Zack Borer at Sullivan Hall: the belated review

Guitarist Craig Magnano & Zack Borer at Sullivan Hall (photo by A. Romeo)

After reading Zack Borer's press clippings, I attended his EP release party at Sullivan Hall with some trepidation since he is often likened to John Mayer and Jason Mraz, two of my least favorite artists of all time (fans of the aforementioned, please insert boos and jeers here). Yet, I found myself rooting for Borer, and sincerely wanting him to not only put on a great show, but to somehow get signed, earn millions and win a grammy.

Why? Simply put, the man has passion. Each song, good or bad, is catapulted to a listenable realm because of his genuine enthusiasm for the piece. He believes in his work, and has a desire to deliver something original and engaging to a demanding audience. The only question: is Borer's product strikingly original or painfully redundant?

Zack Borer, singing his heart out (photo by Alanna Romeo).

After recruiting a slew of talented musicians, Borer has spent the last few months tweaking a heavily touted live show. And as much as Borer claims to have distanced himself from the standard singer/songwriter format, its structure is something that he clearly relies on when penning a tune. 

Borer spent most of the night promoting his EP, Dollars Spent on Nothing, which features five original tracks. The sound, for the most part, meets the industry standard by: embracing emotive lyrics that tug at all the right heartstrings; relying on arrangements that are sonically precise and energetic; promoting Borer's pitch-perfect voice; giving credit to a rhythm section with great time and making sure guitarist Craig Magnano,  whose clean riffs alone justify the price of admission, is consistently placed in the center ring. Yet, even with all these positives, the show lacked something: definition. Borer is quick to highlight bands he's been compared to, probably because each one has been so influential. But a comparison doesn't define a sound, it simply gives an artist a starting point, which is exactly where Borer is. 

It's too early in his career to expect a groundbreaking, genre-bending opus, but to his credit,  he is clearly beginning to carve out paths that could catalyze such expectations. The song "Here and There", for instance, is littered with blues and reggae influences, and even a touch of funk, while Borer inserts an equally gritty and soulful flair to his vocals. The eclectic mix works, and produces an energy that parallels the most experienced of live acts.

"Save Me", which was one of the best in the set, takes on the pathos framework that lures in so many female fans, yet Borer's husky voice and heavily strummed rhythm provide this archetype with a masculine tone. In other words, dudes won't have to label this ballad as a guilty pleasure, and there were many bros in the audience whose physiognomies revealed a sincere, albeit brief, emotional connection to the piece.

Other songs, however, failed to experiment with other musical arenas, like blues or funk, and illustrated Borer's preference for the safety of formulaic crowd-pleasers. 

The show was a good one. Borer has a natural comfort on stage and is quite likable once he starts talking to the audience (which he should do more often). One can only hope that he follows the instincts that led him toward the rocking worlds of funk, and ignores the siren call of the mainstream singer/songwriter. For if Borer continues to experiment, he will eventually define his sound, and success will become an inevitability. 

To learn more about Zack Borer, check out his webpage by clicking: HERE.

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