Flint Westrock-Heaven N Earth Review

Artist: Flint Westrock
Title: Heaven n Earth
Genre: Country-Americana
Label: LeRoi Records

Flint Westrock is a self-made character that puts out an album on occasion that catches the ear of an audience that always seems ready to embrace whatever he decides to give them. His first album came out in 2006. Wake Me Up With Kissin was a cult classic of sorts that got attention from Los Angeles to places you probably never heard of overseas. I know with a name like that it's hard not to think of old cartoons and such but this cat knows how to put together an album and the best part is, he does it all for the fun and pure joy of it. That is the way it should be for anyone that steps into a recording studio but we all know that is not everyone's reality. Flint Westrock, consider yourself a lucky cowboy.

With Heaven n Earth Westrock returns with an entirely different style and approach. This time out you get country, Americana and some good old blues harmonica foot stompin' music not to mention some honky tonk piano for good measure. There are 17 tracks on this CD and the singer does a decent job of adapting his voice with the different styles of music. What he may lack in vocal prowess is actually accentuated and complimented with some excellent musicianship. He has a nice country drawl that would probably make folks at the Grand Ole Opry grin from ear to ear. One listen to the chugging train called "Oh Nadine" will make you a Westrock convert in a matter of minutes. The steady foot tapping beat and harmonica are what makes that song hum right along down the line. I have to credit the vocalist for giving it everything it needed. It is the stand out track of the CD.

Mitch Kashmar (borrowed from the outstanding blues label Delta Groove Records) really helps to make this recording what it is. The element of a great harp player changes the entire atmosphere of an album and in this instance everything else sounds like it was built up around it. "Lost Highway" is another good example of that X factor holding true and with the addition of some fine pedal steel from Bill Flores, it turns into a real solid country track. The music is Westrock's savior on this track as his voice is inconsistent alternating from a low baritone that is effective but when he switches to the higher parts he falls short.

The little inconsistencies are easily dismissed on Heaven n Earth because it's just so much doggone knee slappin' fun you cannot help but crack a smile and thank Flint for the good time and ask him to come back again sometime for another party. Flint better watch it because if he gets much better at this people will think he is ready to become the next star out of Nashville.

3.5/5 Stars

Key Track-Oh Nadine, Lost Highway, Lightning Strikes

Keith "MuzikMan" Hannaleck-MuzikReviews.com Founder

January 3, 2011

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Tracks:
01. On the Other Side of Midnight
02. Sweet Destiny
03. Between Heaven and Earth
04. Lightning Strikes
05. I'm Movin On
06. Lonesome Lament
07. On the Waking Side
08. Follow In His Footsteps
09. Oh Nadine
10. Our Love Is For All Time
11. Decorum
12. Lost Highway
13. Start the Party
14. Bedtime Blues
15. Heaven Can Wait
16. Instantaneous Desiccation
17. Bonus Lost Track: Coo's Blues