JOE STICKLEY'S BLUEPRINT
Joe Stickley's Blueprint
“It is a testament to the quality of his songwriting, which is as close to flawless as a young, unknown Missourian is likely to get.” -The Riverfront Times on Joe Stickleys Blue Print
With creative attention focused on the art of storytelling, Joe Stickleys Blue Print serves as a technical foundation of rock and folk musings arranged with care and attention to detail.
The groups debut album, Friendship's Quiet, was released in 2003. Between albums Stickley has been concentrating on his live shows, touring from his home state of Missouri, where he was recently named Best Songwriter by St. Louiss definitive musical voice, The Riverfront Times, through Kansas, New Mexico, Colorado, California, Oregon and Washington. Seizing this momentum, the band is now releasing their sophomore effort, The Eagle and The Pearl.
Stickley has come to characterize The Eagle and The Pearl as the soul of an American band and surrogate family. The family consists of Wil Reeves (bass, vocals), Sean Canan (guitar, vocals), Danny Carroll (drums), Andrew Weir (keyboards), and, of course, Joe Stickley (vocals, guitar).
Within the first thirty seconds of the record, one can feel the landing gear retract beneath you as instrumental harmonies allow the listener to abandon day-to-day worries and join Stickleys family on the road. With the opening lyric Welcome to the show Stickley warmly receives fellow journeymen who have opted to experience the sights and sounds that are The Eagle and The Pearl.
Like any major destination, The Eagle and The Pearl has nooks and crannies diverse enough to keep listeners coming back. Title track, The Eagle and The Pearl, along with Vandalia Pain and Lead Love offer listeners Stickleys take on popular American roots rock. Conversely, the quiet inflections of Love You Madly, Little Lou, and Traffic In Harmonia offer intimate portrayals of love, family and the possibility of redemption. At the very heart of the record is Stickleys adaptation of Blind Willie Johnsons haunting Soul of a Man.
Writing these songs, I was simply responding to the questions we all face, lifes questions. Have I provided answers? Maybe in some ways, for some people. Really, I think Ive just spun the wheel, kept the dialogue going. What is the soul of a man? Answer if you can.