Scott Weber
11/21/05, 04:28 PM
Gratitude - Gratitude
Release Date: March 8, 2005
Record Label: Atlantic
Let me just start by saying that I have a great deal of respect for Jonah Matranga. I really enjoy Onelinedrawing, Far, and his other projects. His latest endeavor, Gratitude, has released their self-titled debut, and it is a solid release. Jonah’s new project is a pop-rock outfit in the vein of Jimmy Eat World, but with more aggressive vocals. The songs are plenty catchy, the music is solid, and the vocals stellar as is to be expected from Jonah. But there is seriously something missing in almost all of the songs. The rock is straight-forward, the melodies extremely radio-friendly, but the final result is quite thin and hollow. So much of Gratitude’s music just lacks depth.
The opener “Drive Away” is my personal favorite on the album, beginning with a strong vocal intro into an extremely catchy and head-nodding chorus. The music hits you in the face with its blatant hooks and safe transitions and is quite enjoyable at first listen. A combination of electric and acoustic guitar balances nicely together to give off a very accessible vibe. The following track “Last” firmly establishes that Gratitude is a band that is very much vocal driven. Jonah’s voice flows freely and strongly above thin instrumentation with pretty basic parts. There are really no layered guitar parts or harmonies here, Gratitude is one thing – straight up radio rock. After a nice chorus, Jonah cries/screams out “Shut up and fall,” the first real example of aggressiveness on the record. That’s the thing with Gratitude that I just can’t decide upon – I love it when Jonah shows raw emotion and varies his vocal stylings, but the music never really changes as far as tones of aggressiveness. I found myself wishing that the drumming would be a little harder, have a few more fills, desiring some more “angry” – if you will – instrumentation.
That being said, there are some other excellent tracks where Jonah manages to fit his voice perfectly with the music. “All in a Row” is a great example of this, and while I found the song to be a bit contrived over time, I got a nice Gin Blossoms type vibe from this track. “This is the Part” and “Feel Alright” are great songs driven by Jonah’s voice, especially the latter. Once again, the music isn’t terrible by any means; it’s just kind of thin. The production doesn’t aid this in any way, either. While everything sounds crystal clear, the cymbals are too high and the guitars are layered pretty weakly, putting Jonah’s voice in the forefront. Jonah is a great front man, so you wouldn’t think this mixing choice would have an adverse effect, but for this kind of project I think a darker, more crunching feel to the bass and guitars would really benefit. Nonetheless, the music is undeniably catchy and you can’t dispute how passionate Jonah sounds when he sings. At times, he is the only one bringing life to otherwise lifeless songs.
Like I said, other songs are quite lackluster in energy and final result. “Someone to Love” never really hooked me, the music was too straight forward, and Jonah’s cries came across as a little monotone. Gratitude’s sound just began to wear thin after about 7 tracks because there’s just no variation in style or sound between the songs. I love Jonah’s voice but it lends itself better to more chill projects than an entire album devoted to radio rock. If you’re into Jimmy Eat World’s Bleed American, then there’s a great chance you’ll love Gratitude. While I found myself straight up bored at times, this record contains about four really solid songs. The rest are not as good, but Jonah’s latest project is a very worthy effort and is still worth checking out.
Release Date: March 8, 2005
Record Label: Atlantic
Let me just start by saying that I have a great deal of respect for Jonah Matranga. I really enjoy Onelinedrawing, Far, and his other projects. His latest endeavor, Gratitude, has released their self-titled debut, and it is a solid release. Jonah’s new project is a pop-rock outfit in the vein of Jimmy Eat World, but with more aggressive vocals. The songs are plenty catchy, the music is solid, and the vocals stellar as is to be expected from Jonah. But there is seriously something missing in almost all of the songs. The rock is straight-forward, the melodies extremely radio-friendly, but the final result is quite thin and hollow. So much of Gratitude’s music just lacks depth.
The opener “Drive Away” is my personal favorite on the album, beginning with a strong vocal intro into an extremely catchy and head-nodding chorus. The music hits you in the face with its blatant hooks and safe transitions and is quite enjoyable at first listen. A combination of electric and acoustic guitar balances nicely together to give off a very accessible vibe. The following track “Last” firmly establishes that Gratitude is a band that is very much vocal driven. Jonah’s voice flows freely and strongly above thin instrumentation with pretty basic parts. There are really no layered guitar parts or harmonies here, Gratitude is one thing – straight up radio rock. After a nice chorus, Jonah cries/screams out “Shut up and fall,” the first real example of aggressiveness on the record. That’s the thing with Gratitude that I just can’t decide upon – I love it when Jonah shows raw emotion and varies his vocal stylings, but the music never really changes as far as tones of aggressiveness. I found myself wishing that the drumming would be a little harder, have a few more fills, desiring some more “angry” – if you will – instrumentation.
That being said, there are some other excellent tracks where Jonah manages to fit his voice perfectly with the music. “All in a Row” is a great example of this, and while I found the song to be a bit contrived over time, I got a nice Gin Blossoms type vibe from this track. “This is the Part” and “Feel Alright” are great songs driven by Jonah’s voice, especially the latter. Once again, the music isn’t terrible by any means; it’s just kind of thin. The production doesn’t aid this in any way, either. While everything sounds crystal clear, the cymbals are too high and the guitars are layered pretty weakly, putting Jonah’s voice in the forefront. Jonah is a great front man, so you wouldn’t think this mixing choice would have an adverse effect, but for this kind of project I think a darker, more crunching feel to the bass and guitars would really benefit. Nonetheless, the music is undeniably catchy and you can’t dispute how passionate Jonah sounds when he sings. At times, he is the only one bringing life to otherwise lifeless songs.
Like I said, other songs are quite lackluster in energy and final result. “Someone to Love” never really hooked me, the music was too straight forward, and Jonah’s cries came across as a little monotone. Gratitude’s sound just began to wear thin after about 7 tracks because there’s just no variation in style or sound between the songs. I love Jonah’s voice but it lends itself better to more chill projects than an entire album devoted to radio rock. If you’re into Jimmy Eat World’s Bleed American, then there’s a great chance you’ll love Gratitude. While I found myself straight up bored at times, this record contains about four really solid songs. The rest are not as good, but Jonah’s latest project is a very worthy effort and is still worth checking out.