It would be easy, having been a fan of The Honorary Title, to spend a whole review comparing Jarrod Gorbel’s solo material to his old work as part of the band. I will do my best to refrain.
Jarrod Gorbel’s work as a solo artist is not far from his previous project, except with a folky twang. The stage set-up included a violinist and back-up vocalist Abby and keyboard player Dustin. Gorbel’s voice fills a room and soars with all it’s imperfections, pleading each word in songs like “Desperate Hands” and “Miserable Without You.” Always a trademark of Gorbel, his voice was perfection in every imperfection and every wavering note last week at The Troubadour in Los Angeles. “Miserable Without You” was a great rendition of his song from his recent EP Bruises From Your Bad Dreams named from a line in the song. I liked Abby’s voice and her violin skills were fantastic.
Gorbel seems to be in constant apology with lyrics pegging him the victim and the villain in alternating songs. However, it’s his puppy dog eyes and sweet vocals that make you forgive him every time, connecting you to him and begging him for more.
Listen to “Miserable Without You” featuring Nicole Atkins:
If you haven’t gotten “Bruises From Your Bad Dreams” yet, it’s worth far more than the $5 it’ll cost you on iTunes.
