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half drag · 08-14-2009, 02:41 PM

I became a huge fan from the first I heard them in '04 - someone cranked It Still Moves down the hall at work at the end of a day. I was blown away. I thought they sounded like a rocked out version of California rock -- i.e., Jackson Browne, Eagles, Steve Miller Band - i.e., taken up a notch and with a way reverbed-up voice. Keep in mind this was Magheeta, Dancefloors, Golden, Master Plan, and One Big Holiday that formed this first impression of mine. I was as excited about a new band as I've been in years.

I quickly chased down some of their other stuff, notably the Acoustic Citsuoca EP, the At Dawn album, the Split EP with Songs: Ohia, the Chocolate and Ice EP. Those all became favorites of mine. Their first album The Tennessee Fire has a few standout tracks but it's really spotty. At Dawn and It Still Moves will be absolute favorites of mine forever.

Then, Z came and it's pretty solid but not on the same level and not as consistent as the previous two in my view. It goes in some more modern or proggy directions and I do appreciate that, and there are some great tracks, but the first couple tracks on side two aren't that strong and the whole thing is only ten tracks - I don't know -- solid and with some classic tracks but not as good as the previous two.

Then came Evil Urges which is sort of all over the place. I'm Amazed is a great straight-up rock track, Look at You and Smokin' From Shootin' are beautiful ballads, Sec Walkin' is a nice feel-good track. But a lot of the rest is kind of mediocre I think. I mean I appreciate the shape of the album with the two Touch Me's bookending, and I even like the opening title track, but Highly Suspicious and to a lesser extent a handful of other tracks are kind of sub-par.

At least I feel like coming from where they've come from (At Dawn and It Still Moves), they've taken some steps backwards with the last two records. And they do some goofy stuff live too like Kool & the Gang that I could do without. Just stick with the best of the repertoire, boys.

So while I would have voted #5 Amazing without a second thought a few years ago, I actually just voted #4 Very Good today : (.

EDIT: ah, ****it, What a Wonderful Man, Off the Record, Lay Low and Dondante *do* rock off Z...

08-14-2009, 02:41 PM	#53 (permalink)
half drag Music Addict Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: New Yuck Posts: 58	I became a huge fan from the first I heard them in '04 - someone cranked It Still Moves down the hall at work at the end of a day. I was blown away. I thought they sounded like a rocked out version of California rock -- i.e., Jackson Browne, Eagles, Steve Miller Band - i.e., taken up a notch and with a way reverbed-up voice. Keep in mind this was Magheeta, Dancefloors, Golden, Master Plan, and One Big Holiday that formed this first impression of mine. I was as excited about a new band as I've been in years. I quickly chased down some of their other stuff, notably the Acoustic Citsuoca EP, the At Dawn album, the Split EP with Songs: Ohia, the Chocolate and Ice EP. Those all became favorites of mine. Their first album The Tennessee Fire has a few standout tracks but it's really spotty. At Dawn and It Still Moves will be absolute favorites of mine forever. Then, Z came and it's pretty solid but not on the same level and not as consistent as the previous two in my view. It goes in some more modern or proggy directions and I do appreciate that, and there are some great tracks, but the first couple tracks on side two aren't that strong and the whole thing is only ten tracks - I don't know -- solid and with some classic tracks but not as good as the previous two. Then came Evil Urges which is sort of all over the place. I'm Amazed is a great straight-up rock track, Look at You and Smokin' From Shootin' are beautiful ballads, Sec Walkin' is a nice feel-good track. But a lot of the rest is kind of mediocre I think. I mean I appreciate the shape of the album with the two Touch Me's bookending, and I even like the opening title track, but Highly Suspicious and to a lesser extent a handful of other tracks are kind of sub-par. At least I feel like coming from where they've come from (At Dawn and It Still Moves), they've taken some steps backwards with the last two records. And they do some goofy stuff live too like Kool & the Gang that I could do without. Just stick with the best of the repertoire, boys. So while I would have voted #5 Amazing without a second thought a few years ago, I actually just voted #4 Very Good today : (. EDIT: ah, ***it, What a Wonderful Man, Off the Record, Lay Low and Dondante do* rock off Z...