Suite 709 - Night & Day

Suite 709 – Night & Day
2012, Suite 709

In a day and age when modern R&B has become cliché and the rock and roll on radio sounds pro-forma and pre-packaged, it’s refreshing to find a band that blends the two with a real sense of life.  Suite 709 will make you want to dance, but without the mind numbing beats of electronic music or the lyrical rashness of modern pop.  Suite 709 is a party waiting to happen, a fact that becomes readily apparent on their debut album, Night & Day.

Kicking things off with “Tonight Is My Night”, a vibrant song celebrating love in its many splendors, Suite 709 impresses from the start.  Front man Jirod Greene is part Jermaine Stewart and part Philip Bailey, impressing with golden tones and an acrobatic vocal style that engages the listener.  “She Don’t Even Know” carries a distinctive pop sensibility, sucking the listener in with a radio-ready sound while flying a bit loose lyrically.  “Rockets” is a catchy, upbeat love song that you won’t be able to shake, although the lyrical component seems a bit rote.

“Miss You The Most (True Love)” is a bit bland, but carries a nice melody that may have been better spent in a different arrangement.  It’s a solid effort, but perhaps just not up to the standard set thus far by Suite 709.  “I Like It” brings the funk in a lively number that will have you feet ready to boogie.  If you aren’t moving to this number then you simply aren’t listening.  Suite 709 takes a bow with “Apples And Oranges”, the best writing on the album.  Suite 709 achieves a classic Motown feel here, updating it a bit in style and sound, but making the case that they not only belong, but are here to stay.

Jirod Greene is the sort of front man who can make a band, a fact that should not be used to overlook the rest of Suite 709.  These guys play together like they were born together.  Greene’s enigmatic vocal style stands out, but he’s really just part of a dynamic ensemble whose full talent has yet to be tapped.  Night & Day is a great introduction to a band that is going to have a lot to say over the next few years.  Don’t be surprised if Suite 709 is a staple on commercial radio in the not-too-distant future.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Suite 709 at www.unlocksuite709.com. 

Night & Day drops on April 21, 2012.  Suite 709 is currently working to pre-sell 200 limited copies, including an autographed 12” vinyl copy and an autographed CD.  You can check it out and buy in their webstore.