Team Love

The first solo studio album from Simone Felice, former drummer of the Felice Brothers and leader of The Duke & The King, is steeped in extremes. Instrumentally, Simone Felice is barely there – gentle acoustic guitar, sparse drums – leaving the spotlight to his powerful vocals and stunning lyrics. The Cat Stevens-sound-alike bounces between folk-romp sing-alongs, like “You & I Belong” and slow burning, dark-as-night introspection, like the headlines-inspired “New York Times.” Not incidentally, Felice wrote these songs following his open-heart surgery; the gravity here is palpable. Felice is a true writer’s lyricist, as he sings detailed stories from unique perspectives. In “Courtney Love,” he whispers, “What’s the name inside your latest dress? What’s the secret to your loneliness?” There’s little instant gratification in Simone Felice. But slowly, it’ll tiptoe inside and haunt you.