Review of Beneath the Burning Sky by Mark Fortunato

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"It started out as a simple phone conversation with veteran New England area musician David Flitner. Taking note of Thinline’s upcoming recording sessions, he casually remarked, “We’ve got songs”.

“Beneath The Burning Sky” drives home a point that may have been unintendedwhen that statement was made. Because the overriding impression of this record – evenafter repeated listenings – is one of solid, enjoyable songs. They’re thoughtful, well-crafted, and most of all, enjoyable without resorting to pretentiousness in either performance or production. Like similar efforts from Amos Lee, Steve Earle, or Ray
Lamontagne, this is a readily identifiable and gratifying experience.
 

The title cut is the first single, and with good reason. It feels like it jumps off the disc with a memorable hook that will imbed itself in your consciousness long before the track fades out. In many ways, the entire record defies classification; just when it appears to be an acoustic excursion, songs like “Forever This Night” feature a 12-string guitar hook that would make Roger McGuinn smile. “Whenever Will Come” is one of those cuts that has “alt-country” programmers scrambling to add it to their playlists, and yet it’s followed in short order by “Z Café”, a tune which just may remind you of why you fell in love with American Rock and Roll in the first place.
 

Most importantly, the eclecticism exhibited here doesn’t detract from the overall experience. It feels intrinsic, as if collective influences blended naturally to inform the process. Thinline’s performance bears this out. Working on a solid rhythmic foundation, David Flitner’s vocals are plaintive without being overwrought (no small feat), and the band’s instrumental base only serves to enhance each song as a whole. In particular, Bobby Frasier’s tasteful lead guitar enhances and enlivens the affair throughout.

 

Several cuts from “Beneath The Burning Sky” have found their way onto my personal playlists, and recently I’ve found myself asked about both the band and CD on more than one occasion. Since I learned long ago that words rarely, if ever, influence musical opinions, I simply respond, “Listen to the record.”

They’ve got songs."