Morning Of, The - Hello Change, Goodbye Gravity

[Greg Dona]

Seeing the Northeastern United States birth a new punk band has become a less than startling occurrence. With the area churning out groups with alarming regularity, the local sound has become generic and trite.

While The Morning Of not only condones, but embraces the common sound, they avoid slipping into the realms of the unknown and unnoticed by distinguishing themselves with a youthful blend of audibly genuine emotion and a certain raw aspect often lost in overproduction in our present days of outstanding technology. While the most elitist of audiophiles might discredit Welcome Change, Goodbye Gravity as a simpleminded speck on the expansive musical radar, the more accepting fan finds reassurance in New York rock from The Morning Of.

“Begin” evolves slowly into an aggressive piece overly adequate for preparing anxious listeners for the upcoming disc. Preliminary guitar pieces exercise extreme subtlety in vaguely mimicking paralleling riffs in Underoath’s “It’s Dangerous Business Walking Out Your Front Door.” A short number, it exits and leads into “Let’s Make My First Accident My Last” with incredible rapidity. Vocalist James Bedore’s shrieks remind one of the nasal qualities of Buddy Nielsen of Senses Fail mashed impeccably with the wailing pitches of Adam Lazzara of Taking Back Sunday. Dual vocals showcasing impressive harmonization first surface during the aforementioned track. “A Barrel Tapped at Both Ends” starts out, as do many tracks on Welcome Change, Goodbye Gravity, with unnerving simplicity. It unfolds to reveal the catchiest guitar parts and the finest vocals on the whole of the EP. “There’s a Bully in the Park and a Hero in My Baseball Bat” begins with thrashing bass lines. Vocalists now seemingly emulate the howling style immortalized in the emo community by Spence Chamberlain of Underoath until efforts are pacified and the track assumes a more soothing quality to it. The combatant singing here represents the best seen on Welcome Change, Goodbye Gravity. “A Beautiful Place Not a Beautiful Face” is most notable for its intriguing piano laced intro, and “The Dreamer Not the Realist” rounds out the disc perfectly. A relatively mellow track and also the longest available, the concluding piece only begins to hint at the beautiful songwriting The Morning Of is capable of. While the band seems caught up in a minor fashion in stereotypical screamo sounds, “The Dreamer Not the Realist” exhibits absolute brilliance, and it is here that the listener becomes truly engaged in the record.

Unfortunately, it is also here that the record ends. The Morning Of leaves something to be desired on their latest efforts, Welcome Change, Goodbye Gravity; the group allows listeners to ponder whether or not the band can once again tap the potential which spawned the ultimate track on the album. A good cliffhanger often works in grasping a viewers attention and wringing him or her into the ensuing episode of a television series; The Morning Of leaves it to be seen whether or not such a daring tactic will pay off in the musical world.

[Greg Thimmes]

Glad I didn't spend to much on this album, I was hoping for something a little bit better.

[Gabe Gross]

greg...that's a really great review

[Greg Dona]

Glad I didn't spend to much on this album, I was hoping for something a little bit better.
From the review or from the album? The album disappointed me but I see some serious potential. I think they could really master a great sound on their next release.

[leb21087]

Hey hey~ I L-O-V-E The Morning Of, and i thoroughly enjoyed ur article! u rock greg dona!

[bones jones]

this band is fucking terrible garbage. they are the worst shit i have ever heard. the only smart decision they ever made is kicking out the fat ugly bitch.

gnar.

[Everiggs]

this band is fucking terrible garbage. they are the worst shit i have ever heard. the only smart decision they ever made is kicking out the fat ugly bitch.

gnar.

You're grand.

[cardiackid]

rik smits > the morning of

[theMATEOlife]

a little verbose, don't you think? try slimming down your use of "smart-sounding" words, it will help the review read clearer and easier. otherwise a good review.


i'm a big fan of the morning of.

[monkeyboy14]

a little verbose, don't you think? try slimming down your use of "smart-sounding" words, it will help the review read clearer and easier. otherwise a good review.


i'm a big fan of the morning of.

For the record, verbose is a "smarter-sounding" word than anything in the review. I thought the review was well written. Keep up the good work Greg. I'm definitely not a fan of anything in the screamo genre but I didn't mind what I heard on PV so I have been trying to locate a copy of this album but still haven't been able to find one.

[yourdarkblue42]

you can get the album on smartpunk.com

big fan and supporter of this band - bit of a soft spot for the drummer :D

[fallafelraffle]

"a little verbose, don't you think? try slimming down your use of "smart-sounding" words, it will help the review read clearer and easier. otherwise a good review."

yeah, truly. you're a good writer, don't feel like you need to try so hard. maybe try a more conversational, less dissertational approach? I'm not hating -- just want to bring out the best in this site's talent

[theMATEOlife]

For the record, verbose is a "smarter-sounding" word than anything in the review. I thought the review was well written. Keep up the good work Greg. I'm definitely not a fan of anything in the screamo genre but I didn't mind what I heard on PV so I have been trying to locate a copy of this album but still haven't been able to find one.

but i didn't use it in succession with sixteen other "smart-sounding" words.

and TMO is not screamo.

