Deleted Scenes is the latest album by new Jersey based fey indie super group Gramercy Arms who are the brainchild of Dave Derby with all the friends he's roped in to help him. The list of collaborators includes Lloyd Cole, Rene Lo Bue, Peter Hess. Gary Burton, Doug Gillard, Steve Hurley, Jessie Kilguss and Kevin March. The album was recorded at Magic Door Studios with Ray Ketchum producing, it was recorded both before and during the pandemic with many of the guest's adding parts during the pandemic remotely.
The album opens with early single Yesterday's Girl that's a chance meeting of childhood sweethearts, co-written by Lloyd Cole, the lovers are considering taking one more stroll together, as the sophisticated yearning ballad unfolds, with the gorgeous timeless music wrapping itself around the lovers, as they go down the avenue together, totally familiar, yet new on this duet between Dave Derby and Rene Lo Bue.
Tricky Love Stuff has the sound of late 80's fey indie about perfect, sounding like Danny Wilson or Prefab Sprout as they get bound up in all the machinations that go on to get love right, set against the strings and acoustic guitar.
Fucked Up And Beautiful is how many of us hope we spend much of our youth through to our forties, this is about falling for a girl who comes from a well to do background, with gentle yearning, this isn't about being on anything, other than things that make you feel mellow or glow with inner confidence as that guitar solo gently elevates things.
Never Say Anything could easily be by any number of legendary 80's indie bands like The Room or Benny Profane to name two as the gently intoxicating music accentuates the lyrics as it all goes wrong again, the fighting has started once more.
Deleted Scene seems to want to re-work some Bon Jovi lyrics into the first song on the album that seems to be more rooted in American music, rather than British music, in particular Crosby Stills Nash and Young, with some gorgeous harmonies adding texture to the story that had to be deleted for the sake of appearances, as we were all too out of it to be totally honest about what went on.
Passing Through has a timeless elegiac quality to it, with the lyrics reflecting on past events and how they helped get them to where they are now and how just passing through is often better than putting down roots.
It's Hard Not To Love You is a bucolic love duet of a couple of star crossed lovers trading verses like they are trading seductive epithets weaving between the strings and gently caressing guitars.
Over Under Love feels, like they've been listening to Slim Chance or The Small Faces, while it lacks some of the braggadocio of those bands it still has the essence of beauty among the ruins of love, lust and simple living, beautifully constructed with all sorts of elements helping to draw the listener deep into this song.
Feel Your Way is a slow and deliberate song that does indeed Feel Your Way through the maze of life while never forgetting it's only rock & roll.
I Hope I'm Not Too Late feels like a sentiment that's been quite prevalent in recent years as so much has been lost, be it well loved people or music venues, this has a sadness to it that feels like they are searching for one more chance to get things right.
Messed Up And Beautiful (Radio Edit) is for those of you who still can't hear the f word. She's still embarrassed by having a rich dad, as we all still hope to have spent a good part of our lives Fucked Up and Beautifully messed up.
Find out more at https://www.gramercyarmsmusic.com/ https://gramercyarms1.bandcamp.com/album/deleted-scenes https://www.facebook.com/gramercyarmsmusic
