14 Fish, 2 Bottles & a Shoe

Review: ISS Newsletter Jan 2007

Walt Sargent Serves Up Something Fishy

BY PEDRO

You’ve probably heard most of the songs if you have seen Walt Sargent perform around the area in recent years. Now you can have them to keep, in a sparsely produced CD titled "14 Fish Two Bottles and Shoe."

Released late last year, this collection of songs shows off the considerable talents of the ISS webmaster, from the now operatic, now understated vocals, to the competent guitar playing, to the thought-provoking lyrics. Walter, who teamed up with Huntington-based producer Dave Cook, also an ISS member, to put the CD together, demonstrates in this collection of tracks why he has often won the Writer’s Choice award at ISS.

His songcraft is well-developed, producing work that is at once pleasing to the ear and intellectually compelling. Standout tracks include the ballads "Don’t Go Now" and "Me, Myself and I."

Most of the songs feature only vocals and one or two guitar tracks, with the opening track, "Beautiful," being an exception. In "Beautiful," Walter shows that in addition to playing delicate finger-picked patterns and melodies, he can also make an electric guitar scream.

Broadjam.com Reviews

1. "great vocal tone…fun energy"