Storylines

Marc Chechik has been leading Melody Den for over a decade, trotting out his steel-eyed, soulful brand of Americana every once in a blue moon. The quartet is set to release Storylines, it's sophomore record (and first since 2007) this weekend, and it was made with help from a handful of local friends. John Horton, CoCo Soul, Kip Loui and others contributed to the LP, and these embellishments - the peppy horns on opener More Here than Meets the Eye, the strong and well-placed harmony vocals on the title track and throughout - give a bit more muscle to the songs. But it's Chechik's voice and vision that give Storylines it's grounding and what makes these songs stories worth retelling. - Christian Schaeffer (Riverfront Times)