New Tunes Tuesday - Brighten

Today is March 23rd which means two things: April Fool's is but a week away and Brighten's new EP Be Human is available for purchase.

Be Human is true to Brighten's style with a creative exploration into new ways to express new experiences. The whole of the collection of songs comes across as a person's struggle to get over the loss of a romantic relationship. But without falling into whining and wailing, as easily happens, Brighten maintains some dignity with hooks that allow the listener to catch on, sing along, and experience the story that is being told as much as one can through a pair of headphones.

"Where We Belong" opens the EP with a catchy, optomistic guitar riff that kicks in with singer Justin Richards singing, "Oh, thank heaven, she's so beautiful." He vows to never lose her, foreshadowing the poor transgression of the EP that will lead up to the final track, "I Lost Her."

"Without You" again offers some insight into the possibility of not always having a beautiful woman around. Immediately, this is the most memorable track on the EP, which was put up on the band's myspace several weeks before the release of Be Human. Of all the tracks, "Without You" points back to the beginning of Brighten in King vs. Queen but with the maturity that they achieved in Early Love.

Be Human takes a bit of a turn on the third track, "While The Fire Was Out," giving the EP a bit of a home-on-the-country-side feel that will carry through the next couple songs. The mood is beginning to change, forcing the listener to begin to question what the true story behind the songs is and what The Fire is meant so symbolize. The song goes from simple old-south reflection to solid gold with a female guest vocal (I don't know who she is, someone should fill us in!).

When "That Girl" kicks in, Brighten returns to the indie-pop hook-masters that got them as many fans as they've acquired through enduring years of rough touring schedules and trouble with tricky record executives. This song will make Carbon Copy Media wish they hadn't screwed up their relationship with them.

The EP wraps up with the title track and the final conclusion of this short story told via mp3's, "I Lost Her." "Be Human," though connected to the whole of the EP by its title, is not the best song of the six. Brighten get points for ingenuity and creativity, but it doesn't sit well with a casual listen. "I Lost Her," however, is a beautiful, haunting song that finally places the listener in a relationship with the outcome of the story that has been told between the lines of the EP. Richards croons a melody that softly creeps under your skin as the song begins, which then becomes the anchor for the song to launch its climax. Richards may have lost her, but he resolves to get her back, as he sings, "I will work to be a man, as you will see."

As a whole, this is a great EP. Brighten have recently taken a hiatus as Jimmy Richards is doing missionary work in Africa and Justin tours with A Rocket to the Moon; hence, they have said that the release of this six-song EP is "just for fun." If this is what they do when they're just having fun, then we are sure to be blown away by an all-out, no holds barred full length. But you don't have to take my word for it. Go buy Be Human on iTunes for a meager $5.94 here.

Against Me! - White Crosses (Early Review)

So Against Me!'s forthcoming fifth full-length release leaked a few days ago.

After a few listens, it becomes clear that this record has spent a lot of time in post-production. Never mind the fact that the band wrapped recording in October and the album still isn't officially out yet. The music is full and incorporates instruments, such as piano and a layered mix of acoustic and electric guitars, absent on previous Against Me! releases.

White Crosses is an album that stays true to the band's punk roots while pushing the group into experimenting with more of a straight ahead rock'n'roll feel. The songs are excellent. But they come from a band that has been decried as sellouts by the wannabe anarchists who initially gave the group a fanbase. It's a shame, too, because this is some of singer/guitarist Tom Gabel's best songwriting. Nevertheless, this is easily the best release of the year so far and it isn't even scheduled to come out until June. For those of you who just can't wait any longer, it is not all that difficult to find on various file-sharing and torrent sites. Also, Tom Gabel graciously gave everyone his blessing by acknowledging the leak and offering the lyrics to the songs on his blog.

And now, a brief yet triumphant review of the songs themselves:

1. White Crosses - A song that addresses the debate surrounding abortion. The white crosses the song references are supposed to represent all of the fetuses that are aborted daily in the U.S. Gabel passionately sings that he wants to smash them all. Guess which side he's on?
2. I Was A Teenage Anarchist - Scheduled to be the first single, this song is very catchy and deals with Gabel's earlier anarchism and subsequent dissociation from that type of politics.
3. Because Of The Shame - Against Me! put on their Bruce Springsteen costumes, play a little piano and also sneak in a little bit of Green Day influence (although they might not like to admit it). This is a killer track that deals with the loss of a close friend.
4. Suffocation - This one opens with an 80s style guitar intro before moving into a more standard Against Me! guitar line. Overall, one of the weaker tracks, but even at their worst, this band is still better than most.
5. We're Breaking Up - Buoyed by tasteful piano arpeggios and a muted guitar riff during the verse, this song explodes into a triumphant chorus. An excellent ode to the end of a relationship, perhaps addressing the band's near break-up in the time between their last record and this one. A time during which long-time drummer Warren Oakes left and was replaced by former Hot Water Music drummer George Rebelo.
6. High Pressure Low - The intro to this song could be right out of a John Hughes movie. Another catchy track that showcases how well this band constructs bouncy, melodic punk songs with hook-laden choruses.
7. Ache With Me - If the last song showcases the band's ability to make punk catchy, this one proves that they can also write slower, more contemplative songs that win you over on the strength of the lyrics and their delivery over an acoustic rhythm and simple drum beat. Spoiler alert: this one's a bit of a downer. The moshers might not know what to do when this song is played live...
8. Spanish Moss - The intro is a definite nod to The Who, followed by some beefy power chords and excellent drumming from Rebelo. This is an idealized song about getting away from it all without owing anyone an apology.
9. Rapid Decompression - An incredible burst of sheer energy. This song is one minute and forty-three seconds of punk injected directly into the bloodstream. The best punk song on the album.
10. Bamboo Bones - Against Me! knows how to end an album. Write a song with lyrics about God, throw in some passionate guitars, bass, and drums, then give it 135%. And that's exactly what they do.

