Bear

Audio Mixers: Sam Kassirer; Brandon Eggleston; Tom Schick.
Recording information: Firehouse 12, New Haven, CT; Great North Sound Society, Parsonsfield, ME; Sackamusic, Conway, MA; The Maid's Room, New York, NY.
Thirty-two-year-old folk-rock singer/songwriter Stephen Kellogg, along with his backup band the Sixers (who consisted of Keith Karlson and Brian "Boots" Factor upon the release of this album), has had his ups and downs, beginning with self-released efforts, working his way up to a major label and being dropped, and now signing up with a well-established independent, Vanguard Records, for THE BEAR. No doubt part of the reason he keeps getting shots at the big time is that his music has such a surface appeal. It's melodic pop/rock, usually featuring an acoustic guitar supported by an electric bass and drums, with other midrange instruments--keyboards here, banjo there--filling in the sound--all in the support of Kellogg's smooth tenor singing catchy choruses to story songs, at least some of which sound like they must be autobiographical.