Posts Tagged jersey

MayOrWest – We, Reborn

© 2011
Rating: ★★★★★★☆☆☆☆

I’ve got a new release here from Hoboken New Jersey’s MayOrWest and well, things are looking up. The last time I reviewed this band, I had a bit of a beef with the lengthy tracks. Much to my preference, “We, Reborn” does, for the most pat, deliver on shorter track length. I also made some assumptions about sound and influence. I’m happy to report that the band is starting to find their ground. Whereas in the last review, I likened them to a mix of AFI and Queensryche, this time around I’m confident that MayOrWest is really paving new ground with their sonic dimensions. So, um, yeah, advice partially taken.

Positive leanings aside, I still find the band a bit operatic. As well There is a busy quality surrounding a lot of the tracks. It really strikes me as an audio version of MTV fast camera. It’s as though everything is a cut scene and because there is so much going on in the background, it makes it really hard to focus.

I won’t belabor my minimalist critique. Either you get it or you don’t, but here’s the take away; MayOrWest: definitely better over time; Still going in a direction that leads them more towards radio than any other direction. If that is what they are aiming for though, then, by all accounts, this is a successful release.

–Jerry Actually

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Echo Screen – Goodbye Old Life


(c)2009 ES Music
Rating: ★★★☆☆

echo_screen_goodbyeFor those of you unfamiliar with Echo Screen, They are, as far as I know, a poppy-rock quartet from straight outta Jersey. Goodbye Old Life may or may not be a departure from the bands previous two efforts, but then again it might. It is way in the pop vein, but in a weird good way. It is, oddly, like a mix between James Taylor, Neil Young and Ben Folds. Normally not my cup o’ tea, but I’m kind of in a groove with this five track EP. I say what the hell, Echo Screen is alright, even if they sound almost nice enough to be grandmother safe. The tracks tend to alternate between quick slow quick (to an extent, ’cause track five wrecks that scheme) They all have a flowing dreamy feel to them, but consequently I prefer tracks 1. “I Amsterdam” and 3. “When I Escape (L.A.)”, the later very obviously about Snake Plissken. Never the less, some not-so-bad stuff, from the East. Then again, what did I expect? New Jersey has all the best bands.

–Jerry Actually

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