Disclaimer: Remember that this review is based upon a leak of what we believe to be the full album, not necessarily the actual album that will be released. It is quite possible that the record will contain more songs, different songs, or have a different track listing.

Maria Taylor Doesn't Even Care About This Interview...

ALLSTON, Mass.—The last time Maria Taylor came to the Boston area she brought a completely different band, she had a completely different record to promote and she played at a very different venue. While so much has changed since her visit last June, one thing has stayed the same the entire time: it is, and always has been all about the music.

The 32-year-old singer-songwriter played to a hefty crowd at the Great Scott in Allston last Tuesday night on a tour that will take her through New York City before she heads back home to Los Angeles. In a quick interview before her headlining performance, Taylor spoke about how this tour has been fun, how the economy has changed the music industry, and how, at the end of the day, nothing is more important than the music she makes.

“There’s just this different thing,” Taylor started off, with a smile on her face and a vodka and soda water in her hand. “Usually I have fun on tour but there’s a side of me that gets stressed out. There has been no
stress and no tension,” she said.
Much of the added relief this time around is due to the company she has with her on this tour. Whispertown2000, also from Los Angeles, are an indie-band with whom Taylor has a long history. The two bands share several band members, making for a very tightly knit group. Among them are Morgan Nagler, Whispertown2000 lead singer, who affirmed, “We are all in love with each other.”

Taylor brings different people on tour every time. She says that if she is going to play music as a solo musician she sees no reason to keep herself around the same people all the time. “For one, I have so many friends that don’t get to travel like I do. I want them to see what I get to see. And for me it just makes it more fun so I’m not around the same people,” she explains.

The mixing of members also does something for the music. “Every tour sounds different because people add their personalities [to the songs],” Taylor said. It also helps to keep things fresh to a young woman who has been playing some of the same songs since the release of her first solo album, “11:11,” in 2005. “When it came to ‘Song Beneath the Song,’ I was like, ‘we have to change it.’ So we changed the key and I told people to play whatever they want during the interlude,” she said.

Despite the need for a mix-up every now and then, the music still holds a personal connection with the Birmingham, Alabama native. “I have my babies,” she says, speaking of her favorite songs, “and I’m so emotionally attached to them.”

She wastes no time writing music, immediately tossing out ideas for songs that she doesn’t like. “There are some people who have 20 songs [on a record] and they don’t care for some of them. Pretty much every song I have I put on a record,” she said.

It’s this kind of love for her music that keeps Taylor writing music, going on tour, and playing the “game” she calls the music industry. In a tough economy, Taylor maintains that there is nothing else for her to do, despite that she expects to make less money on this tour than on past tours. “It’s weird,” she says. “’Cause you want to progress in your career, you know?”
Taylor’s manager insisted that she take a tour manager along with her on this tour. She says that she has so much fun on tour that she often forgets to get paid.

“This is absolutely what I would do for fun and that still amazes me. And sometimes I feel like I don’t take it as seriously as I need to ‘cause it’s my job and my career and I don’t have a family to fall back on. I need to grow up,” she confesses.

Not every day is a walk in the park, though. There is an aspect of her career that she has no taste for: the music industry. “My whole thing with this industry is that I love music and I want to be a part of it but the industry grosses me out. I have to play the game a little bit but I don’t want to,” she says. Little attention is paid to album sales, profits made, or ranks on billboard charts. “I don’t give a shit,” she says with a smirk on her face. “I don’t even care about this interview.”

Just before it’s time for Taylor to take her place on the stage, she pauses for a picture with two fans—a debacle in which Taylor insisted that the picture be taken several times. “I look so drunk!” she says. “We have to do it again.”

As the lights dim and the house music is cut any signs of inebriation are far from noticeable. The small room is filled with cheers and screams while camera flashes light up the air previously lit by only the neon beer signs that line the rustic brick walls. Drunk or not, Taylor affirms what she said in the interview: she is overcome by an honest look of pure contentment. The night ends with a Whispertown2000-Maria Taylor collaboration and a rousing round of “Happy Birthday” to Casey Wisenbaker, who played drums for the majority of the night.

There is a definitive atmosphere in the room that Taylor predicted before taking up her spot behind the microphone. “People come in and you feel the energy and then every song is like a different song every time.” Even without such an atmosphere, though, it’s clear that she would be set back only very little. “Even if no one was here, though, we would be having a great time,” she says. “That’s how you know it’s going to be a great tour: even if no one comes, we just have fun with each other.”