Art Carter

Art Carter Adds a Variety of Tones to his Texture

Art Carter - Texture

by Lee Zimmerman - June 21, 2017

Art Carter has earnest intents. With his latest album Texture, he freely sheers his faith, his love of country and a generally giddy perspective that’s manifest in songs that would find a free reign on top 40 radio and any arena where pure pop is predominant. The better songs on the album -- “Mighty Mississippi,” “My Friend,” “You Are the One,” and “Friday Night” each paint a picture of carefree carousing and sublime sentiment. Catchy choruses makes songs like “Sunshine Shuffle” and “I Can’t Change” especially addicting, and with a crack band in tow, Carter seems to have found a naturally effusive groove. At times, his tone takes on a note of abject preachiness; the song “Lord Thank You for Your Happiness” for example would best be shared in Sunday school class and not in the context of otherwise modest melodies. And while the patriotic sentiments expressed in “America Shine Bright” are admirable indeed, the song finds an odd juxtaposition in an album filled with more frivolous fare.

Still, with 15 songs to choose from, there’s plenty of material to please those that lean towards lighter discourse. And indeed, Carter has a knack for creating snappy songs of the sing-along variety. Even on those tunes where the object of his affection isn’t ready or willing to share his feelings -- “Cold Hearted Woman” and “Hard To Be a Man” being two obvious examples -- the melodies remain unabashedly bright and buoyant. It’s that ardent optimism that defines Carter’s sound and style, and proves so pervasive throughout.

http://nodepression.com/album-review/art-carter-adds-variety-tones-his-texture

lezim@bellsouth.net - Lee Zimmerman - Music Reviewer

Art Carter’s music is full of Americana ‘Texture’

March 9, 2017 | Patrick Prince

Independent artist Art Carter’s new studio album, “Texture,” ticks all the boxes for a complete Americana feel, incorporating rock, blues, country and even gospel into one 15-song CD.

“That’s why I named the album, ‘Texture,'” Carter explains, “because of the different sounds and textures on the album.”

Carter’s voice is a cross between the natural wobble of Neil Young and the comfortable croon of Randy Newman (without the acerbic wit). And for all the talk of texture, it is the clean-spirited blues songs on the album — like “Mighty Mississippi,” “Cold Hearted Woman” and “Friday Night” — that Carter finds his perfect spot.

A lot of has improved since Carter’s debut full-length, 2003’s “Unbound” — songwriting has matured and there is a real fit in the way the electric guitar and fiddle of Jason Roller teams up with many of the vocals and harmonies throughout.

Check it out at www.artcarter.com
Independent artist Art Carter’s new studio album, “Texture,” ticks all the boxes for a complete Americana feel, incorporating rock, blues, country and even gospel into one 15-song CD. “That’s why I named the album, ‘Texture,'” Carter explains, “because of the different sounds and textures on the album.” Carter’s voice is a cross between the natural wobble of Neil Young and the comfortable croon of Randy Newman (without the acerbic wit). And for all the talk of texture, it is the clean-spirited blues songs on the album — like “Mighty Mississippi,” “Cold Hearted Woman” and “Friday Night” — that Carter finds his perfect spot. A lot of has improved since Carter’s debut full-length, 2003’s “Unbound” — songwriting has matured and there is a real fit in the way the electric guitar and fiddle of Jason Roller teams up with many of the vocals and harmonies throughout.

Check it out at www.artcarter.com

http://www.goldminemag.com/blogs/indie-showcase/art-carter-music-is-full-of-texture

pat.prince@fwmedia.com - Patrick Prince is the Editor of Goldmine

(Friday 01/15/16)---

"Freedom Rains" won the Best Americana Album, in the January 2016 Akademia Music Awards!

http://www.theakademia.com/january2016_bestalbum_americana2.html - The Akadema Muisc Awards

Traditional country

On the other end of the spectrum, but still on the desk, here's the CD by Orlando country singer Art Carter.

I've been telling him to call me when he has a gig, and now he has a good one. Carter and his band, Nothing But Trouble, are opening for country legend Loretta Lynn on Saturday at Silver Springs in Ocala.

Carter will be doing songs off his independent release, Freedom Rains, music that has earned him a positive mention in Country Weekly magazine.

It's traditional-sounding country that ranges from catchy honky-tonk tunes such as "I Can't Stay Good" to patriotic and religiously steeped anthems such as "America, I Believe in You" and "Jesus and My Heart."

The latter category goes way too close to Lee Greenwood for me, but the less heavy-handed stuff is not without its charms.

It's the second release from Carter, who learned a lesson from his first attempt.

"We took our time on it," says Carter, who recorded the tracks at Studio 19 in Nashville, Tenn., and did mastering at Walker Studios in Orlando.

"I wrote a lot of the songs based on life experience," Carter says.

"20 Minute Train" was inspired by the delays that Carter experienced at a railroad crossing on Michigan Avenue. Origins of some others are more serious.

"America I Believe in You," of course, is rooted in the war.

"Because of the things going on in the world, we've got soldiers in different places sacrificing," Carter says. "So it was like, 'What can I do to contribute in some way to giving something back to this great land we live in.' "

The challenge now is for Carter to find an audience for his songs. Freedom Rains is available online at cdbaby, iTunes and Amazon.

"All these little things you learn the hard way open doors," Carter says, a line that ought to have a song title in it somewhere. "I'm just seeing where all this goes and hoping it'll generate enough money that I can keep on doing it."

