Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
It was worth the wait., 26 Oct 2007
So its finally here, the bands first new material in 4 years, who knows when we can expect a follow up but for now we have this gem to take in.
Let me start off by saying that I have been waiting for this album since late 2004 and I know a lot of people that have waited even longer, here are some of my reasons why it has all been worth it:
The album starts off strong with `We Will Fall Together' a very pleasing build up which kicks off into an incredible horn battle and is instrumental for almost a minute (more of that to come later) this song has greatly developed from the days of when it was simply an intro played at various live shows, the vocals begin and you realise just how far the lead singer (Tomas Kalnoky) has come, the harmonies are to die for and the backup vocals are a brilliant touch and are something that has not been seen so much in previous releases, certain horn parts and sax solos in this song remind me of the great `Squirrel Nut Zippers' a fairly renowned New Jersey based swing band, the influences are definitely present.
Next on the list is `Down, Down, Down to Mephisto's Café', this track like the previous has been seen as a very basic version of what it is today live a few years ago and obviously has changed dramatically, the intro is a sure to be sing-along classic, the song seems to have a very powerful meaning to it, the subject matter being religion, smart and witty lyrics are heard throughout and not to mention very catchy, nothing particularly new or exciting within this song, though it still remains one of my favourites because of the uplifting tune and satirical content.
`Would You Be Impressed?' has been showcased very recently as a song on their U.S support tours, it is lyrically darker than a lot of the album, a lot of minor keys.
`One Foot On The Gas, One Foot In The Grave' opens with a nice relaxing bass line and slow guitar work + vocals, the mellow beginning sets you up nicely for the amazing brief horn solos that bring you into the first verse, this is just a Streetlight trademark, why try anything different when you have songs as good as this, it is also the longest track on the album clocking in at 5:27.
`Watch It Crash' is next which straight off the bat I would compare it to the `Keasbey Nights' classic `Dear Sergio' just with a much darker tone, the chorus to this song is so infectious you will pick most of it up upon first listen, to end the song it has a very `System Of A Down' esque influence to it which is brilliant and is stunningly powerful.
The title track "Somewhere In The Between" is up next, in my opinion I would say they chose the wrong track to end the album, this would have been perfect but to me that doesn't matter in the slightest, this track is stunning, such a departure from the old sound, this shows how much this album is more than just simple `ska-punk' as they are labelled in most cases, as the song goes "This is the anthem", it really is, it almost sounds like a drinking song in the way that the lyrics and melody come across, you will be singing this one for a long time afterwards, the solos at the end of this song are just brilliant, Mike Soprano (trombone) especially deserves credit for his brilliant work on this song, the new guy Matt Stewart (trumpet) definitely is up to par as well.
`Forty Days' is the slowest paced song on the album and is definitely in my top 3 overall, the guitar and bass throughout this song are so off putting (in a good way) then when you are listening to it whilst walking you can't help walk funny, its hilarious, try it!. The maturity in the song writing really shines through and the main horn line is the most fun, innovative thing I may have heard since their previous release, the solos (there are a hell of a lot on this album) are brilliant as usual as well as in my opinion the best part on the album, the guitar solo, its not so much the difficulty of the solo but the stylish and unique guitar tone that it creates, its just so fitting and oh so perfect to the song.
`The Blonde Lead The Blind' is the most peppy and upbeat song on the album, it is impossible not to smile when you hear the brilliant intro horn line which is so playful and original that I'm certain it will be a sure favourite at gigs, the song is very fast and really shows off how effective and important the backup vocals are to this record, to end the song it has a brief moment of tranquillity which really reminds me of the Radiohead song `Creep' (not in a depressing way) it pretty much has the same melody.
`The Receiving End of It All' is yet another very dark toned song about well... Being on the receiving end of everything, it is very fast paced throughout with brilliant harmonies and horn play, the outro is one of my favourite parts of the album and really just shows everyone in the line-up really going for it! It is just perfect.
The final track on the album goes by the name of `What A Wicked Gang Are We' and yet again the comparison to System Of A Down is back, the guitar is very `metal' I use that term loosely as the rest of the song overshadows this, although still maintains that dark aura to the album, it is a shame that this is the shortest song on the album clocking in at 3:23 as I think it could be slightly longer. The gang vocals are just brilliant throughout this and the chorus is yet again so memorable. You can really see that the production value in this album has gone up so much since `Everything Goes Numb' which I don't frankly care if people call `overproduced' this album is essential and Is growing to be my favourite that I own.
The only slight criticism I have is that it is a tad short at 44:36, that being said there are only 10 songs but if you listen to the content every second is worth your possibly long time new Streetlight Manifesto deprived ears :) . I can only hope that this album is received with open arms to the fans and that they appreciate how much blood, sweat and tears I could only imagine has been put into this release.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
awesome, 28 Nov 2007
its hard isnt it? making a decision as to whether you buy an album based on these reviews, i have been burnt before buying an album everyone rated as five stars because i played it and thought it was garbage. so how do all these five star reviews differ? well i can only say that this is the most complete ska punk album you will hear for years.
Kalnoky's song writing genius once again reigns and the musical talent of this guy and the other musicians just staggers me, how they write this stuff is unbelievable, the horn sections just flow in and out of the songs like a breeze. i love listening to bands who so clearly enjoy making music and it makes this album so easy to play over and over again. its fast, its slow, it will make you smile and it will make you reflect on life, it will not however, sound like any other band you have heard.
Streetlight Manifesto are a band who I genuinely believe would not release an album unless each band member was totally convinced that their contribution was the very best performance they could offer and that collectively, the finished sound of the album was perfect. This is not the result of a record label demanding another unit shifter, this is the result of some very talented musicians combining to create music that makes them proud.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Ridiculously Good..., 30 Oct 2007
When the guy below me has written such an in depth review, it seems pointless me going through every song again but I feel this album needs as much praise as possible.
Never in my life have I listened through an album for the first time and enjoyed every single song. Even some tracks on Keasbey Nights had to grow on me. This, however, has no weak tracks. No tracks where you click on that skip button to get to one of your favourites. Every song is a classic.
And then the strangest thing happens. Despite the fact that you love every track, it grows on you even more, until you can't get the songs out of your head. I've only had the album 2 days and I find myself constantly humming to myself without even realising i'm doing it.
Tracks that stand out for me at the current moment are Down Down Down to Mephisto's Cafe and Somewhere in the Between although in a few days this will probably change, such is the quality of each track.
If there is an album to give your friends to get them into ska, this is it. Its infectious, uplifting and leaves you with a smile on your face, despite the slightly depressing lyrics. It was tough for Streetlight to beat their debut album but this surpasses it every way. Buy buy buy, if its the last thing you do.
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