From KIEF Radio in Everett, WA.
When Beau Borrero and his Mom’s debut album ‘Well’ landed in my mailbox, I was having a rough day of sorting through a large quantity of bad-to-much-worse, & sometimes downright laughable hip-hop. After the opening notes of Beau’s ‘Mr. Archangel’, I was mildly surprised and somewhat interested, but a few bars later, I was leaning closer. The back-up vocals by his Mom are perfectly balanced; her voice is soothing and melodious. They are amazingly attuned to each other’s style, and in the live performances I’ve seen on video, they bring a spark of fun in their jokes at life’s journey.>
I was more than happy to listen through to the very end of the album, all the way to ‘Stupid’, which had my whole family cracking up, and finishing with ‘Rise up! #Occupy Wall St.’, which is wonderfully sarcastic and right on in it’s national and global message that we need hardcore political reform. From the smooth tones of the harp, cello, and lush backing vocals, to the rugged rhythm of a washboard, along with staples like the guitar and banjo, “Well” has the widest palate of any album I have heard in a long time . With an underlying tone of folksy-blues and a variety of tunes that bounce genres faster than politicians pocket their perks, it’s hard to pin a certain style on this Mom and Son duo.
You can feel the love and laughter at life and it’s hard lessons in the beautifully crafted lyrics. This album is a journey of self portraits that tells you much about Beau’s sweet and vulnerable side, as well as his sincere desire to advocate for change in his own life, America and the world! This is not only music, but poetry in motion – that also gets your feet moving and makes you feel great. It is a good album to play at the end of a hard day!