Blending influences of grunge, jazz, funk and straight up rock...Years Of Static have created a sound that is very much there own. With solid production the different styles blend together seemlessly on this album. Stand out tracks are Let You Down, Wearing It Thin, Finally, Celebration Song and The Longest Slide. This album is a diamond in the rough that I highly recommend you purchase. The return of intricate production and great songwriting is here! I look forward to new music and live shows from this band in 2004.
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This twelve-track collection features dynamic dueling guitars, fuzz tones, vocal harmonies and other subtle instrumentation such as the sax and old time piano. Their sound transcends genres, Years of Static melds rock, funk, jazz and folk into both traditional and modern rock formats. High-powered energy and high quality musicianship prevail on this CD. The opening track 'Let You Down' features complex beats, smoldering guitar chords, compelling vocal blends and a catchy hook. 'Finally' has an edgy tone with a decisive beat, textured tones and more first-rate harmonies. The closing 'Lo-Sci-Fi' is an attention grabber with its multifaceted percussion, funky bass lines, an energized piano solo, more cool guitar work and an almost fresh new wave vibe. Year of Static passes the test with flying colors on their diverse debut CD.
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 when i received this disc from a buddy of mine, i was
 expecting it to be "just another hard rock disc from
 a few guys in jersey"... as i tracked through the first
 songs on "this is not a test", i became very aware
 that i was making the wrong assumption. this is by
 far, one of those diamonds in the rough; you know,
 the kind of cd you have to tread through a few
 dozen acres of shit to find.

 to use one of the most beaten-to-death phrases of
 all time. years of static is the "bastard child" of mike
 cristi (formerly of non-fiction and all time low) and
 scott mueller (formerly of dog eat dog), but from
 what i recall of those bands, this is a complete
 departure. it sounds like they spent a few years
 learning how to write songs before coming
 releasing this latest effort, because last year they
 won the steppin' out unsigned bands contest.

 ok, on to the song... track 5, 'had it all', had me
 wondering who the hell knocked out the band and
 let steely dan into the studio. the song kicks off
 with a keyboard intro, and quickly blooms into an
 elaborate, layered piece of muisc similar to
 something toto might have released in the late 80s. 

 for a disc that was recorded in a home studio, this is
 put together vry well. none of the instruments are
 terribly over-powering...my one gripe with the
 recording is that the vocals seem a little buried in
 the mix, a tactic sometimes used when a singer's voice
 ain't so hot...this, however is not the case. a singer
 with a higher range wouldn't kill these guys... if
 anything, it might be the final element that propels
 years of static through the roof.

 lyrically, the song is about lost love, which as i have
 said before, is one of the best creative influences a
 writer can have. nothing like getting dumped or
 having someone die to get the creative juices at
 their peak. also, this is where a different singer may
 have helped out...someone who can really belt out
 the chorus would make this song a killer (not that
 they should get sebastian bach helming this outfit,
 but i could very easily hear billy joel's or steve
 lukather's voice on this track).

 this is definitely a "worth-having" disc. mike and
 scott have had success in this business before, and
 their endeavors with years of static will most likely
 have the same results...hopefully bigger this time.
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