Tony Pascarella
03/22/06, 06:51 AM
Secret Machines - Ten Silver Drops
Release Date: February 28, 2006 (digital) / April 25, 2006 (street)
Record Label: Reprise Records
As many of us may be aware, the music industry has a cruel streak. If you underachieve, simply put, you’re out of work. Bands with potential must to live up to it or other artists will overtake them who will. In the past, I have questioned whether Secret Machines would be one of the bands who would fail to live up to their potential as experimental rock giants in a mainstream not noted for its broad acceptance of the genre. The table is set for them to become huge—the major label, the publicity push, and the fans—they just need to follow through. Nevertheless, the music remains a bit suspect. I personally enjoyed their four covers and two original tracks from Secret Machines’ 2005 EP, The Road Leads Where It’s Led; the disc offered some interesting interpretations of “Astral Weeks” and an epic rendition of Bob Dylan’s “Girl From the North Country.” They’re back with a second full-length album, Ten Silver Drops, which released last month digitally and will street in June. But is this a flagship work of their career?
My least favorite song on the eight-track album is the lead single, “Alone, Jealous, and Stoned.” Brandon Curtis’ harsh, pronounced vocal tone falls alarmingly flat. Lyrically, it is interesting, but never is it promising to put your listeners to sleep about halfway through the very first song on the album. “All At Once (It’s Not Important)” makes some strides in the soporific department, but the pulsating drumbeats from Josh Garza are the only thing that keep us from nodding off again. I was hoping for an album from Secret Machines that would completely melt my face every time I decided to blast it from my stereo, but only one song really comes close to that. “Daddy’s in the Doldrums” clocks in at nearly eight and a half minutes. Seemingly self-indulgent and fortified with copious amounts of haze, the song is a gripping tune that you should definitely wake up to listen to. If you’re looking for Secret Machines to rock out, the closest you’ll get is the acerbic “I Hate Pretending,” which is catchy and keeps the second half of Ten Silver Drops from fading into relative obscurity. Each of the remaining songs has a few high points, but never do they fully carry through on the band’s potential.
Ten Silver Drops is a transition album of sorts for Secret Machines. It is a step forward, but the album as a whole just does not do it. They have two or three songs that show they are not ready to fade into oblivion, but a few others that come off as overly contrived. The major label behind this CD will probably sell some copies, but I wouldn’t expect this band to get huge just yet. However, if they play their cards right, it will not be long before Secret Machines become a household name.
Buy Secret Machines' Ten Silver Drops on iTunes (http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id=PjIvm57kicI&offerid=78941&type=3&subid=0&tmpid=1826&RD_PARM1=http%253A%252F%252Fphobos. apple.com%252FWebObjects%252FMZStor e.woa%252Fwa%252FviewAlbum%253Fi%25 3D125003551%2526id%253D125004652%25 26s%253D143441%2526partnerId%253D30 )
Links: Official Site (http://www.thesecretmachines.com) | Myspace (http://www.myspace.com/secretmachines)
Release Date: February 28, 2006 (digital) / April 25, 2006 (street)
Record Label: Reprise Records
As many of us may be aware, the music industry has a cruel streak. If you underachieve, simply put, you’re out of work. Bands with potential must to live up to it or other artists will overtake them who will. In the past, I have questioned whether Secret Machines would be one of the bands who would fail to live up to their potential as experimental rock giants in a mainstream not noted for its broad acceptance of the genre. The table is set for them to become huge—the major label, the publicity push, and the fans—they just need to follow through. Nevertheless, the music remains a bit suspect. I personally enjoyed their four covers and two original tracks from Secret Machines’ 2005 EP, The Road Leads Where It’s Led; the disc offered some interesting interpretations of “Astral Weeks” and an epic rendition of Bob Dylan’s “Girl From the North Country.” They’re back with a second full-length album, Ten Silver Drops, which released last month digitally and will street in June. But is this a flagship work of their career?
My least favorite song on the eight-track album is the lead single, “Alone, Jealous, and Stoned.” Brandon Curtis’ harsh, pronounced vocal tone falls alarmingly flat. Lyrically, it is interesting, but never is it promising to put your listeners to sleep about halfway through the very first song on the album. “All At Once (It’s Not Important)” makes some strides in the soporific department, but the pulsating drumbeats from Josh Garza are the only thing that keep us from nodding off again. I was hoping for an album from Secret Machines that would completely melt my face every time I decided to blast it from my stereo, but only one song really comes close to that. “Daddy’s in the Doldrums” clocks in at nearly eight and a half minutes. Seemingly self-indulgent and fortified with copious amounts of haze, the song is a gripping tune that you should definitely wake up to listen to. If you’re looking for Secret Machines to rock out, the closest you’ll get is the acerbic “I Hate Pretending,” which is catchy and keeps the second half of Ten Silver Drops from fading into relative obscurity. Each of the remaining songs has a few high points, but never do they fully carry through on the band’s potential.
Ten Silver Drops is a transition album of sorts for Secret Machines. It is a step forward, but the album as a whole just does not do it. They have two or three songs that show they are not ready to fade into oblivion, but a few others that come off as overly contrived. The major label behind this CD will probably sell some copies, but I wouldn’t expect this band to get huge just yet. However, if they play their cards right, it will not be long before Secret Machines become a household name.
Buy Secret Machines' Ten Silver Drops on iTunes (http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id=PjIvm57kicI&offerid=78941&type=3&subid=0&tmpid=1826&RD_PARM1=http%253A%252F%252Fphobos. apple.com%252FWebObjects%252FMZStor e.woa%252Fwa%252FviewAlbum%253Fi%25 3D125003551%2526id%253D125004652%25 26s%253D143441%2526partnerId%253D30 )
Links: Official Site (http://www.thesecretmachines.com) | Myspace (http://www.myspace.com/secretmachines)