Syd

CURRENT RELEASE REVIEW: The Way We Found It (by Dan Bolles, 3/19/08)

It’s been a long and winding road for Brooklyn singer-songwriter Syd. The Vermont-born tunesmith made quite a splash on the college touring circuit with his full-length debut Fault Lines, which drew frequent comparisons to work of breezy, sensitive dude-rocker Jack Johnson and wuss-pop confectioner John Mayer. But somewhere along the way, Syd had an epiphany. Following some serious soul-searching, he came to the conclusion that the rewards of life on the road hardly matched the immense effort and personal sacrifices required. He also realized that he didn’t like his own music anymore. That’s got to be a tough pill to swallow.

Confused but undeterred, Syd holed up in a Vermont barn to reinvent - and perhaps resurrect - his musical persona. The result: a sparkling pop nugget called The Way We Found It.

Produced by knob-twiddler extraordinaire Danny Weinkauf - whose work with artists such as They Might Be Giants and Fountains of Wayne has made a him sought-after commodity in pop circles - the disc is an immaculate collection of glittery pop-rock anchored by literate, wistful melancholia.

Album opener “All Time High” is a dramatic piano-rock ballad melodically reminiscent of The Webb Brothers’ 2000 indie classic Maroon. Brief and bittersweet, it’s a fitting introduction.

“On a Friday” follows with a guitar-driven blend of ’80s power-pop likely to satisfy the inner retro-rocker in all of us. The tune’s only real drawback is that it’s almost too catchy. The song has “summer anthem” written all over it. A word of warning: Repeat exposure could be borderline obnoxious.

The album’s supposed centerpiece is the next track, “Far Away.” A mid-tempo ballad filled with longing could easily fit on an episode of “Grey’s Anatomy.” That’s all fine and dandy if you’re into it. But to these ears, the song feels like a remnant of Syd’s dark days as a Mayer acolyte. It’s about the only slip-up on the disc.

The next ditty, “Lady,” picks up with irresistible guitar-pop not unlike Shake the Sheets-era Ted Leo and The Pharmacists. Following a brief acoustic guitar interlude, the next rocker, “Still Life,” is similarly engaging, as are the album’s remaining ballads, “You Said,” “Front Lines” and “It Was You.”

Syd frequently shares the stage with Vermont pop-troubadour Gregory Douglass. He also shares Douglass’ affinity for saccharine pop-hookery, which is on display throughout the disc. It’s no small wonder, then, that Syd’s cover of the Douglass-penned “Sail the Sea” is a standout on an album full of them.

Catch Syd Wednesday, March 26, at Higher Ground’s Showcase Lounge with fellow pop songwriters Zac Clark, James Kinne and Tom Cadrin.

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PAST RELEASE REVIEW: Fault Lines (by Ethan Covey)

Vermont-born Syd's second record is a rocking reworking of his singer-songwriter sound. Only 21 years old, the Boston-based artist has already piled up impressive accolades-from the press and musicians such as Rufus Wainwright. His debut, Week Days Weak Knees - recorded at the age of 19 - was a suprisingly solid disc. Though recorded inexpensively in a Beantown dorm room, the record was an impressive debut. This time around, Syd and longtime collaborator Tuck Stocking have ditched quiet folk and turned the knobs up to, well, six or so. The record packs a punch that makes the songs more immediately enticing than past efforts, but the real treat is Syd's voice. His pipes have a smooth, soulful quality rarely found in someone so young. Most of the 10 tracks on Fault Lines are lilting, mid-tempo pop cuts. "Rest of My Life" kicks the disc off with gentle acoustic riffing and smooth keyboards that sound not unlike The Police. Quickly, though, the tune blossoms around a rousing chorus and meaty hook. "Carry Me" starts with Syd's beautiful guitar work before incorporating a catchy, call-and-response chorus. Fans of laid-back songwriters such as Jack Johnson will find plenty to latch on to. - Dan Bolles

Sandpoint Festival goers will get a taste of a rare, knockout talent
packaged in a young artist named Syd, opening for Colin Blunstone and Rod Argent of The Zombies Wednesday, Aug. 13, whose stunning lyrics and guitar
work are starting to send a buzz through the music industry.

Barely 21 and already touting an impressive slate of reviews from coast to coast, Syd's rising popularity sparked by a sensational debut CD, "Weak Days, Weak Knees," soared to #2 in sales at MP3.com in less than a year.

