Jeremy Aaron
03/30/09, 09:00 AM
Audrye Sessions - Audrye Sessions
Record Label: Black Seal Records
Release Date: February 17, 2009
Who?
Audrye Sessions are a four-piece band from Oakland, California, who possess a bit of a Brit-rock-tinged flair. They recently released this album, their self-titled debut, and follow-up to their also self-titled EP, which was released late last year.
How Is It?
It's shockingly good, borrowing heavily from 90's U.K. bands like The Bends-era Radiohead and giving it a spin all their own. Vocalist Ryan Karazija's falsetto bears a striking likeness to that of Thom Yorke, while his ability to transition back and forth seamlessly from falsetto to lower register rivals Muse's Matt Bellamy. On Audrye Sessions, the band takes the artful approach to Brit-rock exhibited on The Bends and dresses it up with an unabashed pop sensibility, creating a record that's sure to please the masses.
Adding to the British vibe is the band's keen ability to create huge arena-ready anthems. No matter how hard they may try (yes Killers, I'm talking about you), most American bands just can't seem to match the epic quality in their songs that their peers from across the Atlantic are able to create, but Audrye Sessions pulls it off in a seemingly effortless fashion. From the chiming guitar riff that kicks off the album's opener, "Turn Me Off," the band unequivocally demand your attention and are able to hold it through the slower moments ("Where You'll Find Me"), the rare American rock-inspired sounds ("Nothing Pure Can Stay") and the sparse, orchestral tunes ("Dust and Bones").
Perhaps most surprising of all is how the band finds firm footing when treading traditionally treacherous terrain. There's always the risk of sounding cheesy when you dive headfirst into power-ballad territory, but Audrye Sessions sound equally inspired on these songs as well. The uplifting "Relentless" sounds like a surefire hit, with its relatable theme (battling life's steady stream of challenges) and its undeniably expansive chorus. Not quite as impressive, but still very much enjoyable, is "She Had to Leave," which starts out a bit slow before hitting the memorable vocal harmonies in the chorus.
While Audrye Sessions will assuredly rope you in with its cavernous guitars (see "Awake") and unmistakable hooks, it delivers its chef d'oeuvre at the midway point with a different type of song, the touching "New Year's Day," a sparsely accompanied song with the delivery and all the emotional impact of something you'd find on Sleeping at Last's Keep No Score. Thematically, it's similar to a song with a similar title, Death Cab for Cutie's "The New Year." Gibbard sang, "This is the New Year, but I don't feel any different." While New Years is oft-celebrated as a time of rebirth and starting over, it sometimes serves only as a stark reminder of the passage of time. "It's just another year that slipped away," Karazija intones mournfully. Thanks to Audrye Sessions, what hasn't slipped away is America's ability to produce epic and gripping rock music.
Radiohead's The Bends
Muse's Origin of Symmetry
Remy Zero's The Golden Hum
Starsailor's Love Is Here
Shirock's Everything Burns
Check out Audrye Sessions on Myspace (http://www.myspace.com/audryesessions).
Record Label: Black Seal Records
Release Date: February 17, 2009
Who?
Audrye Sessions are a four-piece band from Oakland, California, who possess a bit of a Brit-rock-tinged flair. They recently released this album, their self-titled debut, and follow-up to their also self-titled EP, which was released late last year.
How Is It?
It's shockingly good, borrowing heavily from 90's U.K. bands like The Bends-era Radiohead and giving it a spin all their own. Vocalist Ryan Karazija's falsetto bears a striking likeness to that of Thom Yorke, while his ability to transition back and forth seamlessly from falsetto to lower register rivals Muse's Matt Bellamy. On Audrye Sessions, the band takes the artful approach to Brit-rock exhibited on The Bends and dresses it up with an unabashed pop sensibility, creating a record that's sure to please the masses.
Adding to the British vibe is the band's keen ability to create huge arena-ready anthems. No matter how hard they may try (yes Killers, I'm talking about you), most American bands just can't seem to match the epic quality in their songs that their peers from across the Atlantic are able to create, but Audrye Sessions pulls it off in a seemingly effortless fashion. From the chiming guitar riff that kicks off the album's opener, "Turn Me Off," the band unequivocally demand your attention and are able to hold it through the slower moments ("Where You'll Find Me"), the rare American rock-inspired sounds ("Nothing Pure Can Stay") and the sparse, orchestral tunes ("Dust and Bones").
Perhaps most surprising of all is how the band finds firm footing when treading traditionally treacherous terrain. There's always the risk of sounding cheesy when you dive headfirst into power-ballad territory, but Audrye Sessions sound equally inspired on these songs as well. The uplifting "Relentless" sounds like a surefire hit, with its relatable theme (battling life's steady stream of challenges) and its undeniably expansive chorus. Not quite as impressive, but still very much enjoyable, is "She Had to Leave," which starts out a bit slow before hitting the memorable vocal harmonies in the chorus.
While Audrye Sessions will assuredly rope you in with its cavernous guitars (see "Awake") and unmistakable hooks, it delivers its chef d'oeuvre at the midway point with a different type of song, the touching "New Year's Day," a sparsely accompanied song with the delivery and all the emotional impact of something you'd find on Sleeping at Last's Keep No Score. Thematically, it's similar to a song with a similar title, Death Cab for Cutie's "The New Year." Gibbard sang, "This is the New Year, but I don't feel any different." While New Years is oft-celebrated as a time of rebirth and starting over, it sometimes serves only as a stark reminder of the passage of time. "It's just another year that slipped away," Karazija intones mournfully. Thanks to Audrye Sessions, what hasn't slipped away is America's ability to produce epic and gripping rock music.
Radiohead's The Bends
Muse's Origin of Symmetry
Remy Zero's The Golden Hum
Starsailor's Love Is Here
Shirock's Everything Burns
Check out Audrye Sessions on Myspace (http://www.myspace.com/audryesessions).