Monthly Archives: July 2011

FOUNTAINS OF WAYNE – Sky Full Of Holes

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I first encountered Fountains of Wayne back in the late 90s, since I had a friend who was a fan of their 1996 self-titled debut.  In the summer of 1997 I saw the band at the Reading Festival, though I must confess, they didn’t make a lasting impression.  I all but forgot about them over the following years, until sometime in 2003 when ‘Stacy’s Mom’ became a hit in the UK.  As a piece of fairly throwaway power pop, it was a fantastic single. It’s parent album ‘Welcome Interstate Managers’ featured some other great tunes too, and 2007’s ‘Traffic and Weather’ was potentially even better.  I just wish I could remember more about seeing Fountains of Wayne live a decade earlier…

If you approach Fountains of Wayne’s 2011 release ‘Sky Full of Holes’ expecting to hear lots of similarly structured power pop as featured on those earlier discs you may be in for a surprise, since huge chunks of the album are devoted to the band’s more downbeat, less immediate qualities.

The acoustic rhythm which provides the base for ‘A Summer Place’ is complimented by a decent bassline from Adam Schelsinger. While the tune is pleasant enough, the vocal has a nasal quality which can be slightly irritating, especially on a few of the longer notes.  It’s not the best of opening tracks… ‘Richie and Ruben’ follows with a mid-paced pop/rock outing, which again has a heavy bias towards acoustic work.  A piano accompaniment rounds out the sound, but despite the presence of a kitschy keyboard and handclaps, there’s something very much missing here…there’s no memorable hook. The chorus – if you could call it that – sounds like a pre-chorus; just as you’re expecting things to break into something bigger, you get left hanging.  Two songs in and ‘Sky Full of Holes’ sounds like it could be a massive disappointment…

And then the bouncy piano line which cuts through the heart of ‘Acela’ appears.  Coupled with a very Beatles styled vocal, it would be tempting to call this McCartney-esque, but there’s something more to it than that.  As the track progresses with some great interplay between the piano and a solid drum arrangement (courtesy of Brian Young), that other element soon becomes apparent:  this has a feel which isn’t too far removed from Crowded House’s rockier moments – and that’s something which is often welcome.  Everything’s nice and tight and although the song still doesn’t quite hit that “instant gratification” button, the band certainly sound more energized here.  And when ‘Someone’s Gonna Break Your Heart’ follows, brimming with harmony vocals, a decent chorus and an occasional stabbing piano, there’s a feeling of a band hitting their stride.  ‘A Dip In The Ocean’ is another upbeat piece of brilliance, allowing Young to showcase his hi-hat work which keeps things buoyant throughout.  The guitars chime in a classic Big Star fashion and the gang vocals really give things a full sound.  In short, this track is a piece of power pop genius.  These three songs definitely make up for any shortcomings on those earlier numbers.

Elsewhere, the album is understated and rather more mature in sound. ‘A Road Song’ reinstates those acoustics, but brings in a new element – in this case, a subtly used steel guitar.  This acoustic sound, harmony vocals and a slight country air push Fountains of Wayne into a musical world somewhere between Jackson Browne, The Thorns and early Wilco.  While it’s not especially likely you’ve bought a FOW album to experience Americana styles, the band sound relaxed and natural in this particular musical vein.  So much so, they follow this up with the similar-ish sounding ‘Workingman’s Hands’ which keeps in the harmonies and acoustics, but eschews some of that steel guitar for a gently played slide and occasional piano flourish.  ‘Hate to See You Like This’ makes no attempt at breaking any relatively downbeat vibes.  A steady backbeat on the drums gives the number a brooding atmosphere, while acoustic and electric rhythm guitars punctuated by clanging piano chords provide the main tune.  Vocally, the harmonies give things a lift, and eventually, this well-constructed number sounds not unlike something which could have been written by Scott Janovitz and his Boston outfit The Russians.

