Chris Stills
A year ago, Chris Stills was lugging the tools of his father's trade from tour bus to stage. Now the 23-year-old son of rocker Stephen Stills has graduated from labors as a roadie for his dad's group, Crosby, Stills & Nash, to wielding his own guitar on this impressive recording debut. Sounding more like the work of a well-traveled musician than a newcomer, this 13-song CD also showcases his gift for writing lyrics that catch in the mind. ("Did you ever hide from the razor blades of time?" he sings on one standout track.) The superb musicians Stills and his producer and collaborating partner Ethan Johns have assembled work in a country-rock-blues idiom familiar to any of his father's fans, who may also do a double take after hearing vocal harmonies hung on a tight, guitar-based wall of sound—just like those of You, Know & Who. But this brash album is no mere exercise in coattail surfing. With it, Chris Stills is carrying on a family tradition, and doing it with aplomb. (Atlantic)
Your Reaction
