Atroefy is the debut release of young, New York City-based guitarist and composer, Ryan Meagher (pronounced Marr). In a phrase Atroefy is modern jazz for the indie rocker. It is an album of all original music full or guitar-driven compositions, elaborate, yet singable melodies, unpredictable forms and meters, and well-placed improvisation.

The above is quoted from Ryan’s press release, and I included it because it perfectly sums up his CD without the usual hype. (I should say, the usual overly-positive and misleading hype.) Meagher’s CD is completely NOT what I was expecting at all.

I’ll start off by mentioning what is perhaps the best liner notes I’ve read in a very long time. Self-deprecating and funny, Meagher provides an open and honest discourse on his bio and the songs on Atroefy. His honesty is quite refreshing in today’s overly-marketed music world.

Okay, so the songs:

From the opening drum beat and guitar riff of the first song, Divided Road, Meagher and band mates Loren Stillman (alto sax), Matt Renzi (tenor sax, clarinet), Vinnie Sperrazza (drums), and Geoff Kraly (bass) make a very clear statement that this is not going to be another typical “jazz” record. There is an indie/lo-fi quality to the songwriting here, something that will heavily appeal to any college crowd; and I suspect Meagher and Co. will be very successful on that front if they pursue it.

A Familiar Farewell reminds me a bit of a Wayne Krantz vamp with some Dave Matthews sax melodies. (How’s that for a mashup?) Stillman and Renzi provide some very nice counterpoint and harmony lines in the head. Meagher lies back very nicely until his solo, where he ratchets it up ever so slightly. His tone is very nice, though some of the lines seem a bit fragmented and choppy. Not my favorite solo on the CD.

Can’t Complane is my favorite track from Atroefy. I really dig the guitar intro. I would have loved to hear it played through a Univibe or some similar effect. I also would prefer the head melody be a little more aggressive to complement the rhythm section. Despite my personal preferences, Can’t Complane has a great chorus and really cool hooks and meter/rhythm changes.

Downers would have to be my least-favorite track on the CD. I’m not really sure I’m feeling the vibe; somewhat disjointed and plodding. The liner notes state that Meagher wrote the song when he found out that one of his friends was taking medication for depression. He wrote the song assuming his friend was on downers (turns out his friend was actually taking uppers) but the track isn’t kicking my ass. Perhaps its the guitar tone and melody… I’m not really sure.

The first “acoustic” song of the CD, Republic once again hits with a Dave Matthews feel. Inspired by a small town in Washington, Republic actually sounds small-town. This is a mellow, swinging tune that could easily have vocals and get a college campus singing along.

Very nice broken guitar line intro on Poetry in Motian. I think PiM has the best sax solo on the CD, as well as the best bass playing. So, performance-wise I would say that Poetry in Motian stands out. The guitar solo should have been a little more aggressive in my opinion. I wanted the song to keep pressing forward, yet the solo section in general felt a bit held back.

Atroefy closes out with the song Re: Creation. Excellent clarinet melody over a rock tribal drum and guitar vamp. The song picks up throughout the head and into a really cool indie rock verse. As with Can’t Complane, I would have liked the guitar to have some kind of effect on it; in fact, I think overall the CD could stand some effects of some sort to make each song more distinct. Re: Creation is, however, the best song to close the CD with.

Meagher’s first CD is a good one, especially if you are a fan of indie music AND jazz. Fans of Dave Matthews will definitely like it, and I would not be surprised if college radio stations pick it up and put it in rotation for a while. This is not necessarily a CD that straight-ahead jazz lovers will most likely listen to for years and years, but I quite enjoyed it as a very nice departure from the typical jazz CD.

Atroefy can be purchased from Fresh Sound Records, iTunes, eMusic, and Rhapsody.