Jim Abbott can be reached at 407-420-6213.

jabbott@orlandosentinel.com

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/entertainment/orl-abbott1609jan16,0,4577296.column

- Orlando Sentinel

When I first met Art Carter, the last thing I expected to find was that he was a singer and songwriter. I was interviewing him for a computer job and our inclinations toward music didn’t come up. Since we were both musicians, it wasn’t long after I hired him that the subject did come up. We swapped CDs. Mine was some tracks I had recorded in my home studio. Art’s was a fully produced CD called Unbound. He had recorded it in Nashville with a group of professional studio musicians.

Tracks from Unbound received airplay internationally and some even charted in disparate markets. While tracks were good, to my ear something wasn’t quite right. Talking to Art I discovered the source of my discomfort. Recording the music for the tracks took most of his available time and he was left with only two days to record all the vocals.

When Art was planning for his latest release, Freedom Rains, he applied the lessons he learned from his first experience. He returned to Nashville to record the music, but he recorded the vocals later at a studio closer to home. He was able to take his time and get the tracks recorded on his own terms. His approach made all the difference, at least to this reviewer’s ears.

Freedom Rains lands squarely in the contemporary Country music genre. It touches on the themes familiar to Country fans around the world. Patriotism, love, loss, faith, salvation, redemption and of course a healthy dose of misbehavior all make their appearance.

The opening track, 20 Minute Train, is about the hazards of getting caught behind a long, slow freight train. Holding On is a song of love and loss and the hope of reconciliation. I Can’t Stay Good is pretty much self-explanatory, as are America, I Believe In You and Jesus And My Heart.

If the Nashville sound is what touches you, you should give Art Carter’s music a serious listen. Samples of the songs from Freedom Rains can be found in the Jukebox section on Art’s web site, www.artcarter.com. If you happen to find yourself in the Orlando area, check out Art’s band, Nothing But Trouble, who play out around town regularly.

http://www.musesmuse.com/mrev-artcarter-freedomrains.html

http://www.artcarter.com/media/TheMusesMuseCDReviewArtCarterFreedomRains.html - The Muse's Muse

Art's second CD, Freedom Rains, blends country, rock, Americana and blues into a unique mixture of great American roots music. The first cut, "20 Minute Train," is getting airplay world wide. Based out of Orlando, Fla., Art grew up in New York and California. Early on, he was listening to R&B, rock and jazz artists like Billy Joel and George Benson, and country artists like Ronnie Milsap, Hank Williams Jr. and Glen Campbell. Art had has been in the opening line up for Emerson Drive, and two songs on his debut CD, Unbound, were produced by Grand Ole Opry veteran Jim Ed Brown.

http://www.countryweekly.com/freemusic

http://www.artcarter.com/media/CountryWeeklyDec15-29,2008.html - Country Weekly

With the abundance of roots-rockers, country crooners and self-proclaimed American idols crowding the marketplace these days, it's no good sticking to the tried and true while also attempting to carve out an individual identity. To borrow a familiar phrase, you simply can't go down home again. Art Carter makes a worthy attempt to do both with this well-honed debut. If he doesn't succeed in standing out, he has enough prowess to keep him competitive. First, there's the positive aspect of his presentation. Carter is capable of delivering beautiful ballads, as evidenced by "I Can And I will", and "Last One To Know", two heartfelt, deeply emotional offerings. Love songs are hardly the most precious commodity available to a singer, but when an artist renders them convincingly, even an overwrought lyric is capable of connecting with its audience. The less successful songs are based on standard good-ol'-boy honky-tonk style that shows Carter is adept if not always original in his tune choices. "Next To You" and "The Dream," two of the few songs Carter actually had a hand in composing, are by far the best of the bunch, thanks to their anthemic ring and rootsy determination. The remainder are mostly ordinary fare, adequate but hardly memorable. It provides enough evidence to suggest Carter might be better off writing more of his own material, keeping covers to a minimum. (artcarter@artcarter.com) -- Lee Zimmerman - Goldmine Magazine (Apr. 02, 2004) - Lee Zimmerman

ART CARTER Unbound Rating: **** From the lead-off track, 'Somebody Stop Me,' it's apparent that the modern country/Americana sound of Art Carter's Unbound can stand up to the best of anything Nashville has to offer. The 10 songs on this CD were, in fact, recorded in the country music capitol. Sonically top-notch, the musicianship is superb, the songs are well-written and the lyrics reflect country's ever-present clever word play. A more professional package would've earned Unbound our five-star rating. Otherwise, highly recommended for fans of the genre. - Connections Magazine (Oct. 13, 2003)

Hit Song Science (HSS) - A Company that offers Singers, Songwriters and Musicians the opportunity to use the latest technology to test their songs for Hit Potential, tested each of the songs on my CD "Art Carter UNBOUND..." www.hitsongscience.com A Score of 7.0 is considered a Hit.. 8 of the songs scored 6.5 or higher, and 2 were Greater than 7.3 which is considered a Hit..!!! :) - HitSongScience - Somebody Stop Me - Report

Hit Song Science (HSS) - A Company that offers Singers, Songwriters and Musicians the opportunity to use the latest technology to test their songs for Hit Potential, tested each of the songs on my CD "Art Carter UNBOUND..." www.hitsongscience.com A Score of 7.0 is considered a Hit.. 8 of the songs scored 6.5 or higher, and 2 were Greater than 7.3 which is considered a Hit..!!! :) - HitSongScience - Drivin' Me Crazy - Report