Twenty-three-year-old Falmouth-based pianist-singer-songwriter Will Gattis has just released a terrific four-song EP, “Gattis.” This comes some five years after his full-length debut, “Dullard.”

The centerpiece of “Gattis” is “Metropolis,” a song that chronicles the death of Superman, possibly via suicide. “The police were sent, they said we’ve found Clark Kent, and we can only be sure this was no accident,” Gattis’ lyrics tell us. The song is intense and poignant, and Gattis’ piano soars while Tim Webber’s drums explode. Kate Driver’s bass is right in the thick of it, too.

Gattis has a voice stronger than kryptonite. For as dramatic as “Metropolis” is, “You and Me” is a zippy, playful love song, and Driver’s added vocals on it are fantastic. “Maybe if you’re free we could grab a cup of tea or whatever, as long as you never, oh please don’t ever leave,” declares Gattis, with his voice reaching the top of the mountain on the word “leave.”

“Lily” is the EP’s longest song at 5½ minutes. The piano is charming, the drums bouncy and free-flowing, hands are clapping, the bass is thumping, backup vocals from Driver and Webber are dandy and Gattis belts out his unfettered confessional: “I’ll call you Lily ’cause I am so in love and Lily is the only word I can say.”

The track “Christopher” is on the “Dullard” CD, and he’s reworked it for this EP, while the other three tunes are previously unrecorded. “Gattis” was produced, recorded and mixed by Jim Begley at The Studio in Portland and mastered by Adam Ayan at Gateway Mastering. Not too shabby.

You can purchase the EP online at iTunes, Amazon, Napster and at Bull Moose in Portland. Check out Gattis’ website at www.willgattis.com

Aimsel Ponti is a Portland freelance writer. Contact her at:

aimselponti@yahoo.com

 


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