"Songs For Lovers of the Sea"
Nominated In The Adult Contemporary Category

Island Mele

Singer/songwriter Stan Rubens is a unique artist. He performs and records using electronic gear he calls "the Invisible 3". It gives him a sound that's more sophisticated than karaoke but still has a homebrewed ambiance.

Rubens sings with a slight Northern European accent, and much of his work has an international European pop feel. He also thinks outside the box as a lyricist; not many would rhyme "bad" with "head" or pair "attack" with "neck." Most importantly, Rubens copies no one and panders to no one.

Rubens' fourth album consists of songs with tropical or nautical themes. It's easy to imagine some of them played by live musicians. "There are so Many Fishes in the Sea" is promising as big band material, and "Bamboo House" evokes thoughts of Martin Denny -- but live musicians would alter Rubens' distinctive sound.

By: Stan Rubens
Read by: Cameron Beierle

While Anne Frank’s diary is clearly the most well-known story of a family hiding from the Nazis in Holland, there are many others, including this one. Quite different from Anne Frank’s classic, Rubens’s memoir tells the gripping story of his life as a boy who hid for four years with his family during the German occupation, and recounts his life after the war. Narrator Cameron Beierle gives a good performance, capturing the fears and concerns that envelop young Rubens. D.J.S. © AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine [Published: JULY 2011]