The Harmless Doves

OC's been on a pretty steady kick of classic rock inspired bands lately--not perhaps all that surprising given that it's an easy way to contrast against the club rush--but the leader of this week's entry is originally from Alabama rather than Anaheim. If their debut EP together isn't entirely Muscle Shoals redux, it's still got a kind of roots tinge that sounds like it could be at home there as much as here. Hartline's own background first lay in solo performances and releases but the current band lineup is only a few months old and immediately adds a hearty kick to what otherwise might have been overly earnest singer/songwriter efforts.

It has to first be said that Hartline and company push no particular boundaries here -- at many points it's comfort food rock that's engaging and pleasant, often cranking up the amps a bit but not uniquely remarkable. Yet what's enjoyable about the group's performances is how many songs never quite seem to be what you think they'll start out as. Good production and recording doesn't hurt--again, it's nothing remarkably unique but it's clearly not a random hit-the-tape session.

More importantly, though, songs will suddenly speed up or slow down on a dime to pump up the drama just enough, drop in some fierce soloing and actually raise a collective ruckus instead of just wanting to be a good-time bar band. There's also some pretty obvious flecks of the kind of hit-the-epic-heights that U2 bequeathed to the listening nation, though (maybe "Sell You Something" aside) happily Hartline never quite yodels like Bono.

Instead, there's a quick, almost cheery immediacy evident on a song like "Down To The River," one of many numbers that showcases the not-so-secret weapon of Karli McEntee's violin playing, adding a kind of lovely turn that Lisa Germano once gave to John Mellencamp. Shades of Hammond organ via guest Lewis Richards and saxophone on other tracks add a bit of Springsteenish pomp without pushing it too hard (thankfully), while guitarist/singer and Maryland transplant Jason Hensley gets his own vocal turn on the explicitly Southern-referencing "Everything's Gonna Be Alright."

Earnest crypto-back-to-basics acts are almost a dime a dozen throughout the country these days but these guys have their own nice little spin on things that could be worth keeping an eye on. -Ned Raggett, OC WEEKLY - OC WEEKLY

George Hartline, an Orange-by-way-of-Alabama singer/songwriter, is a man on the grind. By night, we know him as the front man of the roots/rock ensemble the Harmless Doves, who released a solid self-titled debut EP this spring. By day, Hartline, an Iraq War veteran, hammers out real-estate litigation and is set to begin his final year at Chapman University School of Law. We talk to Hartline about finding time for school, work and music and how he crafts his sound. - OC WEEKLY

12:17 PM PDT on Wednesday, August 29, 2007

By VANESSA FRANKO
The Press-Enterprise

George Hartline is a man on a mission. The theory is that if he can sell 3,000 to 4,000 copies of his album "Live From Lake Elsinore" this week, he will make it onto the Billboard top 200.

He heard about a band called Black Lab that did it with one song on iTunes and that inspired him to try to do it with this recording, which also includes a DVD. He's calling the campaign "Bumrush the Charts."

"We're really excited about the possibilities," Hartline said.

The Alabama-born singer-songwriter and Marine came to live in Temecula after training at Camp Pendleton and doing a tour in Iraq. Two dollars from the sale of every CD is going to a unit at Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Base to help fellow Marines who are struggling financially after returning from Iraq.

He said he wrote some music while overseas, which he hopes will appear on an album he plans to record this fall.

Dave Matthews has been one influence for Hartline, but so have the Blues Brothers. He said he often watched the movie when he was growing up.

"That's what I want to do, that's where I want to be, on the stage," Hartline said.

The "Live From Lake Elsinore" CD/DVD is available at www.cdbaby.com/cd/georgehartline.

Reach Vanessa Franko at 951-368-9575 or vfranko@PE.com or www.myspace.com/Audio_File

George Hartline

Who: Guitarist/vocalist/pianist George Hartline, plus hired guns Steve Denning on drums, Brett Cohen on lead guitar and Eddie Hudson on bass.

From: Temecula

Formed: Hartline has been playing music since 1997

Sounds like: Singer/songwriter.

Releases: "Waiting For Summer,"

Sample the music at: www.myspace.com/ghartline

See him live: Sept. 5 at The Gig in Hollywood and Sept. 8 at B.B. King's Blues Club at Universal CityWalk.
- Press-Enterprise

All of the latest press is at the link above. - OC WEEKLY, and others

#9 BILLBOARD HEATSEAKERS, #48 BILLBOARD INDEPENDENT ALBUMS April 2016, "Temporary Fix" - Billboard.com