Local musician Noah Gittell isn’t the typical angst-ridden artist struggling to find his voice. Singer/songwriter Gittell writes accessible songs that make one feel that he has revealed parts of his past that no longer have a hold on him. This is in part due to his melodies, which can’t seem to help themselves from sounding positive.
His debut album Watch Him Fall contains a dozen gems that manage to infuse the age-old problem of heartbreak with a refreshing bit of humor.
Gittell and his band will perform the songs live tonight at Maxwell’s (Thursday, Dec. 14) at 9 p.m. at the CD release party.
He writes the songs
Hobokenite Gittell began playing out only a little over a year ago. Before working with his band, he first performed solo at many open mic nights at the Goldhawk and then the Whiskey Bar. This fall he began working with his band on the new album, which they rehearsed for two months before recording.
That doesn’t seem like much time for some who might spend years working on an album, but Gittell has maturity and discipline beyond his 26 years.
He started playing guitar at the age of nine, even going to a weeklong full immersion guitar camp at that early age.
When Gittell went to college at NYU, his interest in writing was focused on print journalism.
According to Gittell, the creative writing classes tapped into his passion for music.
“After about two years into the program, I started getting interested in songwriting again,” said Gittell.
Gittell said it was during that time that he rediscovered Bob Dylan and Ray Davies from the Kinks. According to Gittell, the classes taught the students about structure in order to free up things that might be lingering in the subconscious.
The CD
Watch Him Fall is a folk rock album that is accentuated by the guitar-driven tracks, smooth melodies, and the clear tenor of Gittell’s voice.
One of Gittell’s skills is in his lyrics, which tell perfect little snippets of a story. The album opens with “Just Like That,” a catchy song that tells of love found and lost.
“I met you just about the time when I thought that I was done; it was amazing that you didn’t try to run… And just like that you were mine.”
The woman Gittell sings of doesn’t stick around long; in the third verse Gittell humorously describes the end: “A man comes walking down the avenue, I look away, you look at him and he looks at you. When you begin to move I tried to blind you with a kiss… And just like that you were his.”
“Dear Captain” and “Three Birds” are mellower ballads that showcase his lower range, which has a softer, emotional quality.
“Soldier On” is a polished song with a lively beat that’s reminiscent of South Jersey rock.
Other notable tracks on the album are: the reflective “If I’d Been Born a Different Year,” “Holiday Cocktail Lounge,” which is a funny song about a secret bar and “South Pacific.”
The album has a good mix of ballads and upbeat songs. A few sound a little like musings while strumming the guitar, perhaps better suited for an open mic night, but on the whole it is a polished and varied CD that should captivate listeners with its clear melodies and honest lyrics.
Future plans
In addition to his upcoming shows and CD release party, Gittell is already working on new material. According to Gittell, he is moving in a different direction. His new songs are “children’s songs for adults,” that feature simpler arrangements with rhyming lyrics. Gittell said that the real challenge with the material is that you can’t have any throw away lines, everything has to make sense.
“I think the bottom line is that when people go out to a bar they don’t want to be confronted with serious issues,” said Gittell, “unless it is an artist you already respect.”
He said that while he takes the music seriously, the songs can’t be. “I see things seriously,” said Gittell, “but it has to be presented in a lighter way to balance it.”
Fans can hear some of the unrecorded songs at the Goldhawk on Dec. 28.
Gittell performs songs from the album Watch Him Fall with his band at Kenny’s Castaway’s on Jan. 16 at 9 p.m. In addition, Gittell hosts the open mic night every Monday at Carpe Diem in Hoboken from 7:30 to 11 p.m.
Noah Gittell performs at Maxwell’s, 1039 Washington St. on Thursday, Dec. 14. Other upcoming shows include: Dec. 28 at the Goldhawk and Jan. 16 at Kenny’s Castaway’s. For more information, visit Noahsongs on My Space or www.noahgittell.com, which will be up early next year.