With melodies and drop-dead lyrics being compared to Ani DiFranco,
Counting Crows and Dave Matthews, Syd has carved a formidable niche in the college circuit, routinely opening for the likes of Joe Cocker and the B-52's.

Quite simply, his performances are unforgettable. His deceptively simple songs ride the wave of his soulful, resonant voice, and along with his charismatic, on-stage personality, Syd is both a tour de force and a delight rolled into one.
He's not only the real thing who can deliver a song and stop you in
mid-sentence with lyrics like "Funny how what's foggy now will never be this clear again;" his command of both his material and ear-catching rhythms are polished with a star quality touch.

The Vermont-born and raised musician has already been described as " Dave Matthews with a bit more daring and the occasional swagger with lyrics that
are just untouchable."

Heady stuff for a 21-year old, but Syd cuts through the wrap of
commercial hype and simply pours it out from where it counts--straight from the heart. - RJ Cohn

"Syd happened to be my first show that I was involved in... he made me look forward to all of the other bands to come! He was absolutely amazing and everything ran soooo smoothly! He said that he was impressed with the set up that we had for him, and he sounded GREAT!!! After the show he stayed and talked to the audience and sold some cd's. He only had 3 cd's when he left here, so I guess that was good!!! I have had some awesome feedback from the Gannon Community, and people have asked if he could come again some other time!!! Our school news paper wrote an article on him as well."
Julia McConnaughey, Coffeehouse Coordinator - Gannon University (PA)

" The show was really good! Syd said he wasn’t feeling well but he sounded great to us. He was funny and interacted well with the audience. Tuck was really nice, too. We had over 100 people in attendance. The lounge was packed! We were very happy with the show. Thanks for everything you did in helping us to bring Syd to Juniata!"
Dawn M. Scialabba, Director of Campus Activities - Juniata College (PA)

" Syd's show was phenomenal, and his performance was excellent. Crowd reaction was great, everyone has said what a good time they had at the show. I was thoroughly impressed with his professionalism, but his ability keep that fresh energized feeling through out his set. He played great stuff, some new, and personally as a fan I was excited to here his new material. He made himself available after the show to entertain questions from fans, and just sit and talk. It was our pleasure to have him here, and we would love to have him again in the future!"
Dave Daquelente, Exec. Director of Ent. Board - Penn State Erie, The Behrend College (PA)

" The show went well, Syd immediately showed his flexibility and ability to adapt to crazy situations, because we had our amp blow, but quickly found a new one and he went acoustic until we could get the tech side of things up and running well. The audience really seemed to enjoy the show, evident by the large percentage who went up and bought CDs from him. We had between 50 and 75 people there and they all seemed to really enjoy it. He was a great addition to the line-up we have this semester and it was an excellent show."
Sean Adams, Asst. Director for Campus Life - Mount Saint Mary’s College (MD)

" SYD was Awesome, he was Intense, and Incredible! The students received him very well with his easy going attitude and absolutely wanted to hear more from him! I must say that I am extremely happy that I had him kick off our first ever coffeehouse series here at Eastern, because now he has set the mood for more students to come and see up and coming singers/songwriters."
Yovan Reyes, CAB Concert Chair - Eastern Connecticut State University (Willimantic)

" It was an awesome show the crowd loved it we had about 80 people which is big being that it was a big go home weekend. Syd was great he and Tuck had to have a blast it was very interactive and it had to be the best show I've had at AU! Thanks for providing us with affordable prices on such great talent!"
Lisa Keenan, Coffeehouse Chair - Arcadia University (PA)

" I thought Syd's performance was amazing. Syd himself was a great person to get along with, as well as a great performer. Before the show he was very comfortable, and easy to work with. There were plenty of students who were very interrested in Syd. I heard many students talking about looking forward to him before the event, and even more saying how much they enjoyed it after. I think that the best part of Syds performance was how comfortable he was with the audience. The audience felt on a personal level with him in a way, because he would talk a little in between songs and address the audience. Thank you so much for working with CAB."
Therese Andrews, Activities Coord. - Eastern Connecticut State University (Willimantic)

"I'm not really sure where to start with this one. I guess I'll give you a few descriptive words. Professional, personable, talented, and hilarious. I think that all these words totally encompass Syd as a performer. From the second I picked him up from the BUS STATION (ha!) I seriously felt like I had known him for years. I told him earlier in the afternoon, before he went on, that he didn’t have enough confidence in himself, and he came back at me with, "I have confidence I just don’t want to come across as that guy that’s an egotistical maniac." I think that he’s really got his head on straight, and he truly is a nice guy, which I believe in the long run is only going to help him further his career. I had a lot of people ask me who he was again, where he was from, how old he was (people couldn’t believe he was only 20), and where I found him. I think that people were truly impressed with his music, his voice, and his stage presence. Stage presence, funny I brought that up. When Syd is on stage, you can tell that he loves to tell stories, and talk to the audience. However, what I noticed is that it really feels like he talking directly to you. This is a quality that I think every artist should strive to achieve. Overall…..he did an amazing job and I couldn’t be any happier! I wish him the best of luck, and I look forward to seeing him play again."
Meryl Jones, Concerts Chair - LeMoyne College (NY)


" Syd did a great job for us on Friday night. He was great to work with from a professional standpoint and our students also enjoyed working with him. Our venue was full and the families responded well to the music. Thanks for the great deal!"
Lena Previll, Big Green Bean Entertainment - Dartmouth College (NH)


" Syd was amazing!!! The show went very, very well. Throughout the night around 100 students came and went, with a majority staying throughout the whole show. Everyone kept on asking when he was going to come back and play again. Also, Syd was kind enough to stay after the show and do massive autographs and hung out with some of the students in their dorm rooms. So, overall things went awesome. Thank you for letting us do business with ya'll. We greatly appreciated the entire event as a whole and we cannot wait to get him back here again."
Kassandra Barnes, SAB - Transylvania University (KY)


" Syd was outstanding! He is very talented and a great entertainer. But, like I was thinking they would - the kids loved him!!! I told them all about his webpage and I know at least a dozen of students want his cd. We had more students here for his event than any other time! Syd is an awesome guy and really interesting- and most of the girls are infatuated with him...I enjoyed him, and I hope he had fun here even though we might be the tiniest school ever."
Jill Potter, Activities Coordinator - College of Saint Joseph (VT)


" The Syd show was a great success! We had a good turnout, and Syd interacted very nicely with the audience. I've had a lot of positive feedback since Friday, and it was a pleasure to work with him. Thanks again for introducing him to Merrimack College! ~Jennie"
Jennifer Moore, Coffeehouse Chair - Merrimack College (MA)


" The coffeehouse went well and the students seemed to enjoy the performance. Overall, I was happy with the event and impressed with Syd's follow-up. It was very professional behavior for SYD to actually drive back to the venue to check-in about the performance."
Michelle La Barge, DSA - Lyndon State College (VT)


" Syd gave one group of girls "Weak Knees," and his music was hot, too! Thanks, George!"
Andrea Pujat, Campus Events Coordinator - Rowan University (NJ)


" He was great I'll try to have him back maybe February!"
Vince Conte, After Hours Coord. - Northeastern University (MA)


" They were great! I only wish that our student turn out would've been better, but those who did attend really enjoyed themselves. Thanks George!"
Sonya Quinn, DSA - Thomas College (ME)


" Syd has great vocals, and he got a lot of compliments for it. Not too many people showed up due to the weather but it was a good time for those of us who did."
Froso Tsambazis, Coffeehouse Coordinator - Bryant College (RI)


" The Syd show went well! There were at about 80 students there, and Syd kept them entertained for an hour and a half. He's so young! Talk about relating to the students! Thanks again."
Louisa Jones, DSA - Pomfret School (CT) - College Talent Buyers

Published: Wed, March 15, 2006


OK, guys, here's the challenge:

You're a singer-songwriter, used to commanding a stage and, when things work out right, captivating an audience. This evening includes sharing the stage with two other such gents with guitars for two hours of "in the round" performance style. That is, you're going to share the stage for the entire performance, but you're going to be playing every third song -- which means you can neither blatantly steal the spotlight nor look out of place as you stand there for all of those other two-song cycles.

Any questions? See Syd.

The Vermont-based musician demonstrated a savvy mastering of the potentially tricky "in the round" style Wednesday evening, for an early Nectar's show teamed with fellow gents-with-guitars Chad Perrone and Patrick Thomas. The unofficial emcee of an unofficial homecoming performance, Syd, 23, offered his visiting guests the opportunity to shine with their material. But he managed to subtly keep audience eyes on him during the off-time, through banter with the audience, guitar accompaniment for Detroit native and previous touring partner Thomas, or teaming up with Thomas for backup vocals -- and dancing -- to the Boston-based Perrone's tease of Tom Petty's "Learning to Fly."

