John Gorka
The Company You Keep

Review by Steven Stone
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  John Gorka seems like the energizer bunny of singer songwriters. He just keeps going and going. Each new release not only equals the quality of his last, but exceeds it. The Company You Keep is John's eighth album. It features superb songwriting and sterling performances.

While some songwriters can only create great melodies, John Gorka's forte is his combination of great lyrics with memorable melodies. The clever wordplay on "Hank Williams Senior Moment" and "Around the House" makes you think while you are humming along tapping your feet to the beat. His songs can also be evocatively beautiful. "When You Walk In" has a haunting quality reminiscent of the best work of Mark Cohn or Jessie Winchester. I suspect most listeners will quickly make this album cherished possession simply because it comes from the heart and head of someone who you'd like to consider a friend.

Joining John on this Red House release are Micheal Manring on bass, Peter Ostoushko on fiddle, Den Magraw, Patty Larkin, and John Jennings on guitar. Vocal were performed by Lucy Kaplansky, Ani DiFranco, and Mary Chapin Carpenter. Production credits are shared by John Gorka, Andy Stochansky, and Robb Genadek. The warm intimate sound is texturally intricate with multiple instrumental lines all clearly delineated. While the actual room may be a creation of state-of-the-art digital delays and acoustic modeling, you still have the felling that you've entered a big comfortable living room. All CDs should sound this good.

Enjoyment: 90

Sound Quality: 95