Naturally, some of you will be approaching this album looking for a sing-along opportunity a la ‘Stacy’s Mom’ and if it’s only with ‘Radio Bar’ (track 11 of 13) that ‘Sky Full of Holes’ comes close to that.  With the addition of a trumpet and glockenspiel, Fountains of Wayne launch into a tune that’s brazenly poppy.  The verses are catchy enough, with the whole band sounding really tight, but it’s the chorus which hits.  And it hits like brick.  Combining a simple refrain of ‘whoah-oh-oh-oh!’ with a trumpet which recalls The Boo Radleys’ ‘Wake Up Boo!’, this song will stick in your head for weeks…and that’s a promise.  The album winds down in a downbeat way with a semi-acoustic waltz (‘Firelight Waltz’) and ‘Cemetery Guns’, a number which combines acoustic guitars, strings and military drum-rolls. Neither track is as good as either ‘Road Song’ or ‘Workingman’s Hands’ – and as such isn’t likely to get you too excited – but even so the arranging is spot-on.

‘Sky Full of Holes’ isn’t as easy to get into as ‘Traffic and Weather’, but that’s not to say it’s inferior in the main; it’s just a bit…different.  Fountains of Wayne’s fifth studio album often has more of a singer-songwriter style than the full-on power pop which filled more of their previous outings.  No matter what the style, though, it’s hard to find fault with most of the arrangements.  Hopefully, this slight shift in musical approach will go some way to shaking off those Weezer comparisons Fountains of Wayne often get lumbered with.  And quite frankly, even during its weaker moments, this album features material that is far better written (and arranged) than almost anything Rivers Cuomo is likely to commit to plastic ever again.  Ever.

July 2011

THE TIN CAN .44s – The Speak Easy EP

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The first thing you’ll notice about The Tin Can .44s is that they really don’t sound like a band from the London borough of Islington.  Bands don’t always need to be from a specific location to end up with a specific sound, though; Def Leppard have a hugely Americanized approach for a band which was formed in Sheffield and the overlooked Steamboat Band often sounded a lot like The Black Crowes for a bunch of lads from the Midlands.  No…above any kind of authenticity, it’s the songs which really count – and it’s a shame this London quartet don’t appear to have any.

This debut EP features blues arrangements which are so ramshackle there are times when the four musicians don’t even appear to be playing the same number. Combine that with a lead vocalist who mumbles and drawls – ultimately becoming somewhat irritating in the process – and you have a release that’s hard to get through in one sitting, despite a short running time of just over twenty minutes.

The opening guitar riff of ‘Bad Craziness’ is delivered with a busy style which has a hint of retro cool.  And then it’s drowned out by a harmonica.  Joseph Strouzer’s harp playing is pretty good, but it quickly becomes obvious he’s in a completely different key to the rest of band.  Once the song moves into the opening verse, everything is so sloppy it’s painful.  Even though it seems like a near impossibility, once Phil Overton begins singing, things get even uglier.  Imagine four guys in a rehearsal space bashing out a funky blues riff, with the bassist desperately trying to hold things together as the lead guitar and harp fly off in tuneless abandon (possibly playing two completely different songs) and you get the general idea. ‘Three Coats’ contains some half-decent bluesy runs on the guitar, but as before, the final arrangement is a more than little messy.  Musically, it sounds like an incomplete jam – a band warming up for something better.  They never really find their groove, even with a relatively simple arrangement. Meanwhile, Overton’s vocals amble through with a very unnatural sneer.  A few of the louder lead guitar parts have a good feel and occasionally a good tone, but that’s really not enough to carry the whole number.  Opening with slide guitar accompanied by subtle blues harp, ‘The Picket’ shows a little promise.  Rumbling drums and an occasional bass chip into the arrangement and Overton’s vocals have an almost spoken quality. There’s more of an atmosphere building here than on the previous numbers.  This disappears once the band opts for a more upfront approach; the vocals settle back into their not especially tuneful traits and the band cruise through what’s best described as a workmanlike arrangement.  The featured guitar solo is ugly – like a Grateful Dead freakout without any of the talent – and just as you think things are about to build to a more interesting climax, its back to the blues stylings featured in the intro.  All in all, it’s nothing too special.

