Tom Good
10/11/07, 08:27 AM
Moros Eros – Jealous Me Was Killed By Curiosity
Release Date: October 16th 2007
Record Label: Victory Records
When a band releases an album with only 9 songs, they better make damn sure that they are all up to their standards. Victory black sheep Moros Eros has decided to take on this risky task for their sophomore effort and damned if they didn’t make a record that is a worthy successor to their catchy as hell debut album I Saw The Devil Last Night And Now The Sun Shines Bright. In the process, they have further distanced themselves from bands doing similar things and proved that the success of their first release was not just a flash in the pan.
Although sonic aspects suggest that this is the same band, Moros Eros decided to take a distinctly different approach musically to their new release. The dark lyrics combined with sunshiny pop from I Saw The Devil Last Night… are still present, but the music has taken a much more straightforward rock approach. Whereas tracks on the first album sounded almost tribal with massive tom infused drumbeats, Jealous Me… focuses much more on guitars and vocal harmonies. Luckily for them, front man Zach Tipton’s spastic voice and angular guitar riffs, although simple, are infectious enough to not only drive the songs but to remain stuck in your head for some time afterward. This change may alienate some fans as it is a noticeable departure, but with any good album, repeated listens are fully necessary to absorb all of the subtle complexities present. I have to admit that I was a little disappointed after first hearing songs posted on Myspace lacking Bobby Theberge’s thundering toms, and heck, I was even a little disappointed after listening to the whole album once. Something happens after a few listens to this album. It’s difficult to explain but things just start to make sense as you start to understand what the band was going for.
There is a little bit of everything on here. Fans of mewithoutYou, Modest Mouse, and hell, even the Scissor Sisters can find something to dig on Jealous Me Was Killed By Curiosity. “Quit, You’re Being Thoughtless” is a great opening track. Exemplifying the new sound the band is striving for, it’s difficult not to bob your head as Tipton chants “Listen to the secrets of your absent god”. This track is also a good portrayal of the decidedly more hopeful side of Moros Eros that was all but absent from the self-deprecating debut. It’s easy to get lost in the tight groove of “On My Side” with it’s pounding drums and percussive guitar patterns. Not every song is a step in a different direction for the band as “Safety Net” would fit in perfectly with the band’s earlier material. Tipton’s unique vocal delivery comes out in this track, as he switches seamlessly between screams and a lazy southern drawl, emphasizing syllables of words that few would think to stress (see pronunciation of “insignificant”). His vocal stylings have been toned down in eccentricity, but the passion is still there in everything he preaches. The only track that appears a little out of place is “Old Friend”, due mainly to the production of the drums, which sound a little lo-fi compared to the rest of the instruments in the mix. This is a small flaw as the song is still pretty good, just not as catching as the rest of the album. In the end, the flow of the album is there, the production is for the most part excellent, and the songwriting is unlike anything else you are likely to hear this year.
You can’t make the same album twice, and thankfully, Moros Eros didn’t even try to rehash the sounds from their endearing debut. Instead, they took a chance and created something even more magical; they made a virtually filler-free rock record on their own terms. Some might dismiss this album initially due to the sound of label mates or the change from I Saw The Devil Last Night…but doing that would make you miss out on what can be a satisfying release. Among all of the huge releases coming out this October, I didn’t expect this little band from Georgia to stand a chance in the crowd, but boy was I wrong. Put away your preconceived notions and give Jealous Me Was Killed By Curiosity a chance, you just might be surprised at what you find.
1. Quit, You’re Being Thoughtless
2. On My Side
3. Choices
4. Wake And Wait
5. Safety Net
6. Old Friend
7. Lows And Highs
8. Pride And Joy
9. The View From Below Myspace (http://www.myspace.com/moroseros) | Purevolume (http://www.purevolume.com/moroseros) | Victory Records Site (http://www.victoryrecords.com/)
Release Date: October 16th 2007
Record Label: Victory Records
When a band releases an album with only 9 songs, they better make damn sure that they are all up to their standards. Victory black sheep Moros Eros has decided to take on this risky task for their sophomore effort and damned if they didn’t make a record that is a worthy successor to their catchy as hell debut album I Saw The Devil Last Night And Now The Sun Shines Bright. In the process, they have further distanced themselves from bands doing similar things and proved that the success of their first release was not just a flash in the pan.
Although sonic aspects suggest that this is the same band, Moros Eros decided to take a distinctly different approach musically to their new release. The dark lyrics combined with sunshiny pop from I Saw The Devil Last Night… are still present, but the music has taken a much more straightforward rock approach. Whereas tracks on the first album sounded almost tribal with massive tom infused drumbeats, Jealous Me… focuses much more on guitars and vocal harmonies. Luckily for them, front man Zach Tipton’s spastic voice and angular guitar riffs, although simple, are infectious enough to not only drive the songs but to remain stuck in your head for some time afterward. This change may alienate some fans as it is a noticeable departure, but with any good album, repeated listens are fully necessary to absorb all of the subtle complexities present. I have to admit that I was a little disappointed after first hearing songs posted on Myspace lacking Bobby Theberge’s thundering toms, and heck, I was even a little disappointed after listening to the whole album once. Something happens after a few listens to this album. It’s difficult to explain but things just start to make sense as you start to understand what the band was going for.
There is a little bit of everything on here. Fans of mewithoutYou, Modest Mouse, and hell, even the Scissor Sisters can find something to dig on Jealous Me Was Killed By Curiosity. “Quit, You’re Being Thoughtless” is a great opening track. Exemplifying the new sound the band is striving for, it’s difficult not to bob your head as Tipton chants “Listen to the secrets of your absent god”. This track is also a good portrayal of the decidedly more hopeful side of Moros Eros that was all but absent from the self-deprecating debut. It’s easy to get lost in the tight groove of “On My Side” with it’s pounding drums and percussive guitar patterns. Not every song is a step in a different direction for the band as “Safety Net” would fit in perfectly with the band’s earlier material. Tipton’s unique vocal delivery comes out in this track, as he switches seamlessly between screams and a lazy southern drawl, emphasizing syllables of words that few would think to stress (see pronunciation of “insignificant”). His vocal stylings have been toned down in eccentricity, but the passion is still there in everything he preaches. The only track that appears a little out of place is “Old Friend”, due mainly to the production of the drums, which sound a little lo-fi compared to the rest of the instruments in the mix. This is a small flaw as the song is still pretty good, just not as catching as the rest of the album. In the end, the flow of the album is there, the production is for the most part excellent, and the songwriting is unlike anything else you are likely to hear this year.
You can’t make the same album twice, and thankfully, Moros Eros didn’t even try to rehash the sounds from their endearing debut. Instead, they took a chance and created something even more magical; they made a virtually filler-free rock record on their own terms. Some might dismiss this album initially due to the sound of label mates or the change from I Saw The Devil Last Night…but doing that would make you miss out on what can be a satisfying release. Among all of the huge releases coming out this October, I didn’t expect this little band from Georgia to stand a chance in the crowd, but boy was I wrong. Put away your preconceived notions and give Jealous Me Was Killed By Curiosity a chance, you just might be surprised at what you find.
1. Quit, You’re Being Thoughtless
2. On My Side
3. Choices
4. Wake And Wait
5. Safety Net
6. Old Friend
7. Lows And Highs
8. Pride And Joy
9. The View From Below Myspace (http://www.myspace.com/moroseros) | Purevolume (http://www.purevolume.com/moroseros) | Victory Records Site (http://www.victoryrecords.com/)