Album Review: Our Lady Peace -Curve- (4/6)

With Our Lady Peace’s tendency to go years between albums, the mere existence Curve is as much of a surprise as some of the stylistic changes are. 

One part gravely rocker, one part melodic balladeer, singer Raine Maida's vocal style is anything but conventional, without being bizarre.  Exploring a deep baritone as well as a whispering tenor is simply expected from Maida.  Throw in wicked passion and beautifully constructed lyrics and you have quite a sound. 

This album explores a sound that is closer to Raine Maida's solo work than the familiar alternative rock sound of Burn Burn (2009). Folk sentiments rub elbows with the hard edges and an almost tribal drum style. Duncan Coutts 's use of slap bass is a wonderful throwback to their first album  

Naveed (1994) with its raw where some of the lead guitar work is softened and ethereal without losing the teeth this album has grown. There is a distinctly more urgent feel to Curve than previous albums. Unlike many artist Our Lady Peace has done anything but soften with age, if anything they've found something to feed the fire.

Curve also has a more manipulated sound; it feels like Our Lady Peace spent more time mixing than usual. The amount of effort really shows through in this polished, yet raw album.

(4/6)

Album Reviews: Our Lady Peace(Burn Burn) and Shinedown(Sound Of Maddness[delux edition])

Album review: Our Lady Peace—Burn Burn (3.5/5)

Our Lady Peace’s album, Gravity turned me on to them.  Once I’d heard  “Innocent” and “Somewhere Out There,” I got a hold of Naveed, Clumsy  Happiness is not a Fish You Can Catch, and, of course, Gravity. Having just seen them live and fallen in love I waited eagerly for Burn Burn.

Burn Burn is a solid album, Our Lady Peace continues to put out inspirational songs, though they’ve lost a little of the edge they had in Happiness is Not A Fish You Can Catch.  Madia’s vocals, while still impressive, tend to linger in their safe range and he doesn’t push the envelope lyrically as much as he did on previous albums.

While there are a few songs that lean toward the mainstream, front man Raine Madia’s lyrics are still delightfully quirky. Reminiscent of their older work, "Monkey Brains” remains one of Our Lady Peace’s stranger numbers. This album feels like the end of a long struggle, a thank you note kicks off the album in “All You Did Was Save My Life” In a simlar finality, we hear “Signs of Life,” though there is a little flash of the teenaged yearning seen in other albums with “Paper Moon.”

Overall, it feels like they’ve grown through their adolescence without loosing their drive the way that many do.  Great album, though would have been even better  if not held to the high standards other Our lady Peace albums set.

Shinedown: Sound of Madness(4/5)

This was the album that brought Shinedown to my attention; it was the only album I had of theirs for the longest time.  Naturally, I am a little biased toward this wicked little album.

Brent Smith has a sharp tongue and eloquent lyrics.  In looking at the bio for this little Florida band, I discovered ,quiet by accident that part of the inspiration for this album was a visit to Iraq. As a result, lot of the charge and anger prevalent I this piece was given a whole new light. This album almost got a 5/5 as many of the songs on this album hit a chord in my personal life very hard.

Ignoring the personal, because you, dear reader, are not me.  This album was lyrically sharp and obviously came from a deeply personal place for front man Brent Smith. However, it is obvious both from their bio, and from listing to their work that the band is cohesive in its artistry.  The band works together with Smith’s vocals creating a sound that is distinctly Shinedown’s own.  Unlike many artists whose newer albums are not as strong as their previous albums, Shinedown keeps pushing themselves to be better, and keep the edginess alive. They are very much still passionate, which may not seem to be much of a feat after only four albums, but I’ve seen other bands cave to mainstream pressures faster.

I have gushed in previous entrees about Shinedown’s lyrics, they remain evocative and hard edged.  Smith’s eloquence is a wonderful to hear. In a genre dominated by screaming and grunting, Smith’s diction is a welcome pleasure.  Whether it be a haunting melody like “The Crow and the Butterfly” or pleasantly malicious “Sin With a Grin,” Smith brings evocative lyrics and genuine emotion, to an already powerful band.