‘After The Show’ has a twelve bar blues at its core and features a dominant harmonica.  Most musicians can manage this kind of straight up boogie reasonably enough, and while that’s also true of The Tin Can .44s, somehow they still fail to create anything listenable.  Overton’s vocal has the charm of someone’s dad taking over the mic to sing karaoke at a wedding and the rest of the band muddle through in a very pedestrian manner.  ‘Now They Know’ begins life as a lounge arrangement, with the guitars noodling almost aimlessly, while Joe Strouzer’s blues harp accompanies with a whimper, lacking any sense of style or purpose.  A slightly off-key vocal weaves in an out of what could only be described as a horrible, shoddy mess.  Things improve for the second half, once The Tin Can .44s settle into a more standard blues groove.  Aaron Berk’s drum sound could do with far more of a punch, but at least here he manages to keep time here as the band rumble through the next couple of minutes.  Listening to The Tin Can .44s hammer out their blues rhythms, it’s soon obvious that bassist Juju Adams is the only member of the band carrying any consistent talent.  Although relatively low in the mix, his playing is solid.  He really ought to think about taking his talents elsewhere…

‘The Speak Easy EP’ sounds like four guys who just aren’t musically ready for a recording career of any kind; it’s the work of a band which sounds like they’re performing at an open mic night.  Most of their arrangements are – quite frankly – an absolute mess. featuring precious little which is memorable even in the short term. Their music lacks the bite required to pull in the garage rock crowd, yet their wannabe bluesy leanings just aren’t sharp enough to be of any interest to any actual blues fans…and in terms of capturing a bigger market, that’s not so good.

 

July 2011

Blink-182 announce album release date

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Blink-182 have announced their forthcoming album is to be released in September.  According to bassist/vocalist Mark Hoppus, the album is to be titled ‘Neighborhoods’ and is “tentatively scheduled for release on September 27th”.

The band’s first album since 2003, ‘Neighborhoods’ will feature the single ‘Up All Night’, though no further track details are available at this time.

Arch Enemy announce London date

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Gemany’s premier melodic death metal act Arch Enemy have announced a one-off London date.

The band are to play Shepherd’s Bush Empire on December 6th.  Support comes from Warbringer and Chtonic.

Arch Enemy’s 2011 release ‘Khaos Legions’ is the bands first album of fully new material since 2007’s ‘Rise of the Tyrant’ and is the band’s most successful release to date.  The album peaked at #15 in Germany, #9 in Finland, #25 in Sweden and #3 in Japan.

ROB MORATTI – Victory

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While Rob Moratti is well known as the frontman for AOR band Final Frontier, with whom he released a handful of well-respected albums between 2002-2006, the Canadian vocalist has a couple of other notable jobs on his musical CV.  In the mid 90s, he fronted an eponymously named hard rock band, with which he released ‘Desolation’ in 1995, with a follow-up ‘Legends of Tomorrow’ appearing a couple of years later.  With the first issued on the small German label Seagull Records and the second available as a pricy Japanese import, both albums are now quite hard to find.  ‘Desolation’ in particular really captured the power in his vocal delivery; a voice which sounded absolutely fantastic when set against the Led Zeppelin inspired riffs which fuelled the album’s best moments.

There came a surprise in the late 00’s, when Rob Moratti replaced Michael Sadler as the vocalist with Canadian prog legends Saga.  It was unusual that the band would even consider replacing Sadler since he’d held his position for three decades. However, Moratti bravely stepped in, releasing an album with them, in addition to performing at various live dates.  [Michael Sadler rejoined Saga in 2011].

