The Dig "Demo" (Self-released) Sounds like: A rock band's journey into outer space Grade: B
The Dig's follow-up demo to 2007's "Good Luck and Games EP" is an album that requires a second or third listen before judgment should be passed. What at first sounds like a dreary mash of sound and vocalizations filling every second of a song eventually resolves into understated alternative tunes that travel through a variety of musical moods and thought.
The three-song demo transitions seamlessly from song to song. The Dig's use of multiple effects on vocals and instruments in "She's Going To Kill That Boy" isn't the strongest start to their demo, with so much sound it fatigues the ear. "Penitentiary," though, changes gears dramatically, heading into rock territory with falsettos and bouncy guitar riffs that don't require any effort to enjoy.
The final track, "He's A Woman" is a combination of the two previous songs' philosophies. It borrows a slow, deliberate beat from "She's Going To Kill That Boy" but also adopts the more defined instrumentation from the second track. The combination makes for a more structured audio experience that pushes towards the ethereal, especially when you add in the futuristic, space-like sound effects.
Anyone that likes to work to comprehend their music will want to give The Dig a listen - the amount of texture and sound they pack into three songs will keep the listener working for weeks.
-TRACI J. BROOKS
Zack Nichols "Bright Eyes EP" (Self-Released) Grade: C+
Sounds like: A little bit of everything, minus rap.
For an album that could be labeled anything from country to pop to indie rock, "Bright Eyes EP" is actually a lot of nothing special. The six-track album is the first for Zack Nichols, a new artist trying to find his place in the music scene. Unfortunately, it might take more than this recent effort to get him any kind of recognition.
Originally from Denver, Nichols grew up in a musical home. He learned piano and guitar at a young age and has continued pursuing his talent ever since. He found his love in blues and is considered a mix of Gavin DeGraw and Ray LaMontagne. Westwood nominated him for Denver's best singer/songwriter in 2006 and 2007.
Admittedly, Nichols' voice is excellent and some songs have interesting moments, but it rarely goes beyond that. All six songs on the album are about lost love or love gone bad. Neither theme is unique. And as far as lyrics go, they are either completely ordinary or laugh-out-loud random.
In "Can't Stop Thinking About You," Nichols sings about how "loving you was like loving a house of fire /and we're burning and learning baby." As the song continues working a well-done bluesy feel, he sings "loving you is like loving a fifth of the fire in this bourbon." It catches you so off guard the listener can't help but laugh at its randomness. However, if one is capable of ignoring the lyrics, the guitar work deserves attention. It brings back a little bit of that old time blues sound that makes one close his eyes and sway to the beat.
One of the best songs featured on the album is "My World." A little more rock than the rest, it starts with a piano solo slightly reminiscent of Bread. At a slightly faster pace, the melody becomes more intricate, grabbing the audience's attention just in time for an impressive guitar solo. Once more, the lyrics aren't anything special, but the song as a whole is one of the strongest on the CD.
Included in the track listings are four other songs entitled "Dust In June," "Movin' Up," "Bright Eyes" and "Eighth and Wrong Way." It is hard to describe each of these songs individually as each one sounds like the last. All of them are slow, folky and about love. The only one that stands out at all is "Eighth and Wrong Way." However, it is undecided as to whether this is because of the random beeping sound reminiscent of a truck backing up that interrupts quiet moments or because of the sudden increase in volume. Undoubtedly, though, this song definitely has the most interesting title.
-LAUREN LINHARD
Red Wanting Blue "These Magnificent Miles" (Self-released) Sounds like: Americana with an edge Grade: B+
Red Wanting Blue, based out of Ohio, makes good on their Midwestern roots in "These Magnificent Miles." Filled with swinging beats and hearty vocals, the album is a well-intentioned stab at folk-rock that offers plenty of pick-me-up tunes and only a few let downs.
Red Wanting Blue offers sing-along lyrics and songs that beg for the freedom of summer. Their positive energy is infectious, creating undeniable quality music. Vocalist Scott Terry's deep, Toby Keith-meets-Third Day-vocals might be more at home on a country radio station, but he flavors his timbre with just the right amount of rasp and earnest vibrato to fit the rock bill.
His full, rich vocals could cover a multitude of musical sins, but some potholes are too big to soar over. About halfway through the album, the energy drops, emoting in full swing. Forced rhymes take over previously acceptable lyrics, begging the question, did the writer forget to pay attention during Songwriting 101? Red Wanting Blue stretches uncomfortably to be poetic. The lyric, "You said you want a stone on a band of gold, what you got is a rolling stone in a band on the road," is neither succinct nor deep.
Despite these missteps, the album succeeds far more than it disappoints. "These Magnificent Miles" is worth the trip.
-T.J.B.
