Tony Parker's latest effort, We Need Love, is a beautifully arranged and cohesive album.  One song flows into the next in a natural progression as the mood and musical style morphs from upbeat to mellow to introspective, from pop to 70's soft rock to classic singer/songwriter style.  If you like Bob Dylan, Gordon Lightfoot, and the Beatles, but are tired of listening to music from 35 years ago, give this album a try.

This album feels like an evolution of his work so far.   Musically, this is a more mature album with complex melodies and intricate arrangements. Even more apparent is the cohesiveness of the entire album.  Parker's signature acoustic guitar and piano style are mostly in the forefront, but the acoustic guitar is moved to a backup role for several tunes in favor of the electric guitar and several other instruments.

The opening title track is a catchy, cheery pop tune that sticks in your head.  A variation on this song appears toward the end of the album, and highlights the complex musical arrangements prevalent in this collection.

Arguably one of the best tracks is "Nobody's There", a song reminiscent of 70's soft rock combined with current pop.  Woven throughout the intricate melody is a haunting electric guitar that also appears on the next track titled "Live Now", an energetic song highlighted by electric guitars and finger-picking guitar melodies that reminds me of an upbeat "Wreck of the Edmond Fitzgerald."

The middle of the album mellows out in classic singer/songwriter fashion punctuated by Parkers signature piano and guitar style.  "Open Your Heart" is a soft rock tune with an uplifting message and some thinly veiled suggestive lyrics. (Let me be the one for you tonight/Open your heart/Let my love come in).  "This Day" and "You Are The One" continue the theme of summer lovin'.   These songs sound like a picnic on a beautiful sunny day, where the real goal is trying to seduce a pretty girl.  On "To You My Love I Give", the harmonica makes an appearance, and a smooth September feeling has come to this summer of love.  

The song “Entropy” is the mellow apex of this album, yet it is by far my favorite track.  For fans of the radio program "Sleepy Hollow" on WXPN in Philadelphia, this track will make you feel like it's a Sunday morning: relaxed and introspective. This song has so much going for it, including Parker's mastery of the bright acoustic guitar melody, gently mixed nature sounds, plus tons & tons of mood. 

On Little Things, Parker returns to his singer/songwriter roots, with the harmonica and acoustic guitar giving the song a Dylan-esque feel.  But Parker leaves us with his trademark feel-good lyrics:  "Don't sweat the little things/Don't wish them away/Don't wait for better times/They're here today."
10/24/09
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