Reviews for 12 Track Mind

“This is a record that deserves mainstream attention, by an artist that has a fall-in-love with voice, and masterful musicianship and songwriting."

  Gilli Moon-Songsalive.org

"The new Norm Strauss record 12 TRACK MIND is probably his most intense. Simply and fantastically recorded, captivating heart and soul, wrapped in catchy Pop melodies and rooted in Blues and Folk traditions. It tells about his state of mind which is really palpable through his flattering and deep sounding voice."

Sarah Brendal-Singer/Songwriter-Germany


"Norm is a artist that understands the human spirit. He writes from the experiences of everyday life. His mix of folk, blues and a bit of rock, brings you a buffet of great listening."

Dave Watland – Painter/Artist


"Provocative, heartfelt, well written and produced, beautiful; From the first track, Easily Satisfied to the last, Play God, I was struck by the clarity and comfort I heard on this CD. The quality of Norm’s voice and the production values are top-notch.

Norm is a great songwriter. He writes about things we all experience. He can pull a song out of a movie title (Unbreakable). He can sing the phone book and I’d still like it. My favourite song? The duet with Kim McMechan called Unbreakable; Beautiful harmonies and production. "

Jane Eamon Blogger/songwriter/poet

"12 Track Mind, the new album by Norm Strauss, is a rootsy, organic and mesmerizing body of work. This Canadian artist is someone to be watching, and I’ll tell you why…
The featured song that was brought to our attention first, “Play God”, is a masterful musical production that captivated me within the first 20 seconds with its music and magical voice. The guitar playing, the male vocal, the lyrics, the mysterious flute, all entranced me. I was mesmerized. Strauss is one talented artist! This song is so well produced and the story entrancing. But most of all, I fell in love with his voice. “Looks like the devil trying to play god”… the main hook line, tells of an eerie tale lyrically and through the music, using touches of middle-eastern nuances and implying trouble in the middle east, all that we know too well. I think he told the story eloquently, and gives us more emotion than hard core facts, letting our imagine run with our own interpretation of the issues. Well done.
The first track “Easily Satisfied” out does any Lady Antebellum song, with a touching duet which includes a female vocal (Kim McMechan?). It has a twinge of country, but with universal appeal.
But Norm doesn’t fit in one box. Straight after, “In Stereo” hops into your ears with this Paul Simon circus instrumentation mixed with a Tim McGraw vocal that makes me fall in love with his voice all over again.
What’s fitting to say is that Norm, while a master at beautiful recording quality, has a lot to say. He talks of love, losing friends, and personal strength. It’s touching and unusually sensitive, where so many male dominated records don’t capture the delicate and sensitive subjects that Norm does well.
This is more than just an independent record. This is a record that deserves mainstream attention, by an artist that has a fall-in-love with voice, and masterful musicianship and songwriting. I look forward to watching Norm Strauss’ musical evolution.

Gilli Moon
Reviewer Songsalive.org

"My wife and I put this CD and dance around the kitchen with our kids. We LOVE IT!"

Christian Michler
Lover of good music
Germany

"We bought your CD in their lobby and have to tell you that we LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it."
Thank You,
Bev and Paul Bissky
Lovers of good music
Maple Ridge

"Here is a rich assortment of the ABSOLUTE BEST of Norm Strauss featuring his incredible guitar abilities, versatile voice, and phenomenal story telling gift. From pensive ballads that sooth the soul to delightfully lively tunes that make you want to get up and dance - you will thoroughly enjoy this CD."

Karen Engel
Another lover of good music in Canada!

Song Vault I will be changing songs weekly. So come back often and check it out. The song of the week this week is 'Together'. Released as a single fall 2010. Download Album
	Track Title	Price
	This thing called you and me [3:18]  lyrics Co written with Andrew Smith. What can I say? Racious alt/country shenanigans.	Free with email	Download MP3
	Where Have All The Dreamers Gone? [3:31]  This song written way back in 2003. US had invaded Iraq. With the all the political rhetoric flying around. I was wondering if anyone had any real answers.	Free with email	Download MP3
	Wasting Time [3:58]  Written about 4 years ago. A little romantic bluegrass.	Free with email	Download MP3
	You Still Move Me [4:39]  lyrics This one has been a favourite at concerts for years now. I love the Celtic feel of it and the the big chorus tag. It feels good to sing it. I wrote this one for my wife Loralee about 6 years ago.	Free with email	Download MP3
	Together [4:34]  lyrics We are now starting to understand this thing called 'global community' a little bit now but the true ramifications of it are still emerging. Right now we have the Arab Spring, Occupy Wall Street, problems with the Euro Zone economy and nuclear meltdowns in Fukushima. These, along with countless other events are affecting us all. It used to be a long way between continents but now we are standing right next to each other it seems. An unpaid debt in Greece can eventually affect what happens to a guy looking for a job in Iowa. A large wave hitting the Japanese coast can cause a spike in radiation levels in Canada. We are all in this together.	Free with email	Download MP3