Cities and States: Sexy. Sophisticated. Solo.

Purevolume delivered a wonderful package to me today in the form of a one-man band called Cities and States. Multi-instrumentalist Josh concocts relaxed melodies on his computer in Salem, Massachusetts. Josh's alternative/indie/acoustic repertoire consists of vocals, piano, guitar, bass and drums. With 23 songs for my listening pleasure, I shut my eyes and selected three songs at random to taste Cities and States' scrumptious sounds.

First on deck was "Crosswords" from his album "Post Card Demos." The vocals sounded far away, as if Josh was singing to me outside of my window, trying to get my attention. He definitely succeeded.

The simplistic picking pattern of the guitar was the perfect backdrop for Josh's soft, melancholy vocals, which belted thoughtful lyrics that revealed an uneasiness about the past, present, and future. I really appreciated the clarity of his voice because it made every lyrics decipherable. That characteristic made the song all the more effective. I used the instrumentation to figure out what Josh was feeling.

"Crosswords" ended with a sweet decrescendo and the lightest la-da-da-daaa ever to hit my ears. Perfection.

Next up from "Post Card Demos" was "Little Face," an upbeat groove with a little bit of country pumped into it. The guitar and piano parts really shined in this one because of the contrast between the music played during the vocals and the music without vocals. The percussion was incredibly even the whole song through. The sound quality of each instrument really impressed me since Josh made all the magic on merely his computer.

Perhaps the aspect of "Little Face," that stuck out the most was the ability of each lyric to charm the pants right off of me. Lines like, "I would wait another decade just to see your little face again," made me blush, while lines like, "I would move into the city, change my name, and get a big tattoo" made me wish I were his very best friend. The song proved to be a lighthearted lullaby complete with catchy guitar riff.

"Two Hearts at Once," from the "Rider" EP, was the last track of my selection, as well as the track that assured me Cities and States had shown my ears a wonderful time.

For some reason the pairing of a banjo and a tambourine instantly warmed my heart. The catchy rhythm was nearly unbearable. Though the same riff is played for almost the entire song, I found it hard to grow tired of it. I just wanted to keep listening.

The vocals had a bit of an echo to them, which sounded great with the strumming of the banjo. Though there was minimal lyrical content, the song stood strong on its joyful chord progression.

Lyrics like, "It takes a lot of energy to feel two things at once" really spoke to me and made me believe I was listening to a genuine guy handing me his emotional baggage, as if he needed help carrying it. I wanted to be there for him.

Cities and States impressed me, cheered me, flirted with me, and amazed me with how well one guy could crank out so many great parts for instruments. I would gladly visit any city and state to see him in concert.

Experience the joyful greatness of Cities and States here!

Thank you for reading. Shuffle on.

Photo credit: http://www.purevolume.com/citiesandstates/photos/3098331