Category Archives: Album & EP Reviews

FOUNTAINS OF WAYNE – Sky Full Of Holes

Posted on by

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

Posted on by

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

ROB MORATTI – Victory

Posted on by

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

PALE AUTUMN – Final Act EP

Posted on by

On first viewing, the cover of this Philadelphia trio’s EP is more than reminiscent of the 1999 Counting Crows release ‘This Desert Life’, although it’s likely both bands’ sleeve art was influenced by René Magritte.   Just as it’s quite obvious who influenced their choice of art, a few bars into their debut, there’s little doubt about which rock subgenre Pale Autumn’s music falls into.

The combination of Nick Santone’s vocal style and the clean-ish guitar which begins the opening number (and title cut) brings more than a hint of a post-grunge style; although to begin with, the band favour a lightness of touch in places that various similar bands lack. The track has a slow burning first half, with Santone’s vocal taking a leading role.  Behind him, though, Bobby Hall’s drum patterns help maintain listening interest.  For the second part of the number, things fall into a rather more predictable pattern, as the guitars are cranked and its mid-paced nature doesn’t offer the listener anything they won’t have already gleaned from Staind’s more reflective moments, or indeed, any number of similar alternative bands of the naughties.  It’s a strong number, although it’s rather mid-paced nature doesn’t necessarily make it the best opening statement.  Chosen as the EP’s single release, perhaps ‘Marionette’ would have been more suited to that position; it certainly has a far more upbeat feel.  With slightly funky chords, it’s a song which sounds more positive all round.  Pale Autumn occupy a musical space which allows Pat McGraw to lay down a solid bassline,  while Santone delivers a few sharp chords here and there.  In terms of sound, it’s too heavy to have an obvious persuasion from Collective Soul or Matchbox Twenty, even though the overall mood occasionally hints at such influences.  Vocally, Santone appears a little more ragged than before, but it’s a vocal style which is very much in keeping with the up and down nature of the arrangement.

‘The Tides Return’ offers a slightly different side to the Pale Autumn’s sound, with the previous chunky guitar riffs replaced in the main by a brilliant rolling piano.  Since 90% of piano based rock is very cool, this presents the band in a much more interesting light. Here, they adopt a sound that’s not unlike The Fray, only much harder.  The piano really compliments Santone’s vocal and the lack of guitars throughout the song’s first half means bassist McGraw has more time in the spotlight.  Against the piano lines, his playing is unwavering.  By the time the guitars crash in near the end, things are more ordinary, but by then, ‘The Tides Return’ has already proved itself to be the EPs essential track.  The guitars, naturally, start to dominate once they arrive, but thankfully the piano hangs in there, still delivering a great melody underneath the riffs.

‘Postcards’ showcases the acoustic side of the band.  Naturally with Pale Autumn’s alt-rock/post grunge chops, the track doesn’t go the full-on acoustic route.  Those acoustics are blended with subtle electric leads, over which Santone’s vocal is decent enough.  The track builds gradually to a big rock climax where the band settles for a very safe musical territory.  You may have heard it all before, but listeners who enjoyed stuff by Tonic et al back in the early 00’s are likely to find enjoyment here.  The closing number, ‘Cemetery Leaves’ begins softly with a clean toned guitar and a suitably hushed vocal.  Live sounding drums and a warm bass provide great accompaniment.  At the moment where the big rock part would normally make an appearance, the band shows a great restraint. Those guitars are turned up ever so slightly and Santone’s vocal finds a little more muscle, eventually culminating in his strongest performance.  While it doesn’t quite have the all-round magic of ‘The Tides Return’, it’s certainly a fitting way to finish things off.

On this EP, Pale Autumn never break out of tried and tested musical ideas, resulting in a sound which isn’t especially original. Despite that, the song writing is strong throughout and musical input from each of the three musicians is solid.  A few more pianos would certainly have lifted the bar even higher, but even so ‘Final Act’ is a great debut.   Even if the whole thing doesn’t grab you after a couple of listens, downloading ‘The Tides Return’ is strongly advised.

July 2011

JON ANDERSON – Survival & Other Stories

Posted on by

The creation of ‘Survival & Other Stories – Jon Anderson’s fourteenth studio album (not including his twenty discs of ‘Lost Tapes’) – had an interesting birth.  Anderson invited people to send in pieces of music to his website, from which he would pick the best moments.  While this process is fairly unusual, it’s not completely new; Tommy Lee used exactly the same creative process for his 2010 Methods of Mayhem release.  Luckily, on the whole, Anderson’s album turned out far better than Tommy Lee’s somewhat messy affair.

Anderson’s solo works traditionally have a poppier quality than the overblown progressive epics he has recorded with Yes, and for the most part this album (Anderson’s first offering since leaving the prog-rock giants at the end of the 00’s) is no exception.  However, the opening number, ‘New New World’ however, is surprisingly rocky.  While the core of the music features a string loop and Anderson’s liking of keyboard based pop, a huge Jason Bonham style drum part adds plenty of weight.  The noodling electric guitars hint at something Yes’s Steve Howe may have played, while the rhythms are hard and driving.  This great rock number is a greatly surprising way to open an Anderson solo record, but it is very welcome.  If you’re expecting the rest of the disc to follow suit though, you’ll probably be disappointed.  The following couple of songs ‘Understanding Truth’ and ‘Unbroken Spirit’ are light and airy, with Anderson’s ethereal vocals (still strong, though not as pure as they once had been) guiding the way.  On ‘Unbroken Spirit’, particularly, he sounds very assured set against the acoustic guitars and eighties keyboards.  It’s not challenging, but as far as adult new-age pop is concerned, it’s decent enough.  Mixing a world-music drum line, hard piano and fantastic harmony vocals, the punchy ‘Love of the Life’ brings positivity and a sunny vibe.  While Anderson’s vocal is strong, the musical arrangement wins out, especially once that drum part melds with a busy bassline.

The atmospheric ‘Incoming’ presents the first of a pair of less instant numbers.  While it’s not especially direct, it’s also this album’s essential track.  The piano is soft, with its main base is structured around two chords, over which Anderson sings about discovery and love.  As you may expect, this builds gradually, eventually erupting in a cinematic climax, where the strings are epic and the drums are booming.  It takes a long while to get there though…but it’s pace and structure is so good it never feels like it labours a point; it’s near eight minute duration feels like it’s passed by in half the time.  ‘Cloudz’ has similarly new-age qualities, as Anderson’s distinctive voice sings out “the earth was singing for the love, the love of life” over a simply gorgeous piano line.  While, in the main, it’s a real piano at work as opposed to synths (though a few subtle synths creep in to flesh out the sound here and there), this is the kind of work you could imagine Jon working on with Vangelis, should the pair ever reunite.  Like ‘Incoming’, the atmosphere really carries the listener and the long duration never drags.

During ‘Big Buddha Song’ Anderson’s vocals sound very organic against a mid-paced drum clank and accompanying backing voices.  The lead guitar has an effective ringing quality; as such, these unfussy elements allow Anderson to take centre stage with his vocal.  Sadly, as its title suggests, those not into religion and spirituality may find the lyrical content a huge turn-off… On the plus side, it includes a backing vocal section which quotes the Yes vocal loop ‘We Have Heaven’ in a pointed, unsubtle reference to Anderson’s “other” career. ‘Effortlessly’ and ‘Love and Understunding’ return to the acoustic stylings of ‘Unbroken Spirit’, a musical medium which seems to find the solo Anderson most at ease.  The former is soft and intricate, while the latter is a rousing pop number, full of harmonies.  The message of “all is God and love and understanding” may seem a little unsubtle, but pitched against the upbeat music, Anderson sounds like he’s having a great time.

‘Survival & other Stories’ contains some nice pop/rock tunes and a fair amount of lyrical content leaning towards Anderson’s hippie ideals and spiritual beliefs.  Some of Anderson’s previous solo outings have leant a little too far in the pop direction, but this time around, he strikes just the right balance between pop, rock and new age qualities with many of the album’s songs retaining memorable hooks. Whilst to many people Anderson will always be the voice associated with Yes and their overtly complex arrangements, here, he proves his gift for writing solid, simple songs. Although it’s got plenty of spiritual mumbo-jumbo and couple of the best numbers are atmospheric rather than hook-laden, ‘Survival & Other Stories’ never feels too self-indulgent.

July 2011