See original review on the Vancouver Lifestyles Magazine website
No matter the genre , Vancouver resident Cole Petrone has made a lifelong study in the mechanics of popular song. In fascination of the magic the happens from a lyric and melody when it fits, he’s learned to cover thousands of popular songs, tirelessly read and researched great songwriters, and written and composed hundreds of songs of his own. And from his lifestyle of song, Petrone’s fine tuned abilities have garnered big wins in both the John Lennon and Great American Song-writing contests with his original works.
Cole Petrone has also witnessed some of the most iconic moments of the 21st century in working and living in over 50 countries of the world. He was in Berlin during the fall of the Berlin Wall, in New York during the disaster of 9/11 and Russia just after the fall of communism. Now with his new album SongTeller, Petrone takes the riches of this lifeline and his song writing prowess to market with a product that packs it all.
From the opening song ‘In New York City’ through to the finale in ‘Should’ve Could’ve Would’ve’, SongTeller combines songs of the grandly universal with those of intimately personal with hypnotic samba-like rhythms and Beatle like hooks. With a voice that registers somewhere in between James Taylor and John Lennon, Petrone’s lyrics are quite easy to listen to and subtly infectious. SongTeller also hosts a great range of song styles and expert production levels that offer many little teases for the ear which intricately aid the story telling through music.
Like the personal narratives and historic events it captures, SongTeller is a timeless treasure for everyone. For me it brings to mind fond memories of staying up nights as a boy listening repeatedly to magical mysteries of favoured albums like Paul Simon’s Graceland, Harry Chapin’s Greatest Stories, Marc Cohn’s self-titled debut and James Taylor Live. There is a certain level of musical production and talent that give stories the kind of depth that transcends the amount of listens you’ve given, and value that transcends any price you’ve paid. And now with SongTeller the time and energy Cole Petrone has put into living this album and pursing his craft has created the same stuff of magic he’s held in reverence for so long.
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