Darren McLeod
06/17/06, 12:06 PM
Great production can minimize a band’s flaws, and maximize their mass appeal by presenting a polished, albeit fake sound that is instantly ear-pleasing. Yet, this often tells less about the band on the cover than it does the man behind the knobs. So what happens when the exact opposite of this occurs? What happens when there is a band that displays an obvious talent yet has a sound that is marred by a lack of production? Sometimes, they can shine through, and leave you wondering what could be accomplished under different circumstances.
A perfect example of this is We The They, an unsigned indie-rock quartet out of New York. The band was recording demos for an upcoming EP, but when money and time became scarce, they decided just to master the demos and release them as an EP so that they could garner some attention. Entitled This Is What’s Coming, this seven song EP is a collection of upbeat indie tunes that manages to combine the infectious melodies of Blue-era Weezer with a classic 60’s surf-rock sound, featuring ear-pleasing harmonies that suggest the band has listened to The Beach Boys more than a few times.
It opens with the band’s first single, “Start the Hop,” an addictive number that laments the single-writing process of finding the right hook and lyrics to propel a song to hit status. “Holiday Lines” is a great example of the band’s wit, lines like “I’ve been weavin’ wicker baskets / sprinklin’ my love right on into it / cause I always wanna carry you around” might seem cheesy in this review, but given the context and singer Robert Wayne’s charming delivery, they sound perfect in the song. “Maegdaline” is an irresistible acoustic number that pulls out every stop in the book to ensure that it buries itself in your head: hook-laden harmonies (including falsetto at just the right moments), simple-yet-effective percussion that provides a heartbeat for the chorus, and a delightful tambourine that adds even more appeal to the tune.
Really, the biggest complaint I have is that many moments on This Is What’s Coming simply seem lazy, unpolished, and rushed. Whether this is because of the poor production exhibited, or the fact that the band was simply demoing at the time of recording, I’m not sure, but it definitely hinders the EP’s enjoyment at times. This is most noticeable on the track “Porch Light:” the song sounds as if it would be extremely strong in a live setting, especially considering its terrific conclusion, yet the first half never seems to come off the ground on this recording. There are various moments on the EP where it seems to suffer from this problem, including the spastic album closer “The Mask of Kato,” and one can’t help but feel that with a better recording these problems would be erased, or at least minimized.
The band throws enough twists and surprises in these seven songs to keep the disc interesting, and never includes more experimentation than is necessary. The EP is a throwback to a time when rock music was something that was quirky and fun, and didn’t take itself too seriously; a time when rock wasn’t something that you could force yourself to dance to, but demanded that you dance to it. A little more polish on these tracks, and we’ve got a winner on our hands.
We The They Official Website (http://www.wethethey.net)
Myspace (http://myspace.com/wethethey)
Purevolume (http://purevolume.com/wethethey)
Electronic Press Kit (http://www.sonicbids.com/wethethey)
A perfect example of this is We The They, an unsigned indie-rock quartet out of New York. The band was recording demos for an upcoming EP, but when money and time became scarce, they decided just to master the demos and release them as an EP so that they could garner some attention. Entitled This Is What’s Coming, this seven song EP is a collection of upbeat indie tunes that manages to combine the infectious melodies of Blue-era Weezer with a classic 60’s surf-rock sound, featuring ear-pleasing harmonies that suggest the band has listened to The Beach Boys more than a few times.
It opens with the band’s first single, “Start the Hop,” an addictive number that laments the single-writing process of finding the right hook and lyrics to propel a song to hit status. “Holiday Lines” is a great example of the band’s wit, lines like “I’ve been weavin’ wicker baskets / sprinklin’ my love right on into it / cause I always wanna carry you around” might seem cheesy in this review, but given the context and singer Robert Wayne’s charming delivery, they sound perfect in the song. “Maegdaline” is an irresistible acoustic number that pulls out every stop in the book to ensure that it buries itself in your head: hook-laden harmonies (including falsetto at just the right moments), simple-yet-effective percussion that provides a heartbeat for the chorus, and a delightful tambourine that adds even more appeal to the tune.
Really, the biggest complaint I have is that many moments on This Is What’s Coming simply seem lazy, unpolished, and rushed. Whether this is because of the poor production exhibited, or the fact that the band was simply demoing at the time of recording, I’m not sure, but it definitely hinders the EP’s enjoyment at times. This is most noticeable on the track “Porch Light:” the song sounds as if it would be extremely strong in a live setting, especially considering its terrific conclusion, yet the first half never seems to come off the ground on this recording. There are various moments on the EP where it seems to suffer from this problem, including the spastic album closer “The Mask of Kato,” and one can’t help but feel that with a better recording these problems would be erased, or at least minimized.
The band throws enough twists and surprises in these seven songs to keep the disc interesting, and never includes more experimentation than is necessary. The EP is a throwback to a time when rock music was something that was quirky and fun, and didn’t take itself too seriously; a time when rock wasn’t something that you could force yourself to dance to, but demanded that you dance to it. A little more polish on these tracks, and we’ve got a winner on our hands.
We The They Official Website (http://www.wethethey.net)
Myspace (http://myspace.com/wethethey)
Purevolume (http://purevolume.com/wethethey)
Electronic Press Kit (http://www.sonicbids.com/wethethey)