Theo Eastwind Title: King Of The Underground Label: Sojourn Records Year: 2009 Rating: 3.5 / 5

Readers, please meet your Subway Idol. This singer/songwriter has had a long hard road to becoming an all around musician and his dues are most likely finally paying off with the acoustic greatness of King Of The Underground. Theo Eastwind is not your regular over the top musician who had the good fortune on their side while chasing the dream. Coming to America in 1995 by way of Vienna, Theo had merely nothing to his name but the music bug soon bit him and bit him hard. Playing the NYC subway, day in, day out, Theo learned the ropes of being a working musician and soon people started taking notice, like Sojourn Records. Fast forward to now, these collection of songs heard on King Of The Underground are a collection of songs recorded live entirely in the NYC subway. It’s a soul-testifying, lively, raw, undeterred, melody heavy, musically inclined record that’s got more substance than your usual cookie-cutter pop bands, made by a label. The raw production and feel of the record brings Theo’s powerful vocals and powerful guitar work come to life, all while painting a bright picture of Theo playing in the NYC subway, lending his musical power to the tired, the happy, the strangers and the determined. The enthusiastic “Setup” is Theo at his best while “Fell For It Again” brings Theo’s arsenal of talent in full view as he lays his musical heart out for everyone to see and hear. “They All Think” takes it down a notch and exposes a much more subdued Theo as he lets the subtle guitar breathe while he sings freely with intricate details. “C’est La Vie” ends the record on a high note and sees Theo’s channeling some influences with his singing such as Dave Mathews and David Grey. Not only does Theo have a great voice and fantastic guitar passages, his lyrics are also graciously real and impressive. Hard to imagine this record was recorded in the NYC subway, let alone live with minimal sources. It’s not like you can drag your whole pro tools setup down there and not expect to be hijacked, I’m just saying. Overall, King Of The Underground is a delicately woven record with acoustic raw intensity and genuinely honest musicianship, straight from the heart. As the NYC subway rolls on everyday, Theo will hopefully roll along through the ranks and finally get the credit he deserves.

By: Gian Erguiza