J.R. Richards is the lead singer for Dishwalla, a band I have had an unhealthy preoccupation for since the 90s. Part of that fascination has been because of J.R.'s voice, with its wonderful tone and control. When I found out he was working on a solo project, I couldn't wait to hear it. A Beautiful End was released recently, and of course I had to pre-order it, complete with the signed copy. Since the CD was mailed on the day of the release, and patience is not my strongest virtue, I also purchased it from iTunes [immediate gratification is my friend]. A Beautiful End is a wonderful and sumptuous recording, It is softer than the music of Dishwalla, and more piano-driven, but with a fare share of other instrumentation. But the voice, it is spectacular. There is a depth to his tone, a solid strength. J.R. wrote all but one of the songs, making it a personal venture. The emotional textures are there, sometimes a little moody, other times hopeful. It is hard to pick out one song that is particularly better, I love them all.
Today, J.R. announced the release of the first video, A Beautiful End. I have loaded to this post, but you can watch it at J.R.'s website, and download it for free. How great it is the artist is just doing that for fans?
You can buy CDs, t-shirts and posters directly from J.R. Richards at his online store.
