Album Review: Showman Ramin Karimloo Sings Six Songs Sweetly, Sounding So Swell Switching Styles Song To Song On THE ROAD TO FIND OUT-NORTH

Heigh Ho, dear lovely rainbow tribe, Bobby Patrick, your rainbow reviewer is back in CD-Land to offer another broken-down breakdown of a new music release. So, strap in and get ready, as Bobby goes on the record ABOUT the record.

This week's album entry in the BobbyFiles comes from Broadway and FUNNY GIRL's revival Nicky Arnstein, Ramin Karimloo, whose six-cut EP, THE ROAD TO FIND OUT - NORTH, is due out November 18th. This Iranian-born, Canadian-raised Tony Award nominee (for 2014's Les Misérables) is also a gifted composer and musician who adds this EP to an ever-expanding resume of music recordings. If we travel THE ROAD we find Ramin takes us on a quick tour of what his voice can do and the stylistic range to which he is adept at adapting his vocals. This third EP in his ROAD TO FIND OUT series (there has been an EAST, SOUTH & now NORTH editions with WEST next in line presumably) is a part of Ramin's exploration of his self-termed style, BROADGRASS - a neologism (what? Bobby knows words!!) combining the conceptual make-ups of Bluegrass and Broadway.

DRIFTWOOD is a bouncy self-written country and western number and the first real surprise because this is a Country & Western Song?! And it is one with true C&W lilt to it, where RK is just the perfect cowboy, singing with super strong vocals, and real country mastery - and there is nice fiddle accompaniment here, too. Since this is Bobby's first Ramin "round up," and our first ever experience with this Broadgrass genre, we found ourselves pleasantly confused because when one is expecting a Broadway tenor who has taken on the Phantom, it can be a shock to hear this track, shocked that is was so very good and shocked to discover that the man wrote this tune and plays its lead guitar. And speaking of old Erik the Phantom, MUSIC OF THE NIGHT brings us back to familiar musical theatre waters. This track starts with a beautiful violin opening that, then, fades and lets RK's guitar take over adding a bit of that Bluegrass peppering. Karimloo has great control over the money notes and his decorations are subtle, with his biggest note ringing out like the bells of Notre Dame. We timed it, and his very last, very gentle note is held for a full 20 seconds - an eternity on one breath. I VOW TO THEE MY COUNTRY is the track where Bobby began to realize that this EP is a touch confusing in its construction. It is not a bad thing to sing a British military song of patriotism written in 1921 by Gustav Holst, with lyrics by Sir Cecil Spring Rice, but why? What is its place on this EP? We asked ourselves. In tone, the song does not seem to be mixing in the bowl of Broadway and Bluegrass, but perhaps that's just Bobby. WHEN DOES IT GO AWAY is the other self-written song on this ROAD, and it's truly beautiful, with nice poetry for the lyrics. This one also has that greater country feel to it and is an old-fashioned "goodbye my love" C&W ballad - sweet and powerful at the same time. ONCE UPON A DECEMBER is, of course, the song from Broadway's ANASTASIA that Ramin did NOT sing during his time as the original Gleb. He takes this Ahrens & Flaherty tune and sings it in such gentle, hushed tones, almost whispered, until the power phrases, and the addition of Rebecca Raw's backup voice is just lovely. Finally, there is ANDROGYNOUS - another C&W tune about a couple named Dick & Jane who are switching it up along the gender lines, hence the title. This is a love song for these gender-fluid days we are living in today, a real anthem for our times, for people who are breaking the mold, and Ramin really wails this one in his country voice.

So there you have it, my dearlings: 6 songs sung 6 different ways by one voice. For this release, there is no attainable brand that an audience can gravitate to for easy categorization. Broadgrass seems to be a broad term since Ramin's vocals do a bit more flipping back and forth than they do mixing and melding. BUT - Bobby has not heard the other two installments of this series and if it is indeed THE ROAD TO FIND OUT, he is certainly allowed his experimentation. Basically, this ROAD (NORTH) does not lead us on a journey from start to finish, nor are we left with any sort of overall theme, message, or story. Perhaps that is the point the artist is trying to make - that he can sing "real good" in many different styles, and, if that is the case, mission accomplished, Karimloo, but listeners shouldn't overthink it... so we suggest you don't. Just stream this as is and enjoy this man's silky and powerful pipes for a swift 25-ish minutes, and since you will be glad you did, Bobby gives Ramin Karimloo's THE ROAD TO FIND OUT - NORTH...

3 ½ Out Of 5 Rainbows

This EP Releases On 11/18 And You Can Get Your Copy: HERE

Keep Up With Ramin Karimloo On His Webbysite: HERE

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