Review: Seaspin - Reverser EP

Seaspin - Reverser EP
2009, Seaspin

Sometimes it’s just a matter of finding the right roles for everyone. Not that there was anything wrong with the band Your Enemies' Friends, who topped the CMJ charts and toured with/opened for acts such as Spiritualized, TV On The Radio and The Mars Volta. Vocalist/guitarist Ronnie Washburn and guitarist/vocalist Jennifer Goodridge had a good run with Your Enemies' Friends, but both desired a different direction or focus. Goodridge and Washburn spun off into a duo, with Goodridge taking over lead vocals. Before long they were joined by Justin Taylor (keys/guitar/vox); Ross O'Carroll (bass) and Isaac Carpenter (drums), winning critical acclaim and packing houses in Los Angeles. Seaspin's debut EP, Reverser, was produced by Washburn and Warren Huart (The Fray), and attempts to capture the band's live sound.

Opening with Love Is A Fable, Seaspin sets a reserved tone right out of the gate. Love Is A Fable plays like a melodic power ballad where all rough edges have been smoothed away. Goodridge has a decent sound, but its hard to tell from the first song how accomplished her voice is as she never really extends herself during the song. Dream Life is hypnotic and colorless, eschewing any real sense of dynamics for lush consistency. Goodridge has a nice sound, but again, there's no stretch here. Give Yourself finds Seaspin treading musical waters; the sound doesn't change and even the short EP begins to acquire a sense of monotony. Reverser finds Seaspin trying to raise the level a notch, but the same overly-lush rock feel is there. Seaspin closes out with both Goodridge and Washburn on vocals. The net effect is the same however, there's very little dynamic variation short of the noise collage at the very end of the song.

Seaspin is instrumentally sound, and both Goodridge and Washburn have pleasant enough voices, but there is some essential spark that just didn't make it onto the Reverser EP. I kept waiting for a spark that would send Goodridge on a vocal tizzy or Washburn into the guitar stratosphere, but neither of these happens during the Reverser EP. The sounds on Reverser as pleasant, but there's not a lot of vibrant energy in the performances.

Rating: 2 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Seaspin at http://www.myspace.com/seaspin%20or%20seaspin.wordpress.com. No online outlet for Reverser is noted, although you can stream tracks on Seaspin’s MySpace page.

Review: God's Guns – Invasion 89

God's Guns – Invasion 89
God’s Guns

Ted Nott (vocals/bass) and Daniel Villarreal Carrillo (drums) travel under the name God's Guns, mixing elements of Rock, Jazz, Funk and Classical music into a dynamic and wide-ranging musical melting pot on their debut album, Invasion '89. The Chicago duo claim influences as diverse as Fela Kuti, Janes Addiction, Nine Inch Nails, The Mars Volta and Miles Davis. Wrap it all up in a grunge-flavored sensibility and you have a sound that's not quite like anything else currently out there.

God's Guns open with Ruby Ridge, a piece of Funk-driven rock with minimalist instrumentation (bass, drums & vocals). It's organic dance rock if you can imagine Pearl Jam playing with P-Funk's bassist sitting in. God's Guns shows a progressive leaning toward the end of the song that bears out later on. Invasion 89 features highly complex rhythms drawn from Jazz and Afrobeat styles, but musically it's all over the map.) God's Guns get expansive on Gutters Eye Blue, a melodramatic piece built around an almost derelict depression. Drum and bass fill the core here, with the vocal and violin dueling in a form of raw, forlorn grace.

God's Guns discuss the fall of New Orleans on Skeletons Of Louisiana Streets. The song is done beat poet style with sparse musical accompaniment, and focus on the moral and social degradation of the city rather than on a specific event such as Hurricane Katrina. Fires In The Fall finds the band in an introspective ode to a friend who has passed on. Driven by acoustic guitar and a dramatic vocal line reminiscent of some of Eddie Vedder's better stuff. Same Sinatra, More Insane features a searingly dramatic vocal line, but the song itself gets a bit messy. Petroleum gets messy but in true Progressive Rock circular style and ends up sounding more Psychedelic than anything. Puppet Show is a deep mess, running all over the map. It sounds as if God's Guns is more concerned with construction than progression here.

God's Guns turn out a solid if uneven effort in Invasion 89. The drums and bass setup with occasional violin or guitar is interesting, but wears as the album progresses. It seems as if may have worn on God's Guns as well, as the second half of the album is nowhere near the quality of the first half (with the exception of Fires in The Fall). When God's Guns are on their game they are an engaging band with a unique sound. These guys are definitely worth checking out, although individual songs may be hit or miss.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about God’s Guns at www.myspace.com/godsguns or http://www.godsguns.com/. You can purchase a copy of Invasion 89 through CDBaby.

Review: A Scribe Amidst The Lions - Sunken Cities

A Scribe Amidst The Lions - Sunken Cities
2008, Tubwater Music

San Diego’s A Scribe Admist The Lions takes Alternative Rock down harrowing and reward paths on Sunken Cities, their second album. Nominated for a 2008 San Diego Music Award as best alternative album; Sunken Cities explores the depths of experimental rock in occasionally discomfiting and generally rewarding dioramas of sound. Don’t expect to listen passively; you won’t get it unless you stay involved.

Sunken Cities opens with The Depth Commencing, a brief instrumental appetizer that leads into the explosive chaos of The Equator Swallowed The Boys. Imagine elements of Classic Rock and Melodic, Post-Punk Modern Rock wrapped into a highly compact yet ranging Rock N Roll experience and you'll get an idea of where A Scribe Admist The Lions starts out. Elements of Grunge come into play on Scripted Daydreams, which has a monotonous and less-than-elegant temperament. The vocal line reaches stratospheric heights in this song with notes that are pure imagination for most singers. A Scribe Amidst The Lions takes turns both Progressive and Psychedelic on songs like Wet Bird, Marble Czar and Light Sinks The Moon, balancing right on the edge of musical madness for much of the middle of the album. No Peace Found In Pieces continues the somewhat psychedelic aspect, but maintains a bit more constructive approach. After several listens I'd have to say that A Scribe Admist The Lions remind me most of Canadian rockers The Rheostatics but with less of a tendency to seek out the occasional bit of Pop sensibility. You'll want to make sure you seek out The Drift and Metropolyptika as well.

A Scribe Amidst The Lions is what you might call an acquired taste. Dark, urban soundscapes populated with psychedelic bordering on psychotic moments is the order of the day on Sunken Cities. This is an album that challenges the listener to dig deeper and find your own treasures. On balance, I can't say that I entirely enjoyed it, but Sunken Cities was an interesting experience. There are folks out there for whom this will click, starting with fans of The Rheostatics.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about A Scribe Amidst The Lions at http://www.ascribeamidstthelions.com/ or www.myspace.com/ascribeamidstthelions. You can purchase a copy of Sunken City at www.cdbaby.com/cd/asatl2, or you can download the album from iTunes.