Jordan Okrend: World Keeps Turnin’ (Self Released)

Optimism should be considered an act of defiance. We have too much wisdom and too much information, same as New York folk/rock artist Jordan Okrend.

Although he knows what befalls a good man around the corner, he’s willing to “live along the way” as the sensuous title song to his six-song EP claims. Orkend plays folk influenced rock giving it a bluesy, 70’s radio rock twinge. He plays an upbeat song with vocals that are in places deeply affected and soulful. On “Never Along With You” he twirls in an ethereal soul tones, like Seal or Lenny Kravitz.

Okrend shows a lot of heartfelt sentiment on World Keeps Turnin’ which takes, I think, a lot of guts anymore. It’s a mad world, giving the EPs title a curious double meaning: yes, the great blue ball keeps on spinning, but it’s artists like Okrend that make it still long enough to appreciate.