that manages somehow to not be old-timey, generating instead a timeless quality.  Lenny Solomon's vocals remind me most of John Prine, as does his writing, but there are also elements of the old country and western singers like Merle Travis, Stonewall Jackson, Roy Acuff or Doc Watson.

Some of the songs on this release lean toward rock and roll but never really lose their old time country flavour.  One song especially breaks the mold.  "Firefly" rolls along slow, with soulful electric guitar underscoring Solomon's equally soulful vocal.  While the country flavour is still present, the overall feel is more like Southern Rock.  As I hear this song, I'm reminded ever so much of The Marshall Tucker Band's "Can't You See."

For the most part, the songs on Not Life Threatening range from the gentleness of a Motel 6 commercial through what I tend to call "cowboy music" to a sort of light country rock.  Over all, on a quick listen, the set is quiet and enjoyable.  Paid closer attention, the music and the lyrics show the qulity that a lifetime of craft can add.  The music combines interesting elements in sometimes quirky ways and the lyrics are tight and well formed to most effectively tell their stories.
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It's unique in that the lyrics are very clever, stimulating, genuine and thought-provoking.  The Harmonica adds a zesty/bluesy complimentary flavor and the voice harmony is superb.  My favorite, Your Flight Has Just Been Cancelled, denotes a typical Airport situation, which we have all experienced at one point in time.
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The thing that impressed me about this CD is that, having also heard the previous two CDs, I am continually impressed not only with the music, but with the lyrics, which are alternately poetic, profound, humorous and ironic.  The more I listen to the "songs of Solomon", the more it grows on me.  I think Solomon is brilliant.
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Fusing country, folk, and hillbilly music, 
Solomon creates flowing masterpieces filled with colorful
imagery and pristine musicality. Accompanied by bandmates 
Bill Gibbs on a host of stringed instruments and 
Dennis Gurgul on drums, this capable trio spins wistful 
tales of life aimed straight for the heart. Solomon's 
voice is aged and dusty and gives his tunes a genuineness 
not heard in most local projects. His songwriting is also 
first-rate... If you're looking for something a little 
different and off the beaten path, you'll thoroughly 
enjoy Solomon's Not Life Threatening.
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