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11/03/08, 08:17 PM
Prawn - Basement Tapes
Record Label: None
Release Date: October 6, 2008
Nowadays, I believe that so many bands with potential are overlooked simply because they don’t have a million views on Myspace or because they aren’t signed to a label. Just because everyone says that there are too many bands out there, doesn’t mean that the majority of bands are bad. I honestly think that 3/4 of the bands existing actually have potential to move people, it’s just that people only focus on the 1/4. Needless to say, I am glad I came across Prawn, another example of a band with great potential that could just as easily be looked over.
The opening track on Prawn’s Basement Tapes is a great way to break into this seven-track EP. First you hear a sound clip of a door closing followed by the sounds of someone using a typewriter. Then without even noticing it, a simple guitar melody covered in delay, floats in, painting a soothing landscape. To be honest, until the vocals came in halfway through the song, I thought I was listening to Explosions in the Sky.
The second track "Nightmares" comes in with a much faster tempo. Right away the song commands your attention. The vocals actually remind me of the vocalist from the band Islands at some moments. Throughout this EP, however, it is pretty hard to make out the words, as the music was much louder than the vocals. Another notable track is "Queen Vic," which starts out with a pretty interesting drum beat. The beginning guitar melody is very catchy and repeats throughout the song to good effect, especially during the impressive transition in the middle of the song.
One song that doesn't move me as much as the others is "Cornell." It’s not a bad track; it just doesn't deliver emotion as passionately as the other songs on Basement Tapes. Another problem that draws me away from the song is the bass is overpowering at times. This isn’t a track that should be avoided, but I can't make the same connection with this song that I make with others.
This EP is filled with emotion that isn’t solely delivered through vocals. It’s the beautiful imagery being drawn by the elegant use of delayed guitars, ambient drums, reoccurring melodies, and in "Beers in Bathrooms," the floating synth. Listening to Prawn reminds me of the very reason I became a fan of Explosions in the Sky; you don’t always need words to convey emotion in songs. Basement Tapes has its blemishes, such as lyrics being hard to hear or the bass being overbearing at times, but the emotions are there, and that’s what matters most.
Explosions in the Sky; Islands; Death Cab for Cutie; Jimmy Eat World
myspace.com/prawnnj (http://www.myspace.com/prawnnj)
Record Label: None
Release Date: October 6, 2008
Nowadays, I believe that so many bands with potential are overlooked simply because they don’t have a million views on Myspace or because they aren’t signed to a label. Just because everyone says that there are too many bands out there, doesn’t mean that the majority of bands are bad. I honestly think that 3/4 of the bands existing actually have potential to move people, it’s just that people only focus on the 1/4. Needless to say, I am glad I came across Prawn, another example of a band with great potential that could just as easily be looked over.
The opening track on Prawn’s Basement Tapes is a great way to break into this seven-track EP. First you hear a sound clip of a door closing followed by the sounds of someone using a typewriter. Then without even noticing it, a simple guitar melody covered in delay, floats in, painting a soothing landscape. To be honest, until the vocals came in halfway through the song, I thought I was listening to Explosions in the Sky.
The second track "Nightmares" comes in with a much faster tempo. Right away the song commands your attention. The vocals actually remind me of the vocalist from the band Islands at some moments. Throughout this EP, however, it is pretty hard to make out the words, as the music was much louder than the vocals. Another notable track is "Queen Vic," which starts out with a pretty interesting drum beat. The beginning guitar melody is very catchy and repeats throughout the song to good effect, especially during the impressive transition in the middle of the song.
One song that doesn't move me as much as the others is "Cornell." It’s not a bad track; it just doesn't deliver emotion as passionately as the other songs on Basement Tapes. Another problem that draws me away from the song is the bass is overpowering at times. This isn’t a track that should be avoided, but I can't make the same connection with this song that I make with others.
This EP is filled with emotion that isn’t solely delivered through vocals. It’s the beautiful imagery being drawn by the elegant use of delayed guitars, ambient drums, reoccurring melodies, and in "Beers in Bathrooms," the floating synth. Listening to Prawn reminds me of the very reason I became a fan of Explosions in the Sky; you don’t always need words to convey emotion in songs. Basement Tapes has its blemishes, such as lyrics being hard to hear or the bass being overbearing at times, but the emotions are there, and that’s what matters most.
Explosions in the Sky; Islands; Death Cab for Cutie; Jimmy Eat World
myspace.com/prawnnj (http://www.myspace.com/prawnnj)