Rogers and Butler – Brighter Day
CD and digital
Release 24th June 2022
New York song writing duo, Rogers and Butler, return with their engaging second album, Brighter Day, a sparkling, superbly executed illustration of pitch perfect East Coast American musical Anglophilia. As a counterpoint to Edward Rogers‘ more maverick musical cocktail Spring ’68 (released 2021), Edward Roger’s and Steve Butler’s compositional reunion focuses squarely upon the effortlessly dynamic melodicism, blended with reflective and authentically life-lived lyricism, that colored their debut album Poets and Sinners.
Released by Think Like A Key Music, Brighter Day draws, primarily, upon the timeless sounds of sixties and seventies pop, wherein lie echoes of the Kinks, Mott the Hoople and early Tom Petty cross- hatched with more subtle references to folk, country and English music hall. While dark emotional concerns emerge via Lou Reedesque observations and laments lying alongside Dylan’s Blood on the Tracks the overriding vibe is one of near boundless optimism and a fashioning of romance and beauty from even the most prosaic elements of life, rarely encountered since the heyday of Mott’s Ian Hunter.
Highlights include the Big Star meets Ray Davis ‘Let’s get Up!” message of opener ‘Brighter Day’ contrasting with the melancholic, Colin Blunstone-besotted, elegant piano and strings heartbreak ballad ‘Last Reply’. ‘The Sun Won’t Shine’ contains glimmers of All Things Must Pass era George Harrison, while the nostalgically tinged tin-and-tambourine, acoustic thump and tumble of ‘Oh Romeo’ keeps good company with Ronnie Lane’s Slim Chance through close harmony and wry lyrical sympathy for an ultimately delusional ‘great’ lover. The Duncan Browne stylings of ‘Cabaret’ sashay us into a baroquely pensive club world, and the album takes its leave with the climactic ‘A Brand New Day Tomorrow’, a burst of pure, joyous, 1966-focused Flamin’ Groovieness.
Edward Rogers is a British-born, NYC-based singer/songwriter and has released seven solo albums. He has supported artists such as Colin Blunstone, Dave Davies, The Zombies, Ian Hunter and Terry Reid. Most recently he toured the US with Marty Willson-Piper (The Church, All About Eve, The Saints). He has a weekly radio show, Atlantic Tunnel at WFMU’s Rock ‘n’ Soul Radio and monthly at Totally Wired Radio (UK).Stephen Butler is an American singer, guitarist and songwriter. Originally discovered and managed by Hilly Kristal (owner of CBGB’s) Butler’s band, Smash Palace, later signed to Epic Records. Smash Palace has recorded 12 records. Butler has toured with INXS, The Records, Neil Innes, The Moody Blues, Peter Frampton and Van Morrison .
Previous press for Rogers and Butler:
“Sitting firmly in a pop tradition that marries Mick Ronson to Marmalade on some mythical Carnaby Street USA, it’s a seamless pairing and meshing of styles.Brilliant.”
–Shindig! Magazine (4 stars)
“Rogers & Butler‘s Poets & Sinners continues their signature melodic rock aided by some of New York City’s best known musicians. Echoes of Ian Hunter on “Roll The Stone,” George Harrison on “Writing To The Moon” and Tom Petty on “Jump Like Alice” but the LP has a distinctive sound.”
– The Strange Brew
