This Moment by sterling waters

At its best, this CD is reminiscent of the tasty desperation of Peter Case, while at other points, it reminds one of the Top-40 country charts. In any regard, This Moment is worth a listen.

Lyrically, the songs on, this Moment are concerned mostly with life on the road ("I drove down to Louisville..."), the quest toward some sort of universal spirit ("...letting go of your outcomes opens the universe..."), and the musician's own pain ("...looking for something to believe in...").

Waters delivers several moments of grace. The song "Twice as Sweet" is a pretty love song with a lovely guitar line. The tune "Tumbleweeds and Wal-Mart Bags" is a poignant look at the industrialization of the West. The guitar work in "This Moment" is just plain moving.

Finally, don't miss the hidden instrumental track.

-Ted Anderson The Ripsaw

There's something about it: just the singer-songwriter and his acoustic guitar. It doesn't get any more simple, and yet the possibilities are endless. We never seem to tire of it.

It's as individual as musical expression can get - one individual controls the writing, the lyrics, the singing and the playing. It's like a musical painting. And maybe that's the reason it's also best heard in its raw form, live; there's a kind of purity about it.

That's what you get with Sterling Waters' "This Moment", his new disc recorded live at Amazing Grace this January, though most of the concerty things, like long applauses and between-song stuff, are edited out. That makes the perfect balance, I think. If this CD is any indication, both the fledgling label and the emerging artist are welcome in my collection anytime.

The painting metaphor? Whether that's the way Waters intended it or not, it's a theme that pops up a couple of times, in a cover of Willy Porter's "Watercolor" and in Water's own "Distant Skies", which talks about Georgia O'Keefe's paintings. "The woman spent her life touching the canvas with the brush to show us heaven's not a place to go when you die," he sings.

Waters proves himself a very capable songwriter and lyricist throughout. Almost every song has a good hook, and each makes great use of his skillful playing and heartfelt vocals. There is good variety, bouncing between up-tempo stuff and ballads with dexterity. There are even tinges of country, as in "Tumbleweeds and Wal-Mart Bags" (which in my opinion is one of the most evocative titles I've heard in some time).

Waters' guitar playing is musical and flexible - alternately melodious and percussive. His voice is rich and strong carrying an earnestness you can't fake.

"Watercolor," the one cover on the disc, meshes nicely with Waters' songs. Some highlights: the opening tune "Ellie," is very catchy. Better still is "Never Met a Stranger," which has a terrific introduction and really showcases the vocals. I'm also a big fan of "Twice as Sweet" and the broad, easygoing title track, "This Moment."

All in all, this is a very enjoyable disc, the quintessence of the singer-songwriter.

-Kyle Eller Budgeteer News

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