Scooter Scudieri – The Musical Bruises of a Recovering Dreamer
West Virginia’s Scooter Scudieri is noteworthy, both for his involvement in artists’ rights and for his adept musical talent. Embodying the mantra of “There’s still time left in life to be lucky,” Scudieri embarked on a 7-year journey to write, record, perform, and engineer his latest venture, The Musical Bruises of a Recovering Dreamer. At 57-years old, Scudieri has ample experience and tons to say. He openly disclosed that this album is AI-managed. To whet some fears, the album’s music is completely created by Scudieri himself – he utilized AI only as his manager for concepts like album continuity and marketing strategy.
After the first song “Crushed,” which urges you to do what you love, is song two, “Process of Creation.” There is an almost Primus-like, super funky bassline. The twinkling keys in both ears make you start believing your dreams, and the ohs in the background are deep and ethereal. The starry guitar solo and lyrics themselves implore you to stop wasting time and start creating. Track three is “She is the Sun,” a love song about Scudieri’s wife. Once again, this tune is an undeniable head-bopper with its sandy synth lead unraveling and washing across your head. “She is the Sun” is a lot of fun, and it utilizes crisp sounds for every instrument.
Song five, “Heavy,” is reminiscent of Cher. The arpeggiated synth runs and plucking guitar that travel between the phones are enticing, while the use of a clean tone for the rhythm guitar is rather refreshing. This song sees a successful use of horns and bell-like synthesizer. Scudieri sings of numerous people that have touched his heart along the way. Tune seven is where the album derives its name: “Musical Bruises.” In the song, Scudieri ponders, “Didn’t know how / But I knew I could.” The fiery wisps of electric guitar and huge falsetto backup vocals are proof that he indeed could, as Scudieri hits notes that some of us only dream of attaining. After a brass-ish guitar solo, the song ends epically.
Following a few songs after the cleverly-named “Super Calloused Fragile Misfit,” which boasts pocketed drums and wahwah guitar tones, is the album closer, “To Live in This World.” Song twelve, the aforementioned album finisher, wakes you up with a snappy acoustic guitar. The bass is thick and beefy, and the song itself is optimistic and kind to the ears. The never-ending upbeat percussion and sparkling keys buttress Scudieri’s statement that, “You don’t have to die to be saved.” The vocals seem dry and raw, but this only adds to the sentiment.
All in all, Scooter Scudieri’s The Musical Bruises of a Recovering Dreamer is a solid, informative listen. Scudieri’s efforts should not be overlooked, as he himself is a proper musician that fights for musicians’ rights. The Musical Bruises of a Recovering Dreamer is FFO U2, Pink Floyd, and B. T. Express. Check out Scudieri’s newest collection on Spotify and Apple Music!
Categorised in: Album Reviews
This post was written by Jake Sessanna