These are truly desperate times for rock 'n roll. Alternative music is on it's last leg, the Brit invasion of groups such as Oasis and Blur has slowed to a crawl, and the radio waves are being diluted with the bouncy, fluff-filled pop of Britney Spears and N'Sync. Where is the pure passion that once was known as rock music? Fear not, for amidst all the musical drivel in today's market 54 Seconds offers a breath of fresh air. The Austin group remains true to the spirit of rock 'n roll: They retrace old musical ground, drawing influence from Beatle-esque pop and Progressive/Art rock, but at the same time deliver a modern alternative crunch, therefore creating a completely unique sound that will undoubtedly amaze listeners. Their first record "ep" was released independently two years ago and has since risen to cult status over the internet. Featuring 9 original songs, the album retains a freshness that the music industry has not beheld for at least the last 10 years. The songs jump out of your speakers, seductively coaxing you to turn up the volume on your stereo as loud as it can go. The collection opens abruptly with the forceful jaded. Your ears are left with no time to adjust to the myriad of sounds swirling around your head. Drummer J.J. Johnson's serpentine playing pulsates throughout, offering fantastic interplay with the punctuating tambourine. The guitars are angry and distorted, serving as the perfect foil to Spencer Gibb's crystal clear vocals. The lyrics are delivered with a interesting blend of biting sarcasm and sympathetic self-pity, all encapsulated in Spencer's unique vocal quaver. The absence of a truly distinctive bass line and a keyboard part are due to the band's fantastic ability to know how to arrange a song for maximum effect. Bassist Glenn McGregor and keys man Stewart Cochran wisely hold back on this cut. Avoiding what could have been a jumbled "Wall of Sound", jaded is an exercise in clarity. Track two, it got you thinking, can only be described as an instant classic. On their mp3.com webpage the group describes the genesis of the song: "Written during a heavy storm, it's about how the rain seems to wash everything clean, but in reality, you're still left with a great load of mud." Cleverly the cut opens with the sound of a soft rainfall, set against a simplistic, swirling piano courtesy of Stewart Cochran. The tone of the song has been set, and as other instruments are slowly added to the mix, the atmosphere grows in intensity. A drum loop helps to carry Spencer's amazingly clear and sensitive vocals to the chorus, upon which the real drums kick in along with symphonic keyboard sounds and an extremely pronounced bass line, achieving the musical equivalent of the sun coming out. The lyrics are suitably dream-like, never quite making sense out of the context of the song, but at the same time making all the sense in the world; "It got you thinking, it got you high / Not like you were before, but almost". Crunching guitars are introduced in the cut's tag and Spencer lets loose a brief wail before the song dissipates into a small reprise of rain sounds. Pure perfection. early warning is quite possibly the tighest band peformance on the record. Not one member outshines the other; all the instruments seem to blend together in this prog-rock/alternative stew. Stewart has obviously listened to quite a few ELP and Genesis records and the influence is heard here, but even then he says true to his own style. The druming is once again spot on, and this time J.J. seems more focused on complementing Glenn's bass than pushing the track forward, which is accomplished by Spencer's thundering guitar. A Beatle-esque vibe opens up the next track, photograph, with Stewart contributing a funky groove on a rhodes piano. Listen carefully for a nice fuzz bass from Glenn during the verses. Check out those harmonic backing vocals too! This songs is definitely lighter than anything else on the album, but that doesn't detract from its quality. photograph is nestled snugly in the middle of the 6 Dave McNair produced tracks on the album, providing a break in the group's super-seriousness after the epic early warning. strange day opens with a catchy percussion effect along with a plethora of crazy keyboard noise. By this time in the album, the listener has realised that every song so far could be a monster hit single! 54 Seconds has certainly set a high standard for themselves, and strange day not only lives up to it but goes further, providing the listener with a catchy hook as well as dense instrumentation. The band has fun on this one, and as Spencer mutters "That's right" near the song's tag, one can not help but nod in approval. After listening to wanted, it is my recommendation to the group that they write a book called "How To Write The Perfect Pop/Rock Song", as this song offers nothing but perfection, plain and simple. The true complexity of this song cannot be grasp on the first play, but only after repeated listenings can one begin to understand. The structure is tight and calculated, yet it does not lose any of it's loose atmosphere. The lyrics are absolutely sublime and are delivered with such passion from Spencer. Acoustic guitar, absent from the first half of the album, makes a startling appearence here, lending greatly to the confessional tone of the song. J.J. effortlessly manipulates the drums in such a way that it eerily resembles the sound of your heart beating fast in your chest when you're in a tense situation. Glenn's bass line is a little more subtle in this one, but appropiately melancholic. And Stewart's playing rounds out the sound. He's quick to embellish the end of each line with a brief piano phrasing, as if the piano was desperately trying to tell us something. The guitar solo on this cut sounds extremely assured, as Spencer delicately instucts his instrument to cry as if it were another voice in the harmony mix. wanted transgresses several moods in a matter of four and a half minutes; the song is strangely melancholic and optimistic at the same time. The song ends rather abruptly with no real resolution in the lyrics, and it leaves the listener saying "What was that?". Time to hit the repeat button again. The first 6 songs were produced by the group and Dave McNair and were the basis of the original "ep" album. Three bonus tracks were then added. Produced by the band and Mike McCarthy, foolish me is 54 Seconds at their garage band best. They really rock out on this one, and whereas some of the clarity of the previous 6 tracks is gone, the quality of performance of and songwriting remains intact. The intensity of the instrumentation coupled with Spencer's oft repeated "who do you want, who do you want" creates a great atmosphere of urgency. The final two tracks of the album are produced soley by 54 Seconds. sell it to a girl begins with a cool rhodes piano intro from Stewart and soon launches into a drum machine / live drum propelled mid-tempo tune that chugs along at a steady pace, giving plenty of space for Stewart's trademark "spooky keyboard" style. However it seems to be Spencer who endulges on this one; his lead guitar play seems to run throughout the whole song, as if in a constant solo...but that's ok, it works. This song suffers from a weaker production than the rest of the album, making it my least favourite track. The song sounds half-developed, but during live shows the arrangement has been greatly improved upon, making for a tighter performance. All criticism aside, it still is a great track that stands high above much alternative music that is released these days. Ah, brushes! sometimes opens with the warm sound of J.J. lightly offering a brush punctuated rhythm. The sensitive acoustic guitar from wanted shows up again here, this time softly augmented by a distorted lead guitar. Stewart uses improvisation to his advantage, scattering unexpected passages throughout the song as the whole group gives a loose, rehearsal-style feel to the song. Once again Spencer sings with great tenderness, as if letting you in on a secret. The song also features one of the best lyrics on the album: "Just because I turn you on doesn't mean I care." What a perfect album closer. Well there you have it, "ep"
by
54 Seconds, quite possibly one of the best albums of the 90s. It's
too bad that in the three years the group has been together they have not
been blessed with widespread success. But don't worry, their time
will come soon. Contrary to popular belief, rock `n roll is
not
dead, it's just on a break. And when it does triumphantly return,
54 Seconds will be leading the parade.
-Review by Geoff Howe
(c)2000 |
