Tony Levitas – an artist with an uncompromising musical sensibility!
Tony Levitas is a songwriter, singer and multi-instrumentalist from Atlanta, Georgia. Currently set to drop a brand new EP, he has 3 previously released albums – “Feel Good Now (Clarksdale, Mississippi)” (2017), “Black Sky Blanket” (2014), and “Together Somehow” (2011). Tony has been in a number bands, most notably, Arms Akimbo, who had several records out and a video which appeared on MTV. 2019 has seen the artist release three singles, namely “Winner of the Losin Game”, “Never Turn You Down” and “Never Could be Wrong”. Introduced by to Tony Levitas via these three singles, I was presented with an artist uncompromising in musicianship, broad in genre and musical sensibility and, at times, confessional and poetical in lyricism.
These tracks display Tony’s sophisticated vocal work, elaborate guitar playing and compositional dexterity marked by many instances of lyrical poignancy. All underlined with an understated visceral rawness, which is always necessary in any serious rock orientated music.
“Winner of the Losin Game”, opens my listening experience. The bassline, guitar licks, and vocal interplay will get your head bobbing instantly. The tune features great instrumental harmonization, and the latter proves particularly engaging given the nature of the contrasting deep, meaningful lyrics.
The jangly guitars and steady drum beat develop a solid foundation on which Tony constructs an insistent melody. This is a fine, very fine song, with a superbly crafted instrumental with soaring vocals and a spacious Americana rock feel. It is very reminiscent of the melodic magic the Traveling Wilburys conjured up in their short existence.
“Never Turn You Down” boasts clean strumming guitars and shimmering piano keys that bob and sway their way across yet another mellifluous soundscape. The electric lead guitar solo adds a soulful urgency to the proceedings, while Tony Levitas’ fully controlled vocals smooth out any potential, juxtaposing angles.
Throughout his catalog of songs, Tony has always shown he is a fantastic songwriter, but on these latest tracks he really refines and steps up his game. His lyrics are grounded and relatable, while his honest verbiage and knack for explaining universal emotions will quickly capture you attention. As it does on this song, which has a simple, straightforward but yet impacting narrative.
Tony Levitas never dwells into anything artificial or tired, something that his contemporaries too often partake in. Tony approaches every topic with enough depth to avoid this. His delivery is always nuanced, showing he can be easily emotive.
Every song has its own distinctiveness that makes it special, each comprised of its own character and hook to keep you coming back for repeated listens. No two songs carry any immediate comparisons, incorporating its own style but never leaving the confines of Tony’s overall musical feel. Hence “Never Could Be Wrong”, takes us on another diverse trip within Tony Levitas’ melodic rock sound.
The rich strings and pro-active percussion fill up the arrangement alongside the ever-present resonating guitars, as the song grooves along with superbly catchy vocals, warm harmonies and an extremely bouncy feel. “Never Could Be Wrong” is emblematic of the refreshing candor present all throughout these three songs.
Tony’s touching lyrics combine with gorgeously captivating vocals to make this track a highlight, topped off by a beautiful, aching guitar solo. Additionally, the song is exceptionally easy on the ears, despite the fleshed out musical arrangement. Tony proves handy with both the instrumentation and the vocals, successfully weaving all of these textures into a rich aural tapestry.
Make no mistake, the aforementioned songs from his 2019 collection, are among Tony Levitas’ finest works. It displays a level of maturity and honesty unprecedented in his discography, and the musical aesthetic really suits him. All of the elements in his songs are bound together by the familiar sound of Tony’s voice and the warm organic production.
Sure, he’s not reinventing the wheel here. That’s not the point. Tony Levitas is damn good at what he does and he is at the top of his game right now. If he keeps this momentum going, he just might stride into the pantheon of unheralded songwriting greats within the genre. You almost want to tip your hat to Tony for that alone.
OFFICIAL LINKS: REVERBNATION – SPOTIFY
