Paul Cafcae Releases His Third Record "Where I Am"

Sep 17, 2021

The new LP is recommended for fans of John Lennon, Link Wray, JD McPherson, Nathaniel Rateliff, and Chuck Berry

Vaughan, Ontario Sep 17, 2021 (Issuewire.com) - These past few years have been deafening with an influx of confusion, to say the least, and while many people are uncertain about where they are in life, a Russian-Canadian rockabilly enthusiast Paul Cafcae knows exactly where he is. After four years of experimenting with music to find his unique style, Cafcae has finally found his home with his latest LP "Where I Am," a place he belongs: in a raw yet optimistic rock 'n' roll roadhouse, soaked in rockabilly, country, and blues.

If you think that an Eastern European performer has no business dabbling in the Western genres of music, you have another thing coming: the treatments of this records' songs may range from punk to crooner pop, but they all have that unmistakable underlying Americana theme that has consistently earned Cafcae ovations on Canadian stages. Flared with carefully crafted and amazingly delivered arrangements that include a variety of instruments - harmonica, saxophone, Hammond organ, lap steel guitar, flugelhorn, and even a leather belt and an empty milk bottle - this 35-minute record takes you on quite a journey, keeping you engaged from the first song to the last.

Opening the album with "Ontario Rocker," - an infectious autobiographical rock stomper that sets the pace with its lively guitar riffs and bewitching blues harmonica, courtesy of the Venezuelan Hector Ruano, Paul takes the role of a rock n' roll revolutionary in the barn burning "I Ain't Shook" and "The Longest Day of The Year," gathering hope in a rather perplexing world.

Cafcae's songwriting really comes to life once you begin to listen closely to the lyrics. You realize that these are not your usual superficial rockabilly and country songs - these are condemnations of the different social vices, direct calls to action, appeals to common sense, and pleas for critical thinking. These messages are craftily veiled in metaphors, tropes, and allegories, but they all explore a wide spectrum of issues: exploitation, racism, bullying, division and exclusion, mental health, and suicide.

The album develops from song to song, arriving at the extremely social "Not Your Kind," a slow-burning, yet haunting, dark blues ballad that could be considered one of Paul's heaviest songs. On top of his iconic Eastern European cadence, Paul lets the fuzz-laden guitar do the talking. Another high on "Where I Am" is during the Hammond organ-led outro jam on "Down to the River."

Listen to these songs again and again, and they will surely remind you of Bob Dylan, John Lennon, and Leonard Cohen, resurrecting their dissatisfaction with the conventional truths and questioning of the fabric of the world, some 50 years after their most prominent records.

"The past year has uncovered myriads of problems that we have been so comfortably ignoring,'" Paul says. "Thinking about them while writing this record, I had gone through a lot of emotions, from sadness to anger, to exhilaration. It was a challenging experience, and at times it felt really hard to stay honest but objective while writing about things that matter to me."

There is no doubt that this premium collection of songs can appeal to a broad audience, young and old, metropolitan and suburban, left and right - anyone who can appreciate a stimulating conversation and an artistic production that is raw, sincere, and devoid of commercial guidance.

For more information about the album visit https://www.paulcafcae.com

ABOUT PAUL CAFCAE

Paul has had an ear for staying melodies from an early age, developing a love for blues and rockabilly music when he was about four years old after hearing the greats like Elvis Presley, John Lee Hooker, B. B. King, The Beatles, and Roy Orbison on illegal bootleg tapes and records in the USSR.

Paul's parents enrolled him in the specialist music school in St. Petersburg (then Leningrad) at the age of six, where he studied accordion, piano, music theory, and vocals, and played in a pop orchestra.

Staying true to his affection for Western music, Cafcae picked up the guitar while attending high school in Maryland, USA. It was around this time that he began experimenting with writing his own material and went on to play in bands in Europe and North America. Upon becoming "Canadian by choice" in 2009 Paul continued to make his way to earning a spot on the Americana musician marquee by releasing new music, touring, and performing at Canadian festivals.

WHAT THE WORLD HAS TO SAY

"Paul Cafcae knows how to understate, undersell, and, most of all, understand music. If the art of great music-making is to know what a song needs and when it is finished, to get to the essence of a song and know when it carries just the right amount of sonic weight to do its job, then Sophisticated shows that it is an art that he has no small amount."
Dancing About Architecture

"An artist in love with the classic 50's and 60's musical style. He gives it a modern twist whilst also capturing the authentic vibe of the rockabilly and do-wop genres, amongst others. As well as a gifted vocalist and a first-rate guitarist, his songwriting reflects the ups and downs of being human in a charismatic and entertaining fashion."
The Faulkner Reviews

"If it were 1962 again, this record would have been number 1 on every chart."
Clouzine Magazine

"The personable Toronto singer-songwriter and free master flips the script on his sophomore album, Miss July, displaying tasteful understatement and restraint on a nostalgic collection that runs the gamut from zippy rockabilly and twangy tangos to Beatle-pop, blues, and folk. No joke."
Tinnitist

"Paul Cafcae understands the importance of a song that is flooded with infectious grooves. The buoyancy emitted in his most recent release, "Downtown," plays upon a country swing fused with a blues-inspired framework. You immediately envision yourself taking in the melodic structure of this song at a venue of your choice while sipping on a cold beer and sharing the moment with your friends."
Buzz Music

LINKS
Website: https://www.paulcafcae.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/paulcafcaemusic
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/paulcafcaemusic
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paulcafcaemusic/