Album Profile - 27 by Dennis Phelps

" ... I visited with an old friend (my cover band's light man from the bar days of the late 70's) and he gave me several sets of lyrics he had recently been working on. This was apparently all I needed because the songs began to flow effortlessly."

So begins Dennis' introduction to 27, his first collaboration with lyricist Chris Cull. The album contains some of the pair's first 27 songs, including their thoughtful piece on the contradictions of enlisted life, "Soldier First."

Although Dennis' strength is guitar, he enlisted a few friends to add their own touches, like the honky-tonk piano on "A Transient Life" and bright synth sounds on "My World in a Day." Dennis uses his instrument to give each song its own personality, from the bluesy "Idle Hands" to the reflective "What Could Have Been."

Offering thoughts on love lost and life lived, fused with lively guitar work and expressive vocals, 27 is an impressive debut from a strong new talent.

My World in a Day * Rough Around the Edge * Is There Something * A Transient Life * Little More Human * It Doesn't Matter Now * Done Doing Time * Idle Hands * What Could Have Been * For As Long As You Look At Me That Way * Soldier First * The Can Man (plus 8 more songs on CD)

Excerpted from The Racer Record, the Racer Records newsletter.

This page was last updated on March 3, 2004 by Kristi Wachter.