Jimmy Gnecco’s debut solo album, to be released July 20, 2010, could not be titled more accurately, as it is flowing, sincerely, from
beginning to end, straight from his heart. The Heart is simply a fifteen-song-long story of loss, pain, and heartache and the author’s attempt to
contemplate and understand certain significant events. The profound events range from the first track’s (“Rest Your Soul”) depiction of a friend’s
suicide to the sixth track’s (“These Are My Hands”) anguish and torment of helping a friend who is unwilling to help them self, claiming that
“these are my hands, I gave so much for them…(I) give a hand so much it pulls (me) in.”
Though serious and at times dark, this album is far from pessimistic; it is an album that tells not just of struggle, but also strength. It is a
beautifully empowering album that is graced with Gnecco’s angelic falsetto voice for nearly the entirety of the first three tracks, making for an
almost celestial start to the album. This light, yet powerful, falsetto is a fairly new side of Gnecco, rarely seen to this extent in his previous
work, when compared to his usual tenor/bass range. Though new and different, this path that is causing Gnecco to stretch and challenge himself as a
musician, will surely be welcomed and embraced as it brings to life a whole new world and opens many doors for him.
Gnecco has broken all the rules and exceeded all expectations with his debut album by not only singing and writing all the songs on this beautiful
album, but also by self-producing it and by performing every instrument on the album, including guitar, bass, keyboards, and drums. His musical mastery
and multi-instrumentalism is very clear throughout the entire album through the lyrics, vocals, instrumentation, and post-production quality. Gnecco
has truly made a name for himself, and can stand alone with his talent and innovation, showing great promise for future albums and tour to come. Check
out his solo work at www.jimmygnecco.com or his band, Ours, at www.myspace.com/oursmusic.
Review by Caroline Wuertz