In addition to the powerful lyrics, this album was also nicely balanced between melodic, in some cases gut-wrenching, slow songs and songs whose crashing drum pulse compel the listener to jump or at the very least headbang.  I find some albums  sound redundant as an artist focuses on a certain sound style. While there is no mistaking Shinedown’s sound, the tracks are distinctive from each other, even in the numbers that are the same tempo. “Sin with a Grin,”for example, is a completely different animal from “Devour.” Similarly “Second Chance” is a completely different, more hopeful creature, from the tortured “Call Me.”

All told this is a very strong album, from both a lyrical and musical standpoint and I’m very much looking forward to seeing what they do next.

Our Lady Peace with Meece at the Vic Theater (Chicago, IL)

The Venue(Vic Theater-- Chicago, IL):(3/5 stars) The venue was very much designed to be a concert hall. (as opposed to many venues which are no more than bars with a stage stuck in the back) It seemed to want to be like The House of Blues on a low budget, fused with a traditional bar. Neon signs indicated the location of the bathrooms(I'll get to those) there were three bars: one to either the side and back of the floor as well as a waitress that roamed the floor. There were several booth-style benches, which was a nice change from the standing room only tradition of many venues in this price range. The ceiling and balcony were decorated with mock-gilded carvings and small candelabras that stayed lit during the show, which was a very pretty touch, save for those with burnt out bulbs. The otherwise predominantly black decor made it feel bar-like.

The audio equipment, while far from the worst I’ve heard, was not as good as other venues. Especially, with regard to the sound balance between the vocals and the instruments.

Word to the wise about this place: the bathrooms are, sketchy to say the least. Being female bodied, I didn't see the men's room. The "coat check" outside the bathroom held no attendant and some rickety racks, and stools. The women's restroom had mirrors designed for people who are either under five feet tall or would rather stare at their own breasts than their faces. Broken cherubs dangled between said mirrors over a long broken paper towel holder that is now simply a steel box with several rolls of paper towel stashed in them. There were four graffiti coated stalls, some of which didn't even close. I managed to find the one with the most functional lock; it had no knob, I had to stick my finger in the mechanism to "lock" it, and even then the bolt didn't line up.

 The crowd(3/5):  while not something you can control as an artist or a venue, I find that the energy dynamic of the crowd can often make or break a show.

This crowd was odd. Initially, they were a decent crowd but something felt a little off about them. They seemed to be putting up with the music in places. Once the band played "Innocent," however, a lot of people left and the crowd improved tenfold.


The Front Act(Meece):(2.5/5) They were decidedly "meh." Neither good nor  bad, if dull.  It felt like they were trying to be Heartstop, (Warning: Audio embedded)  and falling short.  Some of their songs were catchy, however.  One thing that lost them points in my book is that the front man Patrick Meese only introduced the guitarist, his brother.

The Main Act (Our Lady Peace) (4.5/5):A favorite of mine. This was the second time I saw  Our Lady Peace in concert, the first being this past Summerfest. They put on a breathtaking performance there, so the bar was set high for this show, which often leads to some disappointment.   So, i expected a little let down.

I was pleasantly disappointed.

From opening number to encore, Our Lady Peace pulled off a fantastic show, that a lesser band could not have done on  the equipment at The Vic. Front man Raine Madia's unique voice carried strongly through the shoddy microphone, demonstrating good range, vocal control and the ability to use these talents to make an engaging sound that fit the tone of the songs played.  If his talent weren’t enough by itself, Madia's presence demands the eye's attention, and his gracious, charismatic demeanor makes him a striking performer.

Madia wasn't the only one on that stage whose abilities, frankly, blew my mind.  Guitarist, Mike Turner (no relationship to Tina and Ike)'s brilliant handy work complemented Madia's vocals with jagged riffs and smooth undertones. 

Let me just add a note about Madia's lyrics, they strike a cord with the inner teenager without coming across as shallow and childish. Instead, they remind you what it felt like to be seventeen (this sentiment is especially evoked in "Innocent").  Even if your inner teenager has grown up, Madia's lyrics have a lot to offer anyone who's had to push through pain. Rebirth seems to be a subtle theme in a lot of his work.

This lyrical enchantment was balanced with a mix of songs from all of their albums so that fans of any era of their music could enjoy the show.

Overall, it was an amazing show, and I can only wonder what this  fantastic band will do next.