Too Bad Eugene "Moonlighting" CD
[Tooth & Nail]
Here's some pop punk/emo/indie rock action from Santa Cruz, California. It's not what I would call original at all, but I like a lot of what's going on. The vocals harmonies are awesome, and the drumming is also really forceful. I think the recording needs work for this material to reach its full potential, though. But it's mainly the mix. For one thing the vocals are definitely too dominant, which really gets on my nerves. The vocals need to drop back in with the music, the bass tone needs to be a little bit thicker (it's got great definition but comes off too plunky), and the guitars need to retain their smoothness with a little bit more of a bright crunch to the distortion. The drums need to play a larger role as well, because the constant use of fills is great, but the drums fall to the background far too often. As for the writing, the songs are pretty good. Some are more memorable than others of course, but as it stands, production aside, I think that a little kick in the ass in the tempo department would definitely make these songs rock harder. A lot of times I find myself sitting here thinking, "Damn, this isn't half bad, but it's lagging..." If they sped things up just a tad the tracks would be so much more energetic and catchy. The layout's not that hot. It looks good, it's just boring. The entire thing consists of illustrations of moonlit night skies and black silhouettes of landscapes and such. The only thing I really like is the compact and precise presentation of the lyrics, which is very cool. I'm really not into the lyrics either, simply because a lot of the subject matter deals subtly or blatantly with the band's christian beliefs, and they don't always handle it in a way that doesn't alienate the listener. But there are some really great passages at times. "Has it occurred to you that this is all you've ever had - a world created by perception? Have you yet thought it through the things you see as good and bad are nothing more than learned projections, recollections from childhood?" I really want to like this more than I do, because this stuff could be awesome, but they're falling short this time around. There are a handful of great songs here ("Theological" is especially fuckin' killer), but they could do so much more. Maybe next time. (I hope!) (6/10)
Running time - 40:56, Tracks: 10
[Notable tracks: Condolences, Bad Guy, Theological]
Tooth & Nail Records - http://www.toothandnail.com

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