"Destinations" is the second well-crafted album by Lead Sean Devine (formerly of one of our favorite groups, the Alley Cats), Tenor Shawn York, Baritone Patrick Claypool and Bass Cory Hunt of Orange County, CA-based OC Times. When we reviewed their debut album "Let's Fly" they had just won Silver (2nd Place) medals at the 2007 SPBSQSA International Quartet competition in Denver. We called them "the fast-rising future of Barbershop," and we were so right, in 2008 they won Gold! After that came a national and international tour that covered 33 states and 9 countries, from Madrid, Spain and St. Petersburg, Russia to Helsinki, Finland and Aukland, New Zealand. Returning home, OCT made their next Destination a recording studio to record their 14 favorite tunes, most arranged by their friend Aaron Dale. Some favorites are Freddie Mercury of Queen's "Crazy Little Thing Called Love," a pair by Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys, "Surfer Girl" and "Fun, Fun, Fun;" Howard Steiner/Buddy Kaye's "Don't Be a Baby, Baby," William Trader's "Fool Such As I," Randy Newman's "I Will Go Sailing No More," Billy Rose/Mabel Wayne's "It Happened in Monterey," Alan & Marilyn Bergman/Marvin Hamlisch's poignant "The Way We Were" and the live cut "I Want You, I Need You, I Love You" by Maurice Mysels/Ira Kosloff. Each of these cuts is a little Barbershop masterpiece, brought home to us by consummate entertainers OC Times, and "Destinations" is big fun from beginning to end! |
