Hmmm... I can't make up my mind about this. It's basically straightforward emo/indie rock type of stuff that's mildly somber and not quite as poppy as the kind of stuff that's tearing up the radio these days, and I kind of like that... but at the same time, I think it would be better if it was catchier and more energetic in that sense. As it stands these guys write solid songs, and I really like the fairly calm singing vocals, but something seems like it's missing. As I always say when it comes to this stuff, I definitely think that more vocal harmonies would make a positive difference, but beyond that I'm not sure what I feel needs to be present. I like the fact that the basslines are really prominent and don't mirror the guitars all the time, and the guitar parts are hard panned so that you can really hear the subtle effects of the way the different rhythms are interacting. A couple of the songs, like the slower "Monsters" and the slightly more involved/upbeat "What Do You Have to Say?" are really awesome, but a lot of the other tracks lack that immediate impact and feel sort of similar to one another as far as tempo and mood, etc. I don't really have any problems with the production. The mix is nice and even, it's clear, there's a good amount of density, etc. I wouldn't really change anything. If more vocal harmonies were going to be employed the singing might need an extra dash of brightness to it, but the way everything is layered now it works. The CD-Rom portion of the disc features a video for the song "What Do You Have to Say?", which consists of black and white footage of the band playing in a practice space type of area cut together with shots of the guys just fooling around or whatever. Not really anything to write home about. I'm not into the presentation so much. I mean, the text is clean and the appearance consistent, but it's boring. Instead of your usual band photos you get illustrations of the band doing the usual poses, and then there's a drawing of a guitar and a drawing of a girl on a couch. No lyrics are included, so that's all you get. I like this. I'm not blown away, but this band is good, and I'm about 99% certain that they definitely have it in 'em to kick my ass all over the place if they continue to hone their writing. Maybe we'll see...
[Lonesome]
Running time - 33:14, Tracks: 10
[Notable tracks: Monster, What Do You Have to Say?, Save My Soul]
Lonesome Recordings - http://www.lonesomerecordings.com
