The Fractals - Heavy Rotation

The Fractals - Heavy Rotation
2009, Kelvinsky Music

The Fractals have toiled in the background for years as members of other bands or well-worn session players. Vocalist/songwriter/guitarist Kevin Hanson has recorded with The Roots, Jay-Z and Usher, but his songwriting style has garnered him significant attention both with The Fractals and his previous band, Huffamoose. Bass-man Jim Stager plays everything, recording with everyone from Rosemary Clooney to punkers X. One of Philadelphia's top session players, Stager can play anything. Drummer Erik Johnson has recordings with Susan Werner, Mutlu, Lelia Broussard and Ben Schachter on his resume, and provides inspired drumming and soaring backing vocals. Guitarist Mike Frank spent two decades with Jim Boggia, and has also logged studio and stage time with The Disco Biscuits. When they come together as The Fractals, these four gentlemen are as unpredictable and virtuosic as their background might suggest, changing musical styles like a chameleon. This tendency is shown in fine form on The Fractals' latest album, Heavy Rotation.

Heavy Rotation opens with "Take Your Clothes Off Please", an old-fashioned song of pie-eyed rock n roll lust. The arrangement is very basic, and the treatment mild given the subject matter, but it's a solid start. "Priscilla The Killa" sounds more like a lead track, featuring a big, catchy guitar riff, high energy and a crunchy sound. "Dark And Stormy" features a 1970's smooth-jazz sound that seems very much at odds with the sounds on the first two tracks. The Fractals offer up some serious vocal harmonies in the process, staking out a wide berth for musical creativity. That easy-going vibe continues on "Isn't It Remarkable", a celebration in muted but lively tones. The vocal line here is a highlight, and the vocal harmonies exceed beauty.

The Fractals go back to a straight-ahead rock n roll sound on "Buried Alive", with an urgent feel and some serious guitar solos. "That Girl Tonight" is a song of encouragement with something of a country feel. It's an invitation, or perhaps an exhortation, to give up conformity and be yourself. Irony rains on "The End Of The End Of Days", the anthem of a disillusioned Christian rocker who has made a career writing songs about the coming end of the world but who is now questioning whether it's all true. The Fractals close with "She Gets Me", a post-modern love song of sorts. The arrangement here is a bit rough; making it seem like the band lost steam with the song at one point and just engaged in repetition to fill out the space. It's the least melodic track on the album and may have been more appropriate as a non-album track.
H
The Fractals dress up their music to impress on Heavy Rotation, expanding musical horizons wide enough to lose direction at times. Heavy Rotation is a solid effort with strong and weak moments. Kevin Hanson is in his usual good form, and Mike Frank helps to fill out the band's sound admirably. Heavy Rotation isn't perfect, but it's good enough to stick on your personal play list for the summer.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about The Fractals at http://www.thefractals.com/ or www.myspace.com/thefractalstunes. Heavy Rotation is availbable electronically from Amazon and iTunes.

Review: The Comforts - Come On In!

The Comforts - Come On In!
2009, The Comforts

Cincinnati, Ohio’s The Comforts don’t play the typical Rock N Roll game; it’s not sex, drugs, and party-party-party for this quintet, but good, old fashioned Rock music with broad appeal that saves the day. You can find them anywhere from a biker bar to church festivals, with smiles from both crowds. The Comforts’ debut album, Come On In!, reflects this aesthetic, with influences ranging from 1950’s pop to 1970’s Rock/Metal bands like Rush.

Come On In! opens with Better Reasons, a relatively straight forward Pop/Rocker with it's lineage in 1960's girl groups and pop idols like Brenda Lee. The mix on this song is a bit muddy, with the vocals sounding very restricted in the presented mix. Never Look Back runs on a guitar riff that might have been inspired by Alex Liefson. The song itself is a pleasant listen and a call for community. The vocals are shared here between Paul Lake and Frances Lynn Merke; both are competent in their parts but don’t set the world on fire. Love Around You takes on folks who have real-world responsibilities but continue to act like they are young and unfettered. The arrangement here is messy, particularly around the vocal harmonies; a case where the message is great but the delivery is unfortunately less than spectacular. Small Town Girl hearkens back to the early days of Rock N Roll and is my personal favorite from the EP. Circles Never End has an urgent, even pushy feel to it that's just a might infectious. The arrangement will get stuck in your head, although the melody line is a bit non-descript. Come On In! closes out with You're That Girl, a messy but fun romp

The Comforts stick to the sound they know best on Come On In! The EP didn't blow me away, but had a couple of good moments. I don't know what the long term prospects are for The Comforts, but it will be interesting to see where they go next.

Rating: 2.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about The Comforts at www.myspace.com/thecomfortsrock. You can purchase a copy of Come On In! on CD or as a download at www.cdbaby.com/cd/comforts.

Review: The Riverboat Gamblers - Underneath The Owl

The Riverboat Gamblers - Underneath The Owl
2009, Volcom Entertainment

Denton, Texas based The Riverboat Gamblers come blasting out of the Lone Star State with some of the most honest and pure punk/pop/rock of the year to date. Their debut album, Underneath The Owl mixes that punk grit and toughness with a strong commercial leaning and big hooks. The result is an engaging album that is likely to do great things for the bands’ long term prospects.

Underneath The Owl opens with DissDissDissKissKissKiss, with guest Todd Congellier). Its a highly kinetic performance that has strong roots in punk rock but maintains a tenuous hold on pop song structure. A Choppy, Yet Sincere Apology follows; a peppy, poppy rock song that's good for dancing (preferably pogo-style). The Riverboat Gamblers are punk band with their feet firmly in the pop world or they are a renegade pop band constantly on the verge of flying off the handle and slam dancing the crowd. Underneath The Owl is that sort of listening experience. The energy here is incredible, the songwriting is average but you won't care as you're swept up in the raw testosterone and vinegar The Riverboat Gamblers deal in. Alexandria is a lively listen with some strong pop sensibilities, and Sleepless has the incessant, angst-filled energy that is missing from so much of modern rock. Other highlights include Keep Me From Drinkin', Steer Clear and Victory Lap.

The Riverboat Gamblers may not win any prizes for intellectual songwriting or pithy nuance, and I doubt they care. They'll just crank it up to eleven and blow the bloody roof off and dare you to keep up. Underneath The Owl is good time Rock N Roll for the masses. This is a highly commercial release that the Pop and Rock world won't see coming. If you're looking for fun, call The Riverboat Gamblers. They won't let you down.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

To learn more about The Riverboat Gamblers, check out http://www.theriverboatgamblers.com/ or www.myspace.com/theriverboatgamblers. You can purchase a copy of Underneath The Owl at Amazon.com or wherever music is sold.