I think there are two types of singer/songwriters - the down on their luck, rough around the edges and sometimes experimental ilk of Bob Dylan, Tom Waits and Kris Kristofferson, and then at the other extreme, the almost giddy optimism of crooners like John Denver and James Taylor.
Local coffeehouse act Sean Etigson and his band lean toward the latter.
Etigson's recently released album, Open Heart, Open Road is a friendly and very personal glimpse into the life of one of the city's own.
None of the 12 tracks contain more than a hint of sadness, and the mellow production keeps everything very level and easy on the ears.
And on top of the understated flute and subtle baselines lie a plethora of warm lyrics about avoiding cynicism and building love and spreading one's wings and flying.
Maybe I'm missing something, but it seems like this guy needs a good healthy dose of bad vibes - perhaps a few months on a chain gang, homelessness or some other heartbreak to really bring this all together. Open Heart, Open Road is so positive it sometimes borders on insipid.
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Etigson comes from a musical family - his father sang opera and his mother played the piano and sang - and has played the guitar since the age of eight. And it shows.
This former teacher's lightening-fingered percussive style sets an upbeat tone for this album.
This is Etigson's second album - the first, Where the Mountain Meets the Sea, was released in 1999, and the first with his backing band. Bassist Ian Bannerman, drummer Jay Blea and Josh Allen on harmonica round out the rhythm section, with the help of guests on flute and cello.
The first song, "A Life with a View," pretty quickly sums up the gist of the album.
"I will push through all the fear and disappointment / And find my way to you / So we can build a life with a view," Etigson sings in this idyllic song about settling down in a natural paradise.
"I see a woman singing at her loom / And there is music ringing in every room / There are children playing in a sagebrush field / I can see their open faces and they seem so real."
Track two, "Call Me Back," is an amusing and lighthearted song about the pangs of a long distance relationship:
"My blood pressure's rising, / I might have a heart attack / My death would be on your hands./ Call me back!"
And these not-so-heavy themes reoccur throughout the album on songs such as "The Mating Game (Smell My Shoe)" and others.
A couple of tracks focus on political themes. "Living Wage," for instance, is a call to arms for the working class struggling to make ends meet in an age of income disparity, reminiscent of Bruce Hornsby's "The Way it Is". sans the existential overtones.
"Let's get smart, start picking our fights / It's time to speak out for economic rights.
And others are more introspective, most notably my favorite track, "If I Open the Door," an honest exploration of the potential of people facing a spiritual crossroads. Each chorus explores the dichotomy between possible responses to life's stimuli:
"Anger is a hammer / You can build a house or break it down / Action or analysis / Rage or paralysis."
Overall, Open Road, Open Heart is an enjoyable and pretty listen.
I can see these guys playing quietly in the corner at R.B. Winnings on a Sunday morning as hipsters in overalls sipping coffee and rolling their own cigarettes.
In fact, Etigson held an album release performance party there Friday.
But if you're looking for gritty reality and drunken revelations, you might want to stick with Dylan for awhile.
