Buy the album, but come to the show...
From start to finish, this album is an audio feast. From the fan favorite, bassline driven, opening track, to the final post-modern trippie grunge of the closing track, you'll be treated to one of the best releases this year. Expanding the limits of what soul & urban music is, McClure, Torres, McKeithan, & Rodriguez bring a sound that is both groovy & accessible without being too cheesy, as many bands who attempt the genre-blend come off. With support from some of the Charlotte music scene's best, including the slam master poet extraordinaire, Bluz (check him out on myspace.com) adding his unique poetic touch to the track "Smell, Pt.2", a sequel of sorts to part 1 on his own album; there are also co-composition credits for former band member ML Caldwell (www.MLCaldwell.com) on two of the songs.
If you are savvy, let the experience continue online at their website & hear the stuff that didn't make the album, but can be downloaded for FREE!!! Again, there are some wonderful gems & great guest appearances. The sax twin dynamo's from Audioform (another hot band on the Charlotte music scene - check them out on myspace.com) join former gig partners on the song "Mother, Father", a fan favorite at the shows. And, again, we see the name of ML Caldwell (or Marcus) as stories tell about the song histories, except this time, we get to hear Caldwell playing on a song he co-composed, "Song of the Ghetto."
The only unfortunate thing about the overall sound is that the highs are just that, too high, & it all sounds a bit too digitized, as this is probably from recording on digital equipment rather than that warm analog sound that the live shows (& consequently the merchandise sporting the "keep it reel" with reel to reel tape on it) would suggest. On "Identity Crisis", however, there are too many effects on the guitar. Couple this with the fact that McKeithan is playing far too many notes in what seems to be a more simple pattern, & the song just sounds like noise. Plus, it lacks the raw energy of the live show. This, again, as far as sound goes, is the fault of the mixer, engineer, &/or mastering company, rather than the band. And from the sound, you would think that McKeithan is the band leader, as the guitar work seems to dominate every track. Fan favorite, "Detox", a song that sounds best suited on a McKeithan solo album, falls flat here. The vocals sound contrived and unsure, while the guitar work, normally eloquent, comes off a bit lackluster and uncertain. Torres is barely audible on a few tracks, & this is unfortunate, as he is one of the main reasons that fans come out to see the band. McClure does his best on drums to liven up the album & even does a little Rhodes work, though it is so low in the mix that you might have missed it (on "Closer") The album would have definitely benefited from a bit more keyboard work, as there seem to be some almost inherent piano or organ parts to certain songs on the album. And while a capable vocalist is found in Rodriguez, the album suffers from lack of backing vocals that could have really added to harmonic quality of some of the songs. Perhaps a female vocal in the background next time, guys. Rodriguez's bass work shows promise, but is less engaging than his vocal work. Finally, many of the songs sound extremely similar, minor chords & very familiar guitar riffs pepper the album, sometimes causing you to question if one song has ended & another has begun. But, there is enough diversity in genre & range to help you overlook this fact.
Overall, check out the album as an introduction into the world of Soulganic, but, come to the show to see why they are a great band.
Elliot Troper
Free Music Adviser
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