After leaving Saga, Moratti resumed solo work.  The first release from this phase of his career – ‘Victory’ – is an AOR record, similar in style to his work with Final Frontier.  To help him bring his songs to life, Moratti has hired a selection of top-notch session musicians, including ex-Whitesnake/The Firm bassist Tony Franklin and Winger/Whitesnake guitarist Reb Beach.

‘Victory’ features no filler material, and as such, it comes as a somewhat of a surprise that it wasn’t snapped up by Moratti’s old label Frontiers.  Be warned though: while the songs are of a high standard with regards to AOR, the production is way too shiny.  Yes, melodic rock should always have good production values, but like most of Final Frontier’s songs, this album has been polished within inches of its life in the vocal department.  So much so, that the voice sounds way too smooth, too filtered and occasionally really unnatural.  This niggle is often notable on the album’s choruses, where Moratti goes from being a gifted rock vocalist to sounding like a chipmunk.  That often worked to the detriment of Final Frontier’s output and it’s the same here.  If, however, you had no problem with the squealy, over-processed nature of Moratti’s former band, you’ll love this.

After a quirky intro featuring a stabbing keyboard and scratching noise, ‘Life On The Line’ opens the disc with a soft rocker, full of melody.  Reb Beach’s rhythm guitar lines have just enough edge to give the song a certain sharpness, and the harmonies which flesh out the chorus are from the classic AOR mould.  As said, the end sound makes Moratti’s vocal sound a little high, but once you’re past that, it’s a good performance.  Even better is ‘Everything But Goodbye’, a Survivor-esque workout which showcases Franklin’s simple bass style and has enough space for Moratti to weave some great (albeit tried and tested) vocal patterns.  ‘On and On’ is another elegant rocker with a solid keyboard line and guitar riffs, leading up to an equally strong chorus.  Although all contributions are admirable, Reb Beach’s guitar work is cracking.  He’s a musician who seems to be able to turn his hand to all rock styles and judge the mood accordingly, and here, it really shows.  Even though his second solo is really showy and full of whammy-bar, his moment in the spotlight doesn’t sound at all out of place.  The most extreme guitar lines here are given a sense of balance by a few bars of atmospheric playing in the build up.

With keyboards straight out of 1986, ‘Hold That Light’ features a very infectious chorus and an arrangement which would really suit ‘Frontiers’ era Journey.  While Moratti seems to have lost that slightly harder rock edge which suited him so well in the mid 90s, here he delivers plenty of Steve Perry inspired inflections which ought to please a lot of AOR fans.  Also featuring plenty of classic AOR hallmarks, ‘Lifetime’ takes things down a notch. Beach’s clean toned guitar lines lay a very familiar base over which Moratti stretches his vocal…though this time maybe a little too far.  Quite waily in places, his delivery almost sounds like a self-parody; and once that’s been subjected to a little smoothing out, the vocal just becomes a high-pitched noise, making it hard to decipher the lyrics.  If this song had been taken down a notch and featured a more Dave Bickler-esque delivery, it would have been improved a great deal.  Somehow, despite this, it’s still a great tune – and it’s made even better with an expertly played solo from Beach that’s full of wonderful sweeping notes.  With its rock balladry delivered with a firm 80s vibe, ‘I Promise You’ is more than commendable.  As before, Beach’s soloing is top notch; Moratti’s lead vocal has moments where he sounds like he should be absolutely made for stuff like this…and in many ways he is – it’s just made a little difficult to take in due to its high pitch and almost unnatural studio sound (ironically, all vocals were recorded at “Natural Sound Studios”!).

With eleven decent songs, great playing and a style often favouring rockers over ballads, ‘Victory’ is worth hearing.   Make no mistake, as it stands, it’s good – with the potential to be very good in places.  However, had Rob Moratti used his more natural vocal style as heard in the mid 90s, it would’ve been a hundred times better.

 

June 2011