JAMES LEE STANLEY – THE APOCALOPTIMIST

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Category: NEW RELEASE RACK ROW 1

Written by Danny

Art is the main muse in the work of James Lee Stanley. His songwriting and live shows combine playing, singing and comedy as a full experience, with the art in his work threading through each piece of his performances both as a singer/songwriter, and into other mediums as a sketch artist and actor. On The Apocaloptimist, the most recent release from James Lee Stanley, the tunes are displayed on a wall of sound that is strong with jazz influences set against an acoustic base for the music. The stories have been collected by the eye and are translated through songwriting into tales of advice and experiences fueled by observations of the life that exists around him. The Apocaloptimist looks at family, friends and our world by digging into the methods we use to understand, act out and fulfill our roles as citizens of earth.

James Lee Stanley takes the title of a past release to brand himself on his website….Freelance Human Being. The troubadours of the past were the vehicles for news to travel from village to village. James Lee Stanley chronicles our emotions as a world community. He accepts the job of folksinger wholeheartedly, believing not only in his rendition of the facts, but also in our ability to pick up the knowledge in his songs and make use of their truths in our daily lives. James Lee balances his views of how we live with personal stories that use soft notes and tender memories to flesh out the man behind the man in “Here We Have My Father”, sparkles “Twinkle in Your Eye” with acoustic guitar notes that are like stars reflected the love, and jangles a repetitive note pattern to close the eyes of a child in “Lullabye for Chloe”.  When James Lee Stanley turns his pen to the outside life in The Apocaloptimist, the words take on immediacy. He is not a songwriter that will desensitize the approaching dark clouds by painting his songs with the empty sweetness of Pop. “Gypsies in the Hallway” warns of sly words and outstretched hands offering promise, “When You Get Right Down to It” wonders how much we are in control of our lives and “Living the Party Life” cautions to watch out for the opium of reality shows taking the place of real life in real time.

Listen and buy the music of James Lee Stanley from AMAZON or iTunes