Reviews of
A Foolish Inconsistency
“..,great guitar tone and well written compositions.”
:…like The Verve flirting with the blues while still digging Dick Dale.”
“somewhere in the cracks of surf, rockabilly, and country soul.”
“Fans of the mature side of instrumental guitar music will definitely enjoy this release.”
-Luke Wolk, Radio Guitar One
“...the timeless compositions and advantageous sonic ideas makes it
totally well worth listening to by electric guitar fans of all ages.”
-Robert Silverstein, Roots Music Report
“The mix of guitars has a touch of blues that gives
warmth to the song and makes it as intimate as it is powerful.”
-Oliver Zurita, Expansión Radial
“…on par with legends in instrumental rock like the iconic The Ventures.”
“…a range of genres that goes from surf rock to American songs and from pop to blues.”
-Cosmonauta Radio
”…stylistically coherent, albeit fabulously varied in tuneful terms”
“… trad-jazzy jive chase rockabilly bliss…”
“…where elegance and insistence coexist”
“…a faux-orchestral soundscape”
-Dmitry M. Epstein, DME
"...a unique groove..."
"…captivating atmospheres..."
"...a dynamic rhythm section"
-Via Nocturna
“ impassioned, brilliantly and artfully sculpted”
“…free flowing, rhythmic melodies…”
“…delicately hued, organically supple…”
-Exclusive Magazine
“The expressive tonality of Rawlings’ work reaches into a plethora of different corners; on A Foolish Inconsistency he makes a point of not having one signature sound, and the album is better for that approach.”
“…catchy melodic runs, with hints of surf rock…
”… reminiscent of Mark Knopfler’s work for film soundtracks…“
-MusoScribe
Interviews
Interview with Indiefferential
What’s your creative process for instrumental songs? Do you start with a melody, a rhythm, or something else entirely?
Usually I start with some interesting chord changes. I’ve found that if I pick up my guitar after not playing for a while that something interesting often jumps out of my fingers. I usually try to record it quickly using my phone or computer so I don’t forget it. I’ve found that finger-picking the chords also allows me to come up with melodies to complement the chords. Another thing I often do is record the chords into my looper pedal. Then I loop the chords over and over and improvise melodies along the way.
Interview with Vents Magazine
“A Foolish Inconsistency was produced by the rightly lauded Michael Rosen! What was it like collaborating with Michael on this, your debut solo album?
Working with Michael has been great. We’ve known each other for a very long time (we were even roommates for a while at the Hostages loft in San Francisco in the early eighties). Michael also produced my instrumental band Lost Lake and two albums by Ray Vaughn that I contributed guitar to. This time, of course, was a bit different. Like a good producer will do, Micheal helped me focus the songs both by how we ordered the verses, choruses and bridges and also with how we orchestrated the music. We developed a good working relationship. Sometimes the songs came out quite differently than I had originally envisioned – and that sometimes meant learning to let go of some of my preconceived ideas, which took some getting used to but in the end made the songs much, much better.”
Interview with Via Nocturna
After years with bands like Hostages and Die Bossa Nova, what drew you towards a solo instrumental album? Do you find instrumental music offers a unique form of expression?
I've always loved instrumental rock music. It’s hard to say why, but it just resonates with my love of rock and roll. Years ago, I realized that I was often totally ignoring the singer and lyrics and focused on what the band was playing behind the singers. I love concise, memorable rock and roll riffs (think Keith Richards) and those translate nicely into instrumental music.
With instrumental music you are telling an abstract story, not a real-world story told through the lyrics. How the music is arranged and performed can really make a big difference in how people experience it. I like that music without lyrics doesn’t tie you to any particular story. Listeners can just listen, enjoy and make up their own story.