The Making Of The Making Of. Gramercy Arms

Those who take the trouble of immersing in new singles once a week on this blog, will have encountered Gramercy Arms a few times already. Today it's time for a full album. In nine songs Gramercy Arms sort of travels through my (musical) life with a set of original songs that rings the bell of long time favourites.

NYC based singer and songwriter Dave Derby collaborates with producer Ray Ketchum and gather colleagues and friends to work on respective songs with them. The list of collaborators is as long as the previous sentence suggests. Despite so many different people being involved The Making Of The Making Of sounds as a consistent album of a band that has a firm direction and goal.

It does make the album varied, as songs are approached from different angles. You will find an Eagles inspired ballad side to side with alternative rock song. Or a The Beatles like song combined with folk from CSN&Y and the West Coast and Sparklehorse all in one. Like I already said, Gramercy Arms took me on a ride of musical nostalgia in a very pleasant way. Simply because the songs on the album are convincingly good.

What strikes me is the love for these songs that comes through on the album and the warmth with which they are played. That may be the biggest feat, as all these different musicians were asked to contribute. Perhaps some never even met in the (same) studio.

Promo photo: Debora Frances

The Making Of The Making Of starts with a very 90s song. I'm remembered immediately of that fine album by The Caulfields, 'Whirligig'. 'After The After Party', was one of the singles already on this blog. It throws in these superb harmony vocals, lifting the song to another level than just 90s alternative rock. The 70s are there as well. To me this song shows that this is an album to immediate pay attention to. And Gramercy Arms fully delivers.

Without dissecting each song, The Making Of The Making Of takes the listener through different times and genres, tickling a lot of fancies with me. It is an immensely pleasant listening trip.

Wout de Natris

You can listen to and order The Making Of The Making Of here:

https://gramercyarms1.bandcamp.com/album/the-making-of-the-making-of