Noah Stone, the Blog.

From bluerailroad.com

He's a passionate and poignant songwriter, and also a richly gifted producer who plays almost every instrument here. It all starts with the songs, and these ones are solidly strong. Then comes the production, which is phenomenal. The man knows how to construct compelling soundscapes that serve as ideal foundations for his songs without overwhelming them. Unlike other self-hatched projects, this one flows with a soulful and organic integrity that is manna for the heart. "Married To A Mystery," based on a famous quote by Leonard Cohen about songwriting ("If I knew where the good songs came from, I'd go there more often. It's much like the life of a Catholic nun; you're married to a mystery.") has a delicately unfolding melody that grabs you by the heart and doesn't let go. Wherever good songs come from, Stone went there for this one. Its elusive melody erupts into a golden chorus that gets better with every listening. Rolling rhythms propel the declamatory lyrics into a rich vocal tapestry and explosively elegant guitar solo. (Mr. Cohen has heard the song, and praised Noah for its honesty.) "Paula" is a wistful poem of sad jubilance; the sorrow of lost love mingled with the joyful connection with the past. The title song weds a restrained fervor with a martial drum-bass groove and shape-shifting textures that contrast the inconsequence of mundane techno-times with the eternal hunger for change, a yearning etched by a haunting ascending riff. "Unshakeable" has a lithe Lindsey Buckingham-like melodic dynamism bolstered by a cumbersome-buoyant bass-thick groove; it's light and heavy simultaneously, and like all of these songs and tracks, is evidence of a serious artist at work, and at play. -Paul Zollo