Gyasi
Here Comes the Good Part (Alive)
The fascinating thing about Gyasi (which is apparently pronounced Jah-See) is that they really don't make 'em like this anymore. His combo of Sunset Strip glam, Brit glitter and glorious androgyny is such a welcome breath of fresh, free air at a time when we're forced to inhale fascistic smog on the daily.
But while the likes of T-Rex, The Sweet, New York Dolls and Starz and clear reference points, there's an attractive, arty quality that recalls Roxy Music and Bowie. It's also worth pointing out that Gyasi has been playing lead with the Alice Cooper Group of late, which makes some sense.
This album sees Gyasi touch upon all of those Twister dots. The opening "Sweet Thing" is a bubblegum gem, while "Street Life" and "American Dream" recall Johnny Thunders at his introspective best. "Star" is all shamelessly Bowie, specifically "Ziggy Stardust." But who cares? It sounds great.
"Gyasi seems in many ways to come from another planet, and being raised in the woods of a West Virginia holler might as well be another planet in this day and age," reads his bio. "His parents bought him a guitar at a local flea market when he was six years old and he still hasn’t gotten rid of the fleas, or the guitar. He approaches his music as an all-encompassing art piece, using fashion, storytelling, and his guitar to create a world for his music. Inspired by a wide range of art and culture both past and present, his work is fueled by an undeniable passion to create music that brings rock-n-roll into the 21st century."
Fair enough.
