As I am writing this review, it is about 20 degrees outside. The heat in my office does not seem to be working very well, and thusly, I am cold. I thought it appropriate to put in a CD by the man named Doug Burr, because “burr” represents my current sentiments exactly.

Doug Burr’s latest release, On Promenade, was sent my way courtesy of Jeff from Velvet Blue Music. Jeff has used VBM, his label, to introduce the world to a lot of great artists. With connections through his time in several bands and years of keeping his ear to the underground, there is no wonder as to how he can find such talents, but nonetheless each new release reminds me why I felt that VBM has already done a great job of producing great new indie rock and pop. On Promenade is no exception.

I must say, that I had never heard of Doug Burr before… and unlike my typical review writing regimen, I did not look him up at all before popping this CD in. I just decided to grab it and see what Burr is about through his music and nothing else. After one listen, I thought of the CD as just another acoustic rock CD with a track or two (notably the upbeat, “In the Garden”) that you make it onto my Winamp player for some additional future consumption and possible use on a mix CD or two. After a second listen, the CD seemed to be a little bit more… and by the time I got into a third listen, I really began to feel that Doug Burr had something special that set him apart, but I wasn’t quite sure exactly what it was.

The fourth listen was where I started to pay more attention and dive into the music enough to start to hear what made Doug Burr different. It wasn’t the instrumentation or the song structure, which both are good but not much different from your typical folk-infused acoustic rock. It wasn’t the vocals, which are also good, but not enough to be the standout factor. It soon hit me… what Doug Burr did on this album was what good folk singer-songwriters do, tell stories. As I continued to listen, Philly native Denison Witmer came to mind. Simple songs that tell stories of love, life, and yearning. This is what defines the genre, when done well. And Doug Burr, indeed, does it well

Now, as I write this review, I am well into my seventh or eighth listen. Coupled with my 3rd cup of tea, Doug Burr has helped warm up my office quite a bit. And, despite not being a true fan of much of the music in this genre, I can hear that special something that Jeff Cloud must have heard. “In the Garden” (the up-tempo song I mentioned earlier) is still my favorite track, but now I find myself singing and humming along to other tracks, as well. I can hear that vibe that endeared me singer-songwriters like Denison Witmer, but I am beginning to hear some of the prolific style of Jeff Buckley in the songs now too.

Overall, I conclude my unconventional review with a strong endorsement for Doug Burr, especially for those who love the classic storyteller tradition of folk music or the folk-inspired acoustic rock that always seeps into the indie scene (ie. The Shins, The Weakerthans, or even The Arcade Fire). Doug Burr write simple songs that tell vivid tales, and even rockers like me can appreciate the beauty of simplicity in his music. 3 out of 5 stars.

Justin Harlan likes to write in the third person, as he was doing at the time he was compiling this brief bio. He works at a prison by day and (this part needs to be kept secret) is a superhero by night... well only on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and every other Saturday. That being said, he does have some experience writing for web publications and has some (though perhaps, little) legitimate expertise in the area of music. He used to run concerts and actually owns his own PA, plus lots of record labels know him and send him free music, which is really cool. He has a blog at http://thepaintedman.wordpress.com and is on Myspace and Facebook. He can be emailed anytime at justincharlesharlan@yahoo.com and encourages you to Google his name and tell him if find out anything interesting. Oh... and he knows Lemmy!

PS. He has a wife named Brooke and 2 dogs, Strummer and Jagermeister, all of which he loves more than music or writing.