Here is Fourth of July's video for In Debt off the band's debut Fourth of July On The Plains. Yeah it's got this random army theme going on but it's a good tune nonetheless.
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Fourth Of July- Fourth Of July On The Plains
Arguably the first season-appropriate album of the summer, Fourth of July On The Plains is a charming feel-good effort filled to the brim with off-kilter anthems. Boasting an ex-The Anniversary member on its roster, Fourth of July delivers track after track of layered vocals and simple yet addictive melodies on its very first effort.
These aren't the most complex tunes one will ever encounter but they do throw slight curveballs at the listeners. The musicianship is tight and polished and this paired with cleverly biting lyrics is enough to push the band past any formulaic twee-pop stigma. The Lawrence, Kansas band's first full-length is as solid a debut as I can recall from 2007 (aside from Coconut Records whose album I should probably review at some point) and if this is a glimpse of what is to come, Fourth of July may have just forged themselves a place within the genre.
After leaving throwback rockers The Anniversary, Adrianne Verhoeven has joined the ranks of Fourth of July and she brings with her a keen sense of melody which is fairly evident the second Fourth of July On The Plains begins. The vocal harmonies are spot-on and while the music isn't intricate by any stretch of the imagination, it is effective in helping lead singer Brendan Hangauer convey his thoughts. Pulsating guitar lines and cascading percussion kick off the first track Be Careful in which Hangauer exclaims "I wouldn't listen...I'd have my hands over my ears" as a subtle trumpet utterance finds its way into the fold. The start/stop aesthetic to the track is crisp and proves to be a good indicator of where this record is headed. Hangauer's vocals are strong and aren't overly flawed which makes the band instantly more accessible than say Neutral Milk Hotel or The Decemberists. The former seem to have influenced Fourth of July in some spots though, especially in moments when the odd instrumentation peeks its head into the fray.
The highlights of Fourth of July On The Plains are the songs when the band sounds like a fine-tuned collective and not disparate factions. The rather obvious cohesion can probably be explained by the fact that half of the band are related to each other. The concordance of the members is most audible on tracks when the band is operating at a quicker pace and making full use of chanted group vocals, namely on Long Gone and Purple Heart.
The most striking quality Fourth of July displays on its debut is its incredible sense of melody and pop sensibility. Every song on this debut is catchy. However, one can only write so many accessible hooks without some material spilling over. At times, it feels as though the songs run together and it becomes difficult to discern one ditty from another when not entirely familiar with the album just yet. This isn't to say that Fourth of July never switches it up though. Tracks like the quasi-prairie ballad Why Did I Drink So Much Last Night and the keyboard-heavy She's In Love demonstrate just how interesting this band can grow to become; "can" being the term emphasized in that last sentence. Many bands show signs of promise early on and then drop the ball on their sophomore effort. Here's hoping this isn't the case with this sextet.
7.2/10
These aren't the most complex tunes one will ever encounter but they do throw slight curveballs at the listeners. The musicianship is tight and polished and this paired with cleverly biting lyrics is enough to push the band past any formulaic twee-pop stigma. The Lawrence, Kansas band's first full-length is as solid a debut as I can recall from 2007 (aside from Coconut Records whose album I should probably review at some point) and if this is a glimpse of what is to come, Fourth of July may have just forged themselves a place within the genre.
After leaving throwback rockers The Anniversary, Adrianne Verhoeven has joined the ranks of Fourth of July and she brings with her a keen sense of melody which is fairly evident the second Fourth of July On The Plains begins. The vocal harmonies are spot-on and while the music isn't intricate by any stretch of the imagination, it is effective in helping lead singer Brendan Hangauer convey his thoughts. Pulsating