It's all part of the different confidence that emanates from Syd these days.

The singer-songwriter has had the musical chops for years, as well as the touring and business tenacity required to make a name for himself in an ever-deepening field of male songsters with guitars. But the air about him as changed, and he seems to move, onstage and off, with a new grounded, mature focus on the work.

Yes, work.

"I'm the most tired I've been in my life," Syd said as he rested his elbows on a worn wooden tabletop within Muddy Waters on Wednesday afternoon, several hours before taking the Nectar's stage next door. "This is my second cross-country trip, and I'm exhausted. But that's the way it should be. It's hard. It's a job."

The job, he said, is starting to shift from gigs at colleges, before audiences seeking out the next John Mayer or Jason Mraz, to club dates and larger shows, including appearances last week at Boston's Paradise Lounge and the Knitting Factory in New York. New material has come with it -- having spent a chunk of January in a Williamstown recording studio laying down material for a full-band album expected to drop in November.

Growth and development is yielding a sound less sensitive singer-songwriter, more rock and roll and, he said, more true to the spirit of its creator.

"I'm so over being the Dave Matthews-influenced, John Mayer type," he said. "What makes music good is what it is. If you happen to sound like that, good. But this? It sounds like, I don't know. It's the closest thing to how I sound. It's big, all over the map, but it comes together."

And, he said, it's harder than the sunny acoustic pop long-time listeners may have grown accustomed to. Surprisingly so.

"This is the album I wish I'd started out making," he said with a grin.

Only hints of that big sound are capable of coming through a single acoustic guitar, but deft ears among those at Nectar's would notice the heavier elements. About half of Syd's performance time was devoted to new material, and he worked into his instrumentation lines clearly tended for a bass, riffs that will soar on an electric. The elements subtly support the material on an acoustic level, but won't take center stage until the transition to full band.

It's still Syd, to be sure, but perhaps a new take on the longtime Vermont fixture.

"I want it to look like the lead singer of a rock band is playing solo for you," he said. - Victoria Welch (Free Press Staff Writer)

Syd, Upswing EP
Album Review
BY DAN BOLLES [03.04.09]

(The Co-Op, CD/digital download)

Remember Joe Jackson? Early on, particularly following what is likely his best-known single, “Is She Really Going Out With Him?” in 1979, the British pop singer was viewed as something of a poor man’s Elvis Costello. While the latter would go on to attain iconic rock ’n’ roll status, Jackson’s career arc veered from that of his countryman. Despite occasional flirtations with mainstream success, Jackson never quite reached the same level of widespread adoration. Still, pop-rock aficionados regard Jackson fondly, especially his early canon, which fused punk rock and New Wave in a manner more popularly, if not entirely accurately, attributed to Costello.

In a way, Vermont-born songwriter Syd parallels Jackson’s blessing and curse. Immensely talented in his own right, he is likewise somewhat overshadowed by the success of another local tunesmith, and longtime friend, Gregory Douglass. Syd frequently sits in with Douglass on drums, and he tweaked the knobs and faders on the pop prince’s last two albums, including his 2009 opus Battler. While Douglass will likely receive wider critical acclaim, Syd also has an excellent release in hand, the aptly named new EP Upswing. And local pop-rock fans would be wise not to ignore it.

The disc — can we still call a digital download a disc? a record? — picks up where his largely stellar 2007 full-length, The Way We Found It, left off: with unbridled, hook-heavy pop. “The Big Town” kicks in with bouncy guitar jangle amid swirling organ and deftly economic melodic bravado — Syd doesn’t waste a single note.

“Mallory” comes next and is arguably the EP’s centerpiece. Refreshingly lacking even a shred of hipster-chic irony, Syd delivers that most delicious of rock confections, a capital “P” Pop song. There’s a reason the verse-chorus-bridge template is a rock standard. And this tune is as apt an example as any. I defy you not to sing along — maybe even in falsetto — with the fist-pumping chorus. Joe Jackson would be proud.

I imagine Jackson would dig the next track, as well. Like most of the EP, “The Pattern” exhibits a distinct retro-pop sensibility. But again, Syd tears it up without a hint of indie pretense.

“Easier on You” closes this all-too-brief affair in fine fashion, though this time perhaps more in line with Rick Springfield — think “Jesse’s Girl” — than Jackson. But that’s hardly a bad thing. - Seven Days (VT)