Isaac Kranz - Oil in Water

Isaac Kranz

Oil in Water
self-released; 2016

3.4 out of 5

By Jamie Funk
​

Isaac Kranz is an eighteen-year-old musician from Colorado who just started playing guitar and writing songs. He started playing guitar around two-and-a-half years ago which isn't much in terms of learning. I think it takes a dedicated guitarist around ten years to get good unless they are a virtuoso.

It personally took me fifteen years to get to a point where I considered my playing to be in a good place. Suffice it to say Kranz is playing pretty basic guitar revolving around minor and major chords.

He falls into the predictable mopey, melancholy songwriter at this point that we have heard countless times before. That's just a fact and more prevalent than ever since someone can record themselves with Garageband. I’m not saying his songwriting is bad or he doesn't have some talent but in order to emerge from this oversaturated market you have to bring a little more to the table. That being said I think this is humble begining where I saw a number of inspired moments.

He opens his album Oil in Water with “Melancholy Noise” which pretty much describes it. Kranz hits a couple of root notes and laments into a microphone. Luckily, Kranz knows not to drag these songs out and that's where some of the pleasure lies. The songs come in and out with some pretty good vocal melodies. 

Most of the songs blend into each other as there aren't many differentiating elements. I’d say that's a good thing considering how long the album is.

Overall, Kranz has some talent but still has a long way to go before competing with notable acts but time is on his side. At eighteen-years-old he is just getting started with his life and music career. Let’s check back in with him in the not too distant future. I have feeling his best work is yet to come.

Tweet