anamericangod
11/26/08, 03:25 PM
Greenwood - When We Become
Record Label: None
Release Date: November 2007
To say that this is a poor album would be inaccurate. Greenwood's When We Become should be a solid foundation for the band to build upon. There is one glaring problem with the record: repetitiveness. It becomes hard to tell one song from the last, as they all seem to share the same sound, structure, and message. It isn't bad, or uncomfortable to listen to, it's just that after so many songs you ask, "Didn't I just hear this?" There are moments where the band seems like they are building the song up to a crescendo or an opportunity for something that would stand out, but then they don't. While the lyrical content does contain a religious message that is fairly obvious, it is not to the point of being excessive or annoying as other bands have done over the years. The message is there, but the approach is still subtle enough to appeal to an average listener.
In regards to the technical aspects of the album, there aren't many complaints. The intricacy of the songs shows that these guys know how to play their instruments, and they know how to play them well. The breakdown in "Here We Are" is done to perfection. The vocals range from semi-talkative meWithoutyou style speaking to words being belted out as powerful as humanly possible. The musicianship and the vocals are impressive, it just feels like the band has not been able to fully utilize these abilities.
With better production, and maybe an extra dose of creativity, this band would be more than capable of creating an album which would appeal to a larger audience. Greenwood has shown that they have the fundamentals down, and are more than ready to take the next step to becoming a better band, and creating a better album.
Emery before they became a party band
myspace.com/greenwood (http://www.myspace.com/greenwood)
Record Label: None
Release Date: November 2007
To say that this is a poor album would be inaccurate. Greenwood's When We Become should be a solid foundation for the band to build upon. There is one glaring problem with the record: repetitiveness. It becomes hard to tell one song from the last, as they all seem to share the same sound, structure, and message. It isn't bad, or uncomfortable to listen to, it's just that after so many songs you ask, "Didn't I just hear this?" There are moments where the band seems like they are building the song up to a crescendo or an opportunity for something that would stand out, but then they don't. While the lyrical content does contain a religious message that is fairly obvious, it is not to the point of being excessive or annoying as other bands have done over the years. The message is there, but the approach is still subtle enough to appeal to an average listener.
In regards to the technical aspects of the album, there aren't many complaints. The intricacy of the songs shows that these guys know how to play their instruments, and they know how to play them well. The breakdown in "Here We Are" is done to perfection. The vocals range from semi-talkative meWithoutyou style speaking to words being belted out as powerful as humanly possible. The musicianship and the vocals are impressive, it just feels like the band has not been able to fully utilize these abilities.
With better production, and maybe an extra dose of creativity, this band would be more than capable of creating an album which would appeal to a larger audience. Greenwood has shown that they have the fundamentals down, and are more than ready to take the next step to becoming a better band, and creating a better album.
Emery before they became a party band
myspace.com/greenwood (http://www.myspace.com/greenwood)