Toney - Born To Live Free

Baby Deer Recordings

Time-40:05

www.toneyrocks.com

On this his first release under his own name, multi-tasker Toney provides all the sounds and production, except for piano on one song. He also wrote every song. The promotion package is vague, but it appears he is from and/or based in Delaware. He commits himself quite handily on mostly funk-based material with flourishes of blues. Everything here is cohesive; none of the “patchwork” sound of some one man plays all efforts.

A cool and atmospheric groove is attained on “Empty”, introducing the listener to his soulful and pleasant vocalizations. Again on “Explode” he shows his knack for cushioning his tunes on a bed of comfortable riffs. The echoed guitar near the conclusion is the “icing on the cake”. “Set Me Free” can best be called a rollicking romp, for a lack of better words. An updated “field chant” is offered up in “Heavy Water” with its storm effects. Toney displays his versatility on the stark and moody “Miss You”, where Aubrey Everett’s poignant acoustic piano and Chris Kirby’s backing vocals are the only other elements in the song.

The title song is a defiant independence anthem. His textured guitar skills are on display at various times throughout, but he brings all those skills together in the brilliant guitar showcase instrumental “It’s About Time”. For my ears this is the highpoint of the CD. The guitars battle it out over the keyboards, as they change from a blues-rock style to wah-wah…back and forth. They reach a mellow middle section featuring gentle piano, only to reignite the guitar onslaught. This tune never ceases to entertain, play after play. The CD closes out with a brief and stark reflection on life’s struggles, augmented only by minimal percussion.