Gregory Robson
02/02/10, 10:40 AM
Nou - Now It's Not Enough
Record Label: Self-released
Release Date: Oct. 20, 2009
Defending earnest, mid-tempo radio-rock is not an easy task. Folks like Bob Lefsetz and plenty of users on this very site want to bash groups such as Coldplay, The Fray or Keane for writing derivative, cookie-cutter piano-based pop. And truth be told sometimes the criticism isn't without merit. At its core the music is mildly boring, borderline trite and sometimes, downright disappointing. But for all its flaws there is an abundance of gossamer prettiness, hummable choruses and inoffensive, cohesive verses. And oh, those sultry piano lines.
Pasadena, CA's Nou is another band that attempts the same heights as the three aforementioned char-toppers, but does so with tepid results. Now its Not Enough begins rather auspiciously with a winning piano line, vocalist Derek DeLang's crisp vocals and chiming guitars. The entire exercise sits on a blanket of mid-tempo rock not unlike Snow Patrol or Jack's Mannequin.
DeLang seems to understand vocal restraint and knows how to keep his timbre under wraps without letting inflections or cadences get in the way of destroying the song's overall tone. This is of utmost importance on a song like the driving rocker "Stephanie," in which he sounds horribly overmatched and completely underproduced. While its intentions are strong, the song is a guitar solo away from being a hot mess.
Diving back into the mid-tempo piano-based arrangements, the quintet finds their groove on the plaintive "Crush Me," an airy and gentle composition that once again does all the right things and never once sacrifices this song. Much like on "Stephanie," Nou once again attempts to chase down guitar-driven modern-rock but does so with little success. By now one would expect the band to dive back into mid-tempo, piano-based arrangements but DeLang and company abandon that script in favor of another, ho-hum, rather unoriginal offering entitled "Only Yesterday."
Sadly, Now Its Not Enough never revisits the strides of success found in the disc's first half, with the exception of heart-on-the-sleeve, acoustic number "Smitten (2009 Version)," and the gooey, romance ballad "Staring in Your Eyes." Even with armfuls of programming and sweeping string arrangements, Nou can't seem to get out of their own way. Selections like "Three A.M.," and "Shut it Out," prove that the quartet is clearly lacking that special formula that separates the top-tier from the average.
At best, one can chalk up this effort to youth and inexperience and hope that somewhere down the line, the California group smooths out the wrinkles. But as the music industry continues its metamorphosis, time may indeed be running out. Much like their album title, even now, music as inoffensive and harmless as this, that might not be enough to take this band any farther than they already are.
1. No One Has To Know.
2. Stephanie
3. Crush Me
4. Now It's Not Enough
5. Only Yesterday
6. Three A.M.
7. Shut It Out
8. Smitten (2009 Version)
9. Escape
10. Staring in Your Eyes
11. Falling So Deep
Derek DeLang: vocals, guitar, production
Andrew Sabatine: bass, backing vocals
Noah Tanski: drums
James Sherman: keyboards, piano, guitars, backing vocals
Alex Babcock: guitars
A watered down version of the folliowing bands: Coldplay, Keane, The Fray, Snow Patrol, Jack's Mannequin
Myspace (http://www.myspace.com/nousound)
Website (http://www.noumusic.com)
Record Label: Self-released
Release Date: Oct. 20, 2009
Defending earnest, mid-tempo radio-rock is not an easy task. Folks like Bob Lefsetz and plenty of users on this very site want to bash groups such as Coldplay, The Fray or Keane for writing derivative, cookie-cutter piano-based pop. And truth be told sometimes the criticism isn't without merit. At its core the music is mildly boring, borderline trite and sometimes, downright disappointing. But for all its flaws there is an abundance of gossamer prettiness, hummable choruses and inoffensive, cohesive verses. And oh, those sultry piano lines.
Pasadena, CA's Nou is another band that attempts the same heights as the three aforementioned char-toppers, but does so with tepid results. Now its Not Enough begins rather auspiciously with a winning piano line, vocalist Derek DeLang's crisp vocals and chiming guitars. The entire exercise sits on a blanket of mid-tempo rock not unlike Snow Patrol or Jack's Mannequin.
DeLang seems to understand vocal restraint and knows how to keep his timbre under wraps without letting inflections or cadences get in the way of destroying the song's overall tone. This is of utmost importance on a song like the driving rocker "Stephanie," in which he sounds horribly overmatched and completely underproduced. While its intentions are strong, the song is a guitar solo away from being a hot mess.
Diving back into the mid-tempo piano-based arrangements, the quintet finds their groove on the plaintive "Crush Me," an airy and gentle composition that once again does all the right things and never once sacrifices this song. Much like on "Stephanie," Nou once again attempts to chase down guitar-driven modern-rock but does so with little success. By now one would expect the band to dive back into mid-tempo, piano-based arrangements but DeLang and company abandon that script in favor of another, ho-hum, rather unoriginal offering entitled "Only Yesterday."
Sadly, Now Its Not Enough never revisits the strides of success found in the disc's first half, with the exception of heart-on-the-sleeve, acoustic number "Smitten (2009 Version)," and the gooey, romance ballad "Staring in Your Eyes." Even with armfuls of programming and sweeping string arrangements, Nou can't seem to get out of their own way. Selections like "Three A.M.," and "Shut it Out," prove that the quartet is clearly lacking that special formula that separates the top-tier from the average.
At best, one can chalk up this effort to youth and inexperience and hope that somewhere down the line, the California group smooths out the wrinkles. But as the music industry continues its metamorphosis, time may indeed be running out. Much like their album title, even now, music as inoffensive and harmless as this, that might not be enough to take this band any farther than they already are.
1. No One Has To Know.
2. Stephanie
3. Crush Me
4. Now It's Not Enough
5. Only Yesterday
6. Three A.M.
7. Shut It Out
8. Smitten (2009 Version)
9. Escape
10. Staring in Your Eyes
11. Falling So Deep
Derek DeLang: vocals, guitar, production
Andrew Sabatine: bass, backing vocals
Noah Tanski: drums
James Sherman: keyboards, piano, guitars, backing vocals
Alex Babcock: guitars
A watered down version of the folliowing bands: Coldplay, Keane, The Fray, Snow Patrol, Jack's Mannequin
Myspace (http://www.myspace.com/nousound)
Website (http://www.noumusic.com)