Paul Filek: Reviews

Everybody. Needs somebody. But not everybody has a voice like you, Paul Filek.

It’s hard to believe that Paul has a dishonest bone is his body. Influenced by James Blunt, Jack Johnson and David Grey, just to name a few, Filek shares that same passion, reflected in what you hear when you listen to the magic that flows from this young man.

My first experience with Paul Filek was at last year’s Toronto Indie Week, where I became his newest, biggest fan after listening to his performance at The Cameron House.

All nine songs on his first CD, released last year, are proof of the talent that this Kamloops based artist possesses.

Ranging from “Toe Tappin Love Songs” to being a “Soldier” and fighting for all the things that are true, people of all ages will enjoy his fun, catchy and honest lyrics.

Easy listening, acoustic inspired music is what you’ll get when you pick up this CD and listen to it in your car, office or on a Sunday afternoon while relaxing at home.

Go on, sit back, relax and get ready to enjoy Honest Songs from a Dishonest Heart.

I can’t wait for the next one, Paul!


4 out of 5

Singing From the Heart.

The only problem with dreaming is that eventually you wake up.
Paul Filek had that wakeup call recently when he was back behind the counter at the thirsty Dog Bar, pouring drinks and talking up the customers.
Its not a job local music promoter and radio personality Henry Small sees Filek labourinag at in the future.
He's just too good a musician.
"You just watch,"Small says. "this guys has got it. He's gonna be big."
For now Filek is just happy to have seen his music be enough to pay the bills in July, and keep him away from his nighttime "day job."
"Im lovin' it" the 24 year old native Kamloopsian says. "Its hard but, like Henry says, I've got to be patient. But in the meantime, I'm living a dream and making enough money to call that a living."
He's sold about 500 of his first CD, and independent production, with Small assisting, called "honest Songs From A Dishonest Heart." The recording was done on a limited budget, but the pair will be heading back into Small World Studios to rework it.
"I've got it good enough to start something," Filek says of his fledgling work, "so now we're going to fix thing up a bit and see if we can make a go of it."
While he sings from his heart and writes from his soul, music is also in his genes. His family on both sides are musical; in fact, his five older brothers all play at least the piano, some adding drums to their repertoire. Filek plays those two as well as guitar.
Its been quite a year for Filek, who started playing the guitar in his early teens, lost interest and didnt pick it up again until abouta year ago, when he started playing tunes at a party, just to entertain the guests - and annoy the host, who was on the phone most the night.
From there, his interst became his passion and he headed east to Ontario to try and make it into the music business.

That jaunt didnt't go so well.
"it's just so big there, and I wasnt getting anwhere, so I came back, and met Henry and we put something together.
"It was a real learning process." July was so busy he couldn't fit in his bartending shifts, but he credits Thirsty Dog owner Geoff Smith for being supportive in his venture and encouraging him to go fo it.
Filek made it to the regional finals of the David Foster Search For Talent, but says the format didnt suit his style. "Its like a karaoke contest,"He says. "I was just standing there without my guitar on this weird stage with normal house lighting..."
The contestants were all requested to sing an established song, but Filek chose to sing one of his own compositions, without telling the organizers or judges.
"And you could see they were all sitting there trying to figure out whose song I was doing. But it was a wicked experience with the judges. I learned a lot from it."
Su baliey, one if the three judges in the competition, said Filek is "a great artist, really brilliant."
She said he has an unusual voice, in the James Blunt Style, and is more singer-songwritter than just a singer, something that impacted his success during the regional section of the talent search "beacause we are looking for a singer... I would tell him 'keep going, buddy. You're going somewhere'."

There is no doubt about the honesty of Paul Filek's voice on Honest Songs From A Dishonest Heart. His sincerity lifts off the disc to lodge in your heart.

With recent proliferation of folky, crooner style artists, those of this genre risk getting hung on the knock-off rcak. Paul FIlek may escape that fate because he can write a whole lot of sweetness. Too much sweetness is not always a good thing either. Filek attempts to mix it up a bit with songs like "Toe Tappin Love Song". If you don't end up tapping your tootsies to this one then you probably don't have any. Paul Wrings out the emotion on "One Love", singing "I want to be the man that you're dreaming of". The Fire in many a young woman's heart will be lit with the sincere delivery fo this tune. "searching", on track six shows us a bit of an edge perking underneath. On track eight, "soldier", the vocal edginess doesnt carrry but the music underneath works.

In Paul Filek, you can't help but feel the ingredients are there for an original recipe. Just take away a little sugar and add a little salr - no doubt this will come with experience. If you're in the mood for some sweetness however, then pick up Honest Songs From A Dishonest Heart.

Filek is a born performer and draws the audience in with his boyish charm.