[Blake Solomon]

I really like this album, and also see great potential for them. It's hard to show everyone want you want in such a small list of songs. I think they def. made a point that they know what they are doing and they will and can make a splash in the industry. I hope for all the best for these guys... good review.

[Greg Dona]

"a little verbose, don't you think? try slimming down your use of "smart-sounding" words, it will help the review read clearer and easier. otherwise a good review."

yeah, truly. you're a good writer, don't feel like you need to try so hard. maybe try a more conversational, less dissertational approach? I'm not hating -- just want to bring out the best in this site's talent
Right on. Coming from someone who exhibits such an impressive vocabulary, how could I ignore you? Haha, I'll try to ease it up a bit and flow a little better next time.

but i didn't use it in succession with sixteen other "smart-sounding" words.

and TMO is not screamo.
Point taken. I'll slim it down next time.

[LilRyan732]

I don't know. I like the Pitchfork style of album reviews.

Edit: on second read, it did seem to be a little verbose.

[starryxnitexlov]

rediculous. I saw the morning of play (along with I am the pilot and a few others) in the begining of december at SUNY ONEONTA and for weeks before the show all people told me was how amazing I am the pilot is...so the show came and the morning of played...and i was just in awe....after seeing countless "local" bands in the rochester buffalo area and in oneonta...nothing seemed to impress me anymore...but as soon as the lead singer and the girl sang together..i just couldnt believe how amazing their voices meshed...they went over to the piano that was in the room for one song and sang with no mics or anything and the way they projected their voices was intense...i am fully impressed by their EP and i love the way they mix genres...as for I am the pilot....i pretty much thought they sounded like everyother band in the world...

it made me mad that the morning of wasnt signed to a really good label...i look at stupid bands that i think are nothing special...that have no unique sound to them...and who cant perform live for shit...getting signed to labels like fueled by ramen and it just pisses me off that there are more bands out their with more unique sounds that deserve those record contracts.

[FiringPartyRule]

TMO is not screamo.

are they emo?
do they scream?

sounds like screamo to me

i like them though... catchy shit

[scribbled story]

the morning of is far from screamo

[Greg Dona]

...they don't deserve this kind of a review...


I think they "scream" if you can even call it that in about half of a song.
Good use of words and descriptions in the review, and call it critcism but overall I think it was crappy.
I don't understand why you don't think they deserve this kind of review. It seems that you like them; thus, you should be glad that I gave them a relatively complimentary review. I said that their music was "beautiful," described one piece as exhibiting "absolute brilliance," and made sure to point out the potential I believe they hold.

In conclusion, what do you think was so crappy? I want to get better so that people will like my reviews - I write so that other people can enjoy what I put out and can take from it a general understanding of the sound of a disc - but I have no idea what you're getting at. Please clarify.

[1000shadesofred]

Glad I didn't spend to much on this album, I was hoping for something a little bit better.

thats not very nice... i love this album... even though it is short... but it leaves the listener lookin forward to something greater with their follow up...but i love how they sound so raw... good review greg

[theMATEOlife]

I didn't think he gave them a really negative review. I'm sure even the band themselves has reservations about the EP, but both the reviewer and the band can acknowledge their talent and most importantly that the foundation they are creating is definitely a good one to spring forward from.

and no, James really doesn't scream that much.

i've played with tmo too (alot.) and they are some of the nicest people around. they deserve whatever success is heading their way.

[crispi04]

Would you really classify this EP as screamo? Given a thorough listen, any person can realize that there is absolutely no screaming. Also TMO, a punk band? Ok. Lastly, what part of "Begin" sounds like Underoath's "It’s Dangerous Business Walking Out Your Front Door"? Is it the strummed out triplets on guitar? Saosin's "Seven Years" has strummed out triplets, so does Thursday's "Paris in Flames", June's "Our Escape" in one of the last verses, and so does the second part of Chopin's "Waltz in C minor opus 64 number 2". This makes them all vaguely musically similar. I definitely don't see the vocal similarities to Buddy from Senses Fail either. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, I guess. However, in my opinion, Underoath and Senses Fail are two bands that TMO sounds nothing like. Perhaps TMO is not as common sounding, trite, and generic as you portrayed them to be.

[crispi04]

Give it another few listens.

[uhh beer]

chris can salsa dance

[Greg Dona]

Would you really classify this EP as screamo? Given a thorough listen, any person can realize that there is absolutely no screaming. Also TMO, a punk band? Ok. Lastly, what part of "Begin" sounds like Underoath's "It’s Dangerous Business Walking Out Your Front Door"? Is it the strummed out triplets on guitar? Saosin's "Seven Years" has strummed out triplets, so does Thursday's "Paris in Flames", June's "Our Escape" in one of the last verses, and so does the second part of Chopin's "Waltz in C minor opus 64 number 2". This makes them all vaguely musically similar. I definitely don't see the vocal similarities to Buddy from Senses Fail either. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, I guess. However, in my opinion, Underoath and Senses Fail are two bands that TMO sounds nothing like. Perhaps TMO is not as common sounding, trite, and generic as you portrayed them to be.
I'm glad you liked this review as much as you did. Haha.

[SgtSmegma]

rik smits > the morning of

Hahaha, that's awesome. Fucking Rik Smits.

[bummm]

I freaking love TMO.