From his searing lead guitar riffs to his dynamic vocal work, James S. Rutherford delivers a collection of songs in his latest album, “Win Some, Lose Some,” that thoroughly satisfies, while displaying a range of emotion and subject material that is rare among independent rock artists. This veteran of the LA club scene has paid his dues, and it shows in this, his second album. He never misses a beat as he moves from tracks that make you want to get out on the dance floor, to softer, thoughtful tunes that take you to a different place and time.
The album opens with a hard-edged song about a hard-edged woman, “Warrior.” The straight-ahead rhythm guitar leads into a funk pattern and eventually gives way to a screaming lead guitar solo with Middle Eastern flavors. It all seems a fitting backdrop for the lyrical portrait of a woman who knows who she is and won’t be denied. “She’s a warrior, self realized,” he sings. “She won’t be taken down without a fight.”
From there, our musical tour guide takes us to Hollywood, to tell the story of a very different kind of woman, in a song of the lost souls of Tinseltown. “Those Hollywood nights, lying on the casting couch, small price to pay for your fame,” he sings.
As if to show that he is not content with the shallowness of the Hollywood culture of selfishness, Rutherford next invites the listener to pay homage with him to the fallen servicemen and women of the wars of our time, in a song called “It’s Over Now.” The music alternates between a distorted power guitar motif to a softer acoustic guitar sound, as if to contrast the harshness of war with the tenderness of the love with which those who don’t return are held.
He continues with his theme of war in a track called “Are We” that raises questions about the purpose of the war juxtaposed against its terrible price in human life. “We try to hold on, fighting for a country, in a foreign land. Are children dying as we make a plan to build us a better place, we have to ask ourselves, are we?” A nice stereo acoustic guitar effect adds poignancy to the track, while an underlying military drum beat gives a haunting feel and reminds the listener of the seriousness of the message.
Again, Rutherford shifts back to home and family as he looks to the future in his own children’s eyes in “Moment of Wonder.” He recalls the moment of their birth and expresses a father’s hope for a child who has “flown away.” He reminds the child, however, that, “I’ll always be your home.”
Rutherford sings of emotional pain in “Silent Cries” and healing in “Time Heals,” insecurity in “Ones Before Us” and guilt in “Forgive Me,” before ending on a wistful acoustic ballad, “Born to Fly.”
Through it all, James S. Rutherford entertains the listener with solid guitar work and a tight band that always takes the song to higher than anticipated levels of energy and creativity. This is an artist on his way up, and this album marks a milestone in his journey that you won’t want to miss.
Connect on Myspace – myspace.com/jamessrutherford
