PAUL VERNET

“ Paul Vernet is a self-taught multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter.  Paul combines elements of pop and rock to create a sound that is at both familiar and fresh.  Paul is an artist that is easy to relate to with heartfelt lyrics put to memorable melodies.  In 2017, he released "Personal Mythology" and is currently writing new material. “Skipping Stones” is one of Pauls’ latest singles and it’s a great way to get know his  talent.  Artists who contributed to “Skipping Stones” include co-producer Sean Bigler on bass, keys, and guitar, and Jim Dooley on drums.   “Skipping Stones commences with a solid pop-rock intro that grabs your attention.  Guitar, bass and drums lay the groundwork.  Tasteful and light guitar motifs lace the intro’s landscape.  Paul enters singing the first verse which is distinguished with guitar arpeggios. “Thinking about you today. Thinking about what I can’t control or change. I know you’re gone forever, forever and a day just like today.”  Pauls’ natural voice is radio-ready; his vocals sound great with the mix.  His tone is smooth and clear which works perfectly for the story-telling nature of his lyrics.      At once the melodies are highly memorable.  Between verses, keyboard interludes offer strong melodic phrasing; the guitar also picks up the melody with nice solo work.  In addition, good vocal harmonies emphasize the lyrics. Although the song is about grieving and loss, it never feels sad or depressing.  Instead, it has an uplifting feel that carries you away.  “Guess I’ll just have to throw this pain away. All it does is make my heart skip. Like a little black stone, on a frozen lake.” What is striking about “Skipping Stones” is Paul’s ability to capture the human experience in a way that you can hear, feel and visualize. The feeling of your heart skipping like  a stone across a frozen lake of emotions.  You can almost feel the cool loneliness of grief underneath the icy surface as a man stands alone. There is also an honesty quality that is heartfelt: “Thinking about you with tears running down my face.  And grief is such a hard word for me to learn this way.”   Paul Vernet captures the universal feeling of grief and loss in his song “Skipping Stones” and he does so with musical taste and grace, never bringing the listener down; instead he invites you into a moment in time that you share with him and suddenly, grief isn’t so lonely. The music washes over you and you feel alive. Songs like “Skipping Stones” remind us of our humanity and why music is so important.   For more information on Paul Vernet, please visit his Youtube channel. Tags: Paul Vernet - "Skipping Stones Independent Music Review Music Review Blog   ” - Tree Fortin

“ Paul Vernet - "Under The Spell April 11, 2019 | Sylvie Marie For Paul Vernet, music is as fundamental to his existence as water is to life and songwriting runs through his veins. Paul is a self-taught multi-instrumentalist and a singer-songwriter who combines rock and pop for music that is powerful, meaningful and melodic.  His album Personal Mythology was released in 2017, followed by new singles.  His song “Under The Spell” is…spellbinding.  The magic of "Under Yor Spell" is heard from the very beginning.  A rising, repeated note sounds lightly on the electric guitar and continues under the surface for the length of the song; soon guitar layering commences, the guiitar's voices intermingling.   One of the amazing aspects of Paul’s work is his ability to create so much texture in the studio.  The introduction is mesmerizing and mysterious as it builds toward the first verse.    As the full sound erupts with distorted rhythm guitar, bass and percussion, Paul brings a solid rock edge to the mix with his vocals singing, “You wonder how you got here. You worry where you'll go.”   Lyrically the song is wide open for interpretation, but a closer look at the words and the theme that emerges is in my mind is daily addiction, to whatever the poison or lure may be, and being so  “under the spell’ of it that you are neither awake of dreaming, just suffering in limbo as the world goes on around you. “The tide is going out, it’s left you in its wake. Every day you linger…”     Mid-way, a lead guitar solo takes center stage offering up a thoughtful guitar solo that captures the emotion of the song.  Towards the end a fantastic outro commences in speak-tones, sounding like a Latin spell - Is it a blessing or a curse?  Listen to find out!    Check out the vibrantvideo below which is full of intrique:   Paul Vernet is putting out thoughtful, creative music that is one-of-a-kind.  Each song shows artistic nuance and careful composition - You will find yourself listening more than once to hear everything Paul has put into the track and lyrics.  In addition, Paul knows how to musically capture the feeling and mood of the words. The musicians on “Under Your Spell” include Sean Bigler on bass, keys and some guitar with co-production by Jim Dooley who played drums.   For more information on Paul Vernet, please visit his Youtube channel ” - Sylvie Marie

“ This video unlocks the secret of re-animation. Long dead dancers and other jokesters come alive in a tale of woe, capricious fate, and re-birth. Oh yeah, and it ROCKS.” - Joseph Kahn

“Paul Vernet - "Skipping Stones Paul Vernet is an upstate New York 'new' classic rock artist. Many people are confused by the term but it's basically about bringing fresh sounds and production to the classic rock sounds that have dominated music for at least four decades and is still kicking in many places today, particularly outside of the United States as far as fan volume goes. But Vernet is committed to making an impact right on American soil with a sound that is not the ordinary bar band style. A self-taught multi-instrumentalist, Vernet's full musical biography is something of a mystery. His new single, "Skipping Stones," from the album Burning Sounds, features a long and storied history in rock and roll. The single is punchy, solid pop-rock track with airy guitars and chugging rhythms with a real sense of appreciation for the sonics of classic rock while also making its own style and songwriting. The track oozes with catchy melodies throughout interrupted by keyboard interludes and atypical guitar solos. The song is ultimately about loss and grieving: 'Guess I’ll just have to throw this pain away/all it does is make my heart skip/like a little black stone/on a frozen lake.' But Vernet doesn't make it a sad or depressed-sounding song - perhaps in a way to cope. Rather, it's an uplifting song that subsequently wins in the end. Interestingly, his biggest musical influences are Burl Ives, Tiny Tim, and The Troggs. Last spring Vernet's single, "Pregnant Widow," from the album, Burning Sounds, got picked up by New Rockstars playlist and accumulated nearly 10,000 plays on Spotify alone just from that placement alone. I had hoped that would mean there would be some spillover to my other stuff, but that really hasn't happened yet," Vernet says. That is the feeling of many artists and bands today. Racking up 10, 20, 30K plays on Spotify feels great for a few weeks until it drops and fades off. That's not Spotify's fault. And it's not the fans' fault. That is the time when an artist needs to be serious and invest some resources into building on that momentum so that it doesn't fizzle away. But that is easier said than done; many artists and bands don't have the big funds the agencies require.  ” - Phillip D'Aoust