The Rescues- Everything is Wrong Without You

In some ways, this review has been writing itself for over ten years. There is a series of events that have been layering themselves:

A friend of mine wanders into one of Kyler England’s acoustic performances at a coffeehouse in Boston in 1998; she calls me excitedly to come over and hear a CD called “If the World Would Just End” which, ironically, is the album which makes the world of music begin for me. A few years later, a different friend ran into some trouble which forced her to grow up faster than a girl should have to. After comforting words did what they’re supposed to, I decided to create a compilation CD, hoping that its lyrics and melodies would continue to soothe her as she learned to trust herself and the world again.

The disc, which offered carefully chosen tracks by Eva Cassidy, Bonnie Rait, Ellis Paul, Patty Griffin, Etta James, and a few other industry legends, could never have been complete unless Kyler’s music was a part of it. So, I added two of her most healing songs and, when satisfied with the grouping of tracks, I wrote- across the front of the CD- the only words that seemed to justify the wisdom inside it: “SONGS THAT WILL RESCUE YOU.”

The story continues in Los Angeles, where, a decade and four albums later, Kyler has joined forces with two of the nation’s top emerging singer-songwriters to create a group that is nothing short of compelling. Although this trio was almost called “The Whirly-Birds,” history makes it both ironic and brilliantly appropriate that they are now known as “The Rescues.” For, although many thousands of songs have passed through my mind since I created the album designed to save a drowning friend, I know that there could be no better follow-up compilation than The Rescues’ self-titled first album, whose 12 songs are capable of accomplishing as much as any variety of music I could try to collect.

One of the most significant aspects of The Rescues is that each of its components (Kyler England, Gabriel Mann and Adrianne) are individual forces, each working towards their own version of success. Gabe Mann is the type of artist who is passionate enough to always make his presence known, and humble enough to create an environment in which his voice lets others come through fiercely. With a singing career that began in a Philly-based a cappella group, led to work on movie soundtracks, and grew into a performance at the Oscars, Mann has proved versatility throughout the many faces of music-making. An accomplished songwriter and dynamic pianist, Gabe has just released his fourth album “Tall Buildings.”

The third member of the group to receive international acclaim, Adrianne is her own breed of distinctive. With a voice that is unimaginably strong and vulnerable at the same time, she can fortify you and make you weep before you have even applauded her first song. Adrianne seems like an artist who likes very much to challenge expectations; with the appearance of an unapologetic rockstar, she is, at the heart, a compassionate poet who fuses the acoustic and indie genres seamlessly throughout her five albums. After the recent completion of a solo tour throughout Europe, Adrianne is back in LA to pursue success with The Rescues, as well as to promote “Burn Me Up,” which will be officially unveiled at Hotel Café on May 29th.

Separately, these artists have shown a range of talents. Together, their voices have such a potent symbiotic harmony that they could exist as the whole band and still shake the room. Yet, the ever-adaptable Adam Marcello (drums), Carson Cohen (bass), and Steve Mazur (electric guitar) manage to support the trio’s sound in a way that compliments it and fills sound spaces without overwhelming.

This past Thursday marked the Los Angeles release of the group’s first album, a combination of songs that were either written by the trio or borrowed from one of the artists and reinvented to integrate the most significant aspects of each musician’s ability. The result is an exquisite balance that continues to astonish and gain support from LA’s top music industry contributors. Still waiting for a label to see what so many others have discovered and celebrated, the band is doing well on their mission to inspire listeners, raise the bar for LA’s acoustic category, and “rescue” those lucky enough to cross the path.

Learn more and hear music samples at www.myspace.com/therescues

Review by Bre Goldsmith ( www.bregoldsmith.com )