The pop-rock hook of Giving Her More from Chapell (a.k.a. Alan Chapell) is undeniable, but the hook is just part of the charm. Giving Her More, from Chapell’s stellar March 2016 long-player, The Redhead’s Allegations, is a study in the positive; A positive story and a positive and uplifting feel.

And why not? Alan Chapell has a lot to be thankful for. He was blessed with an abundance of talent, a penchant for attracting the right friends (Talking Heads keyboardist and guitarist Jerry Harrison led production duties for The Redhead’s Allegation), and has paid for his love of music with hard work and road-weary determination. (see the ‘About’ section of Chapell’s website for the complete story.)  This is a musician who has paid every price for his craft and is still alive and made better for it.

The music that Chapell creates, while not as piano-driven, reminds me of Lucas Jack (see our October 5 post) in its uplifting feel. The production here is spot-on. Vocals are always mixed above the instruments and nothing is pushed dynamically to the peaks just prior to distorting. This is a welcome change from most music that is put out now. The effect is that the lyric for each track is right on Chapell’s sleeve; nothing is hidden beneath layers of mix or over-emphasized instruments. Instrumentally, there are some wonderful moments here as well. Everything is masterfully played and adds just the right textures and emotions to Chapell’s words. This is pop-rock done to perfection!

You can find more information on Chapell by visiting his website, which, aside from being frustratingly slow to open, is very good and complete, except for one glaring omission: The links to purchase his music are not included. You can purchase The Redhead’s Allegations from both Amazon and iTunes digitally. There doesn’t appear to be a CD purchase option. Pick up The Redhead’s Allegations now!

Vodka would like to thank Christian Kramer of Kramer Music Solutions for turning us on to Chapell.