about the band
Formed in 1999, Ugly In The Morning is a 6-piece band whose members come from different musical backgrounds. Their songs are a reflection of their diverse musical influences but they prefer to describe their music as Alternative Funk Rock. Ugly In The Morning has had extensive experience playing live to appreciative audiences at various gigs and local music events.
With their combined mix of musical influences and songs inspired by real-life experiences that cover the trials and tribulations of life, women, and alcohol, Ugly In The Morning hopes to connect with people from all walks of life.
Ugly In The Morning's sound can best be described as an eclectic mix of Funk, Blues, and Rock, sprinkled with liberal doses of R&B/Soul.
about the album
Ugly In The Morning's self-titled debut album is an excursion into guitar-driven rock music that blends strong jazz and pop-based melodies with an emphasis on vocal harmonies and kicking funk rhythms set in captivating arrangements. The band has blended all their diverse musical backgrounds and tastes to produce an album richly textured with so many different musical styles; it's hard to pin them down with a label. What stops this album from descending into a mish-mash of poorly connected drivel is the song-writing talents of the band's two principal songwriters; Noel and David, who are responsible for weaving all their influences into a tapestry of songs, rather than mere jams. Their songwriting craft is firmly anchored in real life by the emotional core of the band - the lyric-writing skills of Eric and Neal, who give the band their heart, pain, joy and wit. Mostly, the album is a paean to life in Singapore, to being young, not so young, finding out you don't fit in, wanting to fit in, never wanting to fit in, and fitting in when you never thought you would. This album is meant to be heard with one's tongue firmly in one's cheek.
about the songs:
01 East of Freedom - Acid jazz meets RHCP meets an angry young man!
02 Diamond - The heaviest song on the album that starts as a funky heavy call to arms, but surprises with bluesy, jazzy elements.
03 On and On - A post-grunge alternative rock song about the lies and deceit behind a failed relationship.
04 Wooden Dog - A folksy rock ballad about fleeting happiness
05 Copper - An alternative blues rock song that is about taking things for granted and not being able to see the things that really matter.
06 Pastor Pete - An ode to horny, wayward clergy and a nod to classic funk, may George Clinton forgive us!
07 A Week - An instrumental track that features the tight synergy of the band's rhythm section.
08 Stupid 'A' Song - A catchy pop-rock song about smoking, loss, hope, and Speakers Corner!
09 Carpets - An epic song about being alive, about waking up and realizing what one can do, about loss, about feeling good, and about not being afraid anymore.
Album Reviews:
Reviewed by Yun
www.pure-rock.net
Ugly In The Morning might be the band's name, but do not be mistaken - their music is nowhere near the barometers of ugly.
In fact, what these six guys have come up with is a commendable debut effort, totally DIY, consisting 9 pulsating tracks that are easy on the ears and clear, pristine recording (kudos to Myx Studios for never failing to deliver the goods). In all, an enjoyable listening trip for anyone who pops it into their CD player.
Fans of funk, this is definitely an album you should check out, as funk music is one of Ugly In The Morning's major strengths, among others. Evident from their delightfully groovy opening "East of Freedom", the fun, retro-inspired "Pastor Pete" (I love its rhythmically challenging arrangement!), the lazy, chill-out instrumental track "A Week" (demonstrating the band's musicianship and tightness) to the one with the cheeky lyrics and clever innuendoes, "Diamond" - "You are young, Show you how/Put my thing, Between yours now/Now you know, Put up a show/Let me slide, In you all night"; it's time to let your roving imagination run amok, folks! Haha.
However, just when you think Ugly In The Morning is all about funk, the band switches mode and shows it can handle other genres of music with just as much ease - whether it's the college rock-ish "On and On", "Stupid 'A' Song" with its punk, radio-friendly pop feel or the pensive, heart-wrenching "Carpets". You know how some songs hit you in all the right emotional spots and get you all worked up; for me, "Carpets" has just that effect. Lasting a wonderful 11minutes, the mood builds up gradually to a resounding epic finish. The vocals, the guitars, the bass, the drums - they never sounded better together.
Ugly? Let's just say Ugly In The Morning is way off that mark.
Reviewed by Airhole
www.agingyouth.com
A first look on the cover inspires one to buy the CD to open and hopefully catch a glimpse of the naked woman's front. Alas, one would be most disappointed with that.
The music is, on the other hand, not disappointing. A range of genres is covered in the songs, from funky rhythms to grunge rock grooves, with Beatles-esque melodic hooks and rocking guitar solos. The album starts off with a funk rhythm pattern on 'East Of Freedom' with strong punctuating vocals which leads to an interesting grunge-type chorus.
Diamond opens with a Hendrix-inspired riff going into a full blown rock thang. The whole album had a nice flow for relaxation. It goes from high octane rock and mellows down to a more pop-ish song and finally a soundscape song at the end.
The band did a great job on the whole. Most of the melodies were catchy. The drum work of Boon Gee was tight and groovy with the bass lines laid by Clement Yang. Eric Lee and Neal Cooke contributed vocals full of funk and spunk. All the instruments were well mixed by the production crew from Myx Studios, such that each song stood out on its own and each instrument/vocal could be heard where it counted.
The idea that local music sucks is easily debunked with this album. One will be pleasantly surprised with its quality and musicality. I would put this album in the must-get list.
Reviewed by Sunjee
www.soft.com.sg
Ugly in the Morning's debut album offering speaks volumes for the state of our local music. The band oozes creative spunk, ably demonstrated by this 9 track, self titled and self produced album that offers a diverse set of funk/rock inspired numbers (East of Freedom, Diamond, Pastor Pete/A Week), smooth sing-along anthems (On and On, Copper, Stupid 'A' Song) and catchy ballads (Wooden Dog, Carpets).
Each song masterfully grabs you by the short hairs right from the get go, and ends in a heady crescendo... leaving you breathless and asking for more. If forced at gunpoint to pick my favourites out of the album (and it would be hard not because of a lack of choice), Stupid 'A' Song and On and On would be, for me, the album's seminal offerings.
Make no mistake, each song is carefully crafted, and its phrasing brings you on a musical journey that is entertaining and rewarding in equal measure. I grabbed the chance to sit in on one of UITM's jams to get a feel for the band. The venue - the home studio of Clement, UITM's bassist. What grabbed me was that these guys obviously enjoy the creative process of making music. In between extended periods of good natured vocal jousting amongst themselves, the band went through its usual set of songs from the album and even songs from artists the band collectively loves - like Hendrix, Matthew Sweet, and Pink Floyd.
I was impressed by the band's equally enjoyable "warm-up" free form jam. The band demonstrates an enviable musical competence (so rare in bands) and even more notably, the ability to fall into a slick groove almost instinctively. To put it simply, these guys kick ass "Live". And playing live did not seem as daunting to the band as I would have expected. No surprise since the band has played pretty extensively. Noel and David form the musical core of the band while Eric and Neal its voice. The band has a great rhythm section in Lin Ping(drums) and Clement (bass) and the outcome - unadulterated talent!
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