EP Review: The Road To Find Out - East by Ramin Karimloo

The Road To Find Out - East
Ramin Karimloo
Big Hand Recordings
Released on Monday 7th April 2014

Breaking away from stereotypical musical theatre albums whilst remaining respectful of musical theatre standards, West End and Broadway star Ramin Karimloo is releasing four EPs to showcase his new genre of music, Bluegrass. The first EP, 'The Road To Find Out - East' features four very different yet consistent numbers, two of which are original songs.

Karimloo's genre is clearly influenced by country music, but the sound is also very fresh and raw. First of all the performer, who is currently starring as Jean Valjean in Les Miserables on Broadway, takes on 'Oh What A Beautiful Mornin'' from Oklahoma. The song is a far from obvious choice, yet this re-invented arrangement suits Karimloo's voice perfectly. Written by Karimloo and Hadley Fraser, 'Losing' is the first original track on the EP. The song instantly showcases Karimloo's hypnotising vocal talents. The song steadily builds and is very memorable.

The Iranian-born Canadian actor and singer pays tribute to Les Miserables with a rendition of 'Empty Chairs at Empty Tables'. The song will no doubt please his fans and begins to show off the incredible power in his voice. 'Broken', another collaboration between Karimloo and Fraser, is my favourite number on the EP. While the song is fairly upbeat, lyrically the song is very powerful. The melody is simplistic and catchy. 

The four songs have been picked wisely. Although I could listen to Karimloo belt out big ballads all day, it's nice to hear a completely different side of him and I am certainly looking forward to hearing North, South and West. It's very clever to release the music in smaller chunks; I was left wanting more, but luckily I know there is more to come...

Reviewed by Andrew Tomlins (Editor)

The Road To Find Out - East is available from Monday 7th April 2014.
Please visit www.raminkarimloo.com for further information.

Follow @West_End_Frame