But past that, his heart is right on track, too. Even though Pierce is relatively new as a touring musician, he wants to be an active player in helping Africa have clean water and medicine to fight the ravages of AIDS. To this end, Pierce will be giving a percentage of all his tour earnings to the Blood:Water Mission. He hopes that by giving from his undeserved provision to those with undeserved need, he can influence change in the hearts of his audience and the heart of himself.
Of course, this has nothing to do with how good his music is or isn't. Fortunately, it is more than worthy of our support. Rich with classic rock influences and tasty string magic, Pierce's 13 original tracks are captivating fun. Yup, I said it; they are just plain fun, smart and contagious fun. The clever "Gracie" opens the album with Steve Miller whine over straight-up rock chords. "The Divine Whoa" bounces its way through a commentary on the process of faith. Pierce can mix it up, too, offering the industrial opening and looming bass of "Where Am I?" before veering into harmonic rock changes. But it's the bright strings of up-tempo "Knowing Everybody Here" that really get your attention. Pierce gets the job done on this effervescent track, effectively mixing challenging lyrics with a slight tribal feel, shades of Paul Simon. "Jack & Jill" drips with passion, more bright mandolin picking against Pierce's warm vocals questioning the universal cost of life. "Bluegrass" is a lovely little gem, two and a half instrumental minutes of lively picking, a generous gift.
But it's the closing rocker "Fourward" that really stops my heart, with its bouncy rhythms, sweet harmonies, and spirited percussive touches. Its insightful lyrics address the realities of love and offer a hopeful perspective: take four steps fourward to counteract the three steps you've fallen back. Strikes me as deep wisdom, and I enjoyed the jam feel as he closes out the album, too. I'm expecting great things from Stuart Pierce, and I hope he gets to send a lot of help Africa's way as well. Definitely check out "Too Far To Fly."
