I see Sam Keenan’s name everywhere around the Twin Cities, it seems. And it’s been that way for years. So when I received his new cd in the mail from our friends at Drawfire Records, I was quite intrigued to learn that All The Dark Colored Markers Went Dry is his first solo cd release. And I was not at all surprised to learn that his new disc completely rocks!

Mixing nice melodies with innovative chord structures and chunky strumming patterns (that’s the best kind of strumming), Markers is a delectable treat for the spring season. But it is Keenan’s signature vocals that provide the foundation for the album, walking a tightrope between tender and powerfully-soothing. Kind of a mix of Bill Clinton’s tenderness and Barack Obama’s confidence (How’s that for topical writing? – ).

(Above: Sam Keenan)

My favorite tracks off the album are the ones that feature Keenan’s unique guitar and singing abilities: the weirdly-optimistic “That Was Then” and the beautifully-sad, “Undone”. (Listen to That Was Then.)

Check out Sam Keenan at his cd-release show on April 18, 2008 at the Triple Rock Social Club in Minneapolis. With Glad Version and North.