‘Apropos of Nothing’, the debut album from the Sean Coleman Project, has been pitched as “a throwback of sorts”, and it isn’t always hard to work out why. Coleman’s music takes in a wealth of classic influences, and his approach to recording – collaborating with as many folks as possible – has their mood of a latter day Santana project, if not the sound. ‘Apropos of Nothing’ is a celebration of old school album making in the truest sense; it isn’t really about the quick hits, or the effectiveness of streaming individual tracks. To get the best out of this record, the listener should sit back, make time, and digest everything as a whole, in the same way vinyl buyers did back in the 70s and 80s.
The album opener – and lead single – ‘You’ve Got To Choose’ wastes no time in presenting Coleman’s old fashioned musical heart, with the track tapping into a slow blues groove. The kind of performance that defies being tied to any particular era, it presents gritty guitar work worthy of the 70s blues rock greats, while offering the kind of punchy drum sound you’d more closely associate with 90s recordings. The music here is great – effortlessly working through sounds worthy of Walter Trout and the Tedeschi Trucks Band amped up for good measure – but the major selling point comes from the vocal. Guest Mia Boostrom delivers throughout; her full cry shares a perfect bluesy performance that could go head to head with Susan Tedeschi and Bonnie Raitt…and possibly even come out winning. Even though ‘Apropos’ features more uplifting material, for blues fans, this track is a must-hear.
Changing the mood for something far more upbeat, ‘Who I Am’ kicks off with a world of ringing guitars, sharing an AM radio inspired blend of pop-rock, before slipping into a country rocker driven by some fine drumming courtesy of ex-Giant man Mike Levesque. Loaded with harmony vocals occasionally hinting at a gospel influence, the number works around some inspiring melodies. The featured guitar solo is also sharp, providing a strong follow on from the opening track, and linking everything together, there’s a great old style organ, laying down a blanket of sound that’s almost as strong as the prominent guitar. A heavy twang on the vocal – shared by Elisa Smith, whose own album ‘Perfume’ hit retailers barely a month before this release – feeds into a purer country sound which, although brilliantly executed, almost certainly won’t appeal to those who aren’t into the style. That alone will make this a more divisive track, but with the lyrics also sharing a rather religious bent – further leaning towards an older country influence – this mightn’t click with everyone, despite being put together with a lot of love and care.
A real surprise, the slow burning soul number ‘I Can Only Be Me’ sounds like a track from the late 70s with its mellow groove and warm bass. It might be geared towards late night listening and some might find the end result a little too slick, even cheesy in places, but in terms of highlighting his associates’ musical chops, Coleman turns in another winner. The dual keys – swirling bluesy organ work in the left channel, tinkling electric piano in the right – give an insight as to how well produced the track is, while a guesting sax from Dan Felix provides some fine musical hooks. As with ‘You’ve Got To Choose’, however, a wealth of decent musical chops are soon outshone by Mia Boostrom who takes a sultry melody in her stride, sharing a huge and confident vocal throughout. Here, perhaps most strongly, it can be felt that – regardless of whose name is on the sleeve/spine, and regardless of some obviously big talents assembled here – at it’s best, ‘Apropos’ is a superb showcase for the singer. She has a fabulous voice, and seemingly can turn her hand to various styles with equally effective results. Elsewhere, ‘We’re Not Speaking Anymore’ showcases Boostrom’s natural affinity for jazz, as she steers the band through a laid back number that evokes a smoky late night club with ease. Although the vocal and piano dominate here, there’s a superb muted trumpet solo from Garrett Savluk that is even more evocative of the sounds from a jazz club that could have easily existed sometime in a dim and distant past.
‘Might Just Be My Day’ finds Sean and friends taking another sidestep into Americana. Adopting a solid country rock rhythm and melody, the rhythm guitars offer a jangling base, against which a crying steel beefs up the country feel, and Brad Goff’s slightly twangy vocal delivery taps into even more of a commercial country quality. There’s some solidarity with ‘You’ve Got To Choose’, however, thanks to a prominent guitar solo taking centre stage at the tracks peak, and Mia returning on second vocal. Although she’s been relegated to harmony vocals here, the way her voice blends with Goff’s is very natural, and between them, they bring out the best in a pleasingly catchy chorus hook. This is so different from ‘You’ve Got To Choose’, it mightn’t even click with the same people, but heard on it’s own merits, it’s more than decent.
Likewise, the acoustic instrumental ‘A Glimpse of Heaven’ almost feels as if it’s aiming for a different crowd with its Windham Hill inspired intricacies. Nevertheless, the short number shares a superb melody with finger picked sounds shared between Coleman and second guitarist Bill Danylik. Its position in the middle of the album is a little odd, however, since this plays very much like a closing statement allowing the listener a moment of quiet reflection, but it’s a minor point all things considered. Also likely to appeal to those who like things on the quieter side, ‘The Morning Dove’ – a piano and vocal based workout – is a ballad that takes elements of soul and feeds those into more of a singer-songwriter vibe, and its stripped down approach gives Boostrom plenty of space to share an absolutely huge vocal. Using strings to flesh out the melody is a great touch, too, since it brings the recording a feeling of fullness, without anything cluttering the vocal or lyric.
Another standout track, ‘Who We’re Going To Be’ begins as a light country number that showcases Elisa Smith in a superior way. Throughout the first verse, her vocal adopts a syrupy tone that’s perfect for a questioning lyric, before the arrangement builds in a way that allows her to escalate into a fuller sounding and rootsy cry. Once everything finds its feet, the dual guitar work from Sean and Bill brings a surprisingly rocky feel that really helps to sell a great vocal. The track is mixed in a way that makes it feel a little bass heavy, but never so much that subtle steel guitar and organ flourishes can’t seep through when required, making this one of the best examples of the Project’s rich and layered sound.
‘Apropos of Nothing’ is sometimes so scattershot from a stylistic perspective, it’s clear that Coleman isn’t as much interested in building a specific fan base as he is in creating music that interests him. That still results in a decent album, and in some ways, the varied approach shares the kind of musical CV that’ll have at least something to greet most older listeners in a more than favourable fashion. Mia Boonstrom’s performances often guide the best numbers, but so many people involved with this project share their talents in a way that’s more than solid. At its best, ‘Apropos of Nothing’ delivers tracks that defy their era, resulting in a listen that should still sound good in decades to come. As a writer/musician/all round creative figure, Sean Coleman should be more than proud of that.
October 2026
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