Story of the Year sports new sound
A raspy vocalist and band members with an ear for jazz and the blues, The Animal Liberation Orchestra has released a new album, “Fly Between Falls,” and the sound is catchy, demanding and not for everybody. But it’s definitely worth checking out.
The band is from Southern California but is more concerned with creating solid, old fashioned music than liberating animals.
Funky and bluesy, this is music that moves to a beat of its own. Not something for everybody, but if Jack Johnson sits on your shelf, this CD will fit quite comfortably. Definitely a niche groove – a little slap bass, a little blues guitar, and a vocalist able to tie it all together with words written from the head and heart – and if this is your thing, you’re going to love every second.
Soft and jazzy, with a subtle synthesizer that only adds to the overall blues ambience, several genres are touched but never abused, ranging from blues, jazz, country, and even a little rock.
On the track “Girl I Wanna Lay You Down,” lead vocalist Zach Gill brings his raspy but polished voice to lyrics built around instructions on how to have a romantic dinner and a passionate evening. Simple, but surprisingly fitting, the lyrics only add to the feel of the music.
On other tracks, a piano intro is followed by Gill’s warm vocals, with the rest of the band only joining in to great effect – so catchy you’ll be tapping your feet before you know it.
Although the music is complex, the almost simple riffs feel so easy that you’ve no doubt these musicians have mastered their respective instruments and are comfortable mixing sounds. On select tracks, there is minimal singing, revealing Gill’s talent on the keyboard.
It would be impossible to overstate this band’s talent, as they never write pieces that purposely show off at the expense of the music or lyrics, and it is that holding back that sets them above other bands with similar sounds.
Comparisons to Jack Johnson spring to mind, and both bands possess the same restraint in writing – to let the slow beat never build, to let the guitar never get louder, and to let the singer almost talk his way through the tracks. Again, not for everybody – but few people will admit they don’t like the sound – as it’s definitely worth checking out.
A talented band with a gifted singer and well-written lyrics and perfect organization.
Blaine Adams is a music critic at the Utah Statesman. Comments and questions can be sent to him at blainea@cc.usu.edu.
Poor lyrics lead to fall of Jericho
Everyone has an N’Sync CD under their bed; and no one will ever forget the smooth harmonies and blended riffs of pop music phenomenon, The Backstreet Boys.
But singing to a different audience, with different lyrics and a different approach to songwriting, is the band Jericho Road.
September 6, 2005 brought the band’s third full length album, “There is More” to stores, making this their fifth release altogether.
Well-executed pop staples, such as a bouncy, consonant sound built on subtle electric guitars and synthesized beats are present in every song, with the exceptions utilizing a soft piano to create a balanced CD. The vocals are as tight and seamless as any other boy band, with only a slight distinction between the low and high voices, letting all four singers take their turn in the white light.
But with every release of this genre – synthesized pop – there exists the very real fear that although the music may be well-written and catchy, the vocals will fall short or flat all together. Jericho Road, however, is both polished musically and vocally, but the lyrics may be the poorest in the genre.
“I will testify to love/I will give thanks to God above/I will echo in the silences/When words are not enough…” From the first track on the CD, it’s difficult to appreciate the complex music and talented vocals as the words they sing are second-rate.
“Every color of the rainbow/every star up in the sky…lives to testify…” These lyrics are mundane and too spiritual, as though they’re new school hymns put to rock tunes. And though this may occasionally work, Jericho Road struggles to find meaning in the words beyond notes on a scale.
There is a lack of depth to the words that translates to the music, as the best boy bands rely on the lyrics to add to the melody, allowing for a cappella songs to rise to some of the best in the industry, and the severed connection found between the composition and lyrics makes the entire album merely an afterthought.
Well-written, complex music stapled to poor lyrics and lack of imagination.
Blaine Adams is a music critic at the Utah Statesman. Comments and questions can be sent to him at blainea@cc.usu.edu.