|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Evolve IV: Decadent Light
 Pop-Prog artists release their debut effort – Decadent Light. Sighting such legacy influences as Genesis and Pink Floyd and modern acts such as Radiohead, Fountains of Wayne, and Coldplay, Evolve IV attempts to marry them. The resulting offspring begs us to question if the milkman was the father.
The production is muddy and bland. Musically, there is some merit here, but it's clouded in mid-tempo jams and banal lyrics. The opening track sounds like there is some energetic rhythm guitar but I can't hear it. The vocals are so drenched in reverb and processing, it appears they are trying to cover-up something? The musical levels are all the same in this tune, leaving little to dynamics. The ending cut is an oddity as it comes from left field with a Grateful Dead-esque feel and jam. A forgettable tune that lulls the rest of the CD to it's dull end. It's funny, the guest musicians stand out like a sore thumb as they are the one interesting feature on the CD.
Track List:
1. Number 16 (4:20)
2. War (4:52)
3. Listen Up (4:18)
4. Judgment Day (3:52)
5. Rolling Along (3:15)
6. Saturday's Gone (4:31)
7. Must Have Been The Future (5:07)
8. Baby Come Back (2:59)
9. Voyager (4:05)
10. Write (5:02)
11. Goodbye (8:04)
Added: November 24th 2008
Reviewer: Jon Rice
Score:  
Related Link: Band Website
Hits: 3154
Language: english
[  Printer Friendly Page ]
[  Send to a Friend ] |
|
[ Back to the Reviews Index | Post Comment ]
|
|
| » SoT Staff Roundtable Reviews: |
Evolve IV: Decadent Light
Posted by Jon Neudorf, SoT Staff Writer on 2008-11-24 06:50:51
My Score:
Have I been transported to the 1970's or what? Or maybe I am having a dream, but believe me this is no nightmare. That is the feeling that pervaded me as I listened to the first song from Evolve IV's debut album Decadent Light. The band was formed when American Michael Eager (formerly of Vitamin Funk, Mind Expansion and HED) met with Peter Matuchniak (Janysium and Mach One), a veteran of the 8o's progressive scene in England. This is a real treat as the band really brings back those glorious days of the 70's with a modern perspective to produce an excellent first album.
I would say the band has been influenced by Bowie, Camel and The Beatles and probably many others. The music could be described as melodic pop/rock with definite splashes of progressive and psychedelic rock. The songs are mainly guitar driven but keyboards, violin and saxophone add color to the whole affair. One of the big plusses for me are the vocals provided by Eager as he has a great melodic voice perfectly suited for this style of music.
The album's first tune, "Number 16", really caught my attention with its melodic vocals and catchy psychedelic guitar phrasings. At times the vocals have a tinge of Murmur era REM about them, at least to my ears. The first couple of times after hearing this gem I found myself hitting the repeat button. During the slower sections the guitar seems to swirl about having an almost dream-like quality. The poignant second track, "War", has a fantastic guitar melody that reminds me of another song but for the life of me I cannot think of it. The guitar provides plenty of atmosphere and a solid foundation upon which the song is constructed. That can be said for all of the songs on this disc. The melodies are so strong it almost makes one wonder if they have used them all up on this one cd. Next in line is "Listen Up" with a nod to classic Camel with well placed guitar chords, flute and tasty saxophone. A special mention must be made for guest vocalist Tali Azerad who lends her talents to a couple of tracks. On "Rolling Along" her vocal phrasings remind me of the wonderful Floyd tune "The Great Gig In The Sky", which coming from me is a great compliment.
This is another winner for ProgRock Records and one that I wholeheartedly recommend to anyone with a soft spot for the 70's and likes any of the bands previously mentioned or just likes good melodic prog rock or classic rock with a pop flavor. This band is indeed evolving quickly, so what are you waiting for?
|
|
|
|
© 2004 Sea Of Tranquility | For information regarding where to send CD promos and advertising, please see our FAQ page.
If you have questions or comments, please Contact Us.
Please see our Policies Page for Site Usage, Privacy, and Copyright Policies.
|
All logos and trademarks in this site are property of their respective owner. The comments are property of their posters, all other content © Sea of Tranquility
SoT is Hosted by SpeedSoft.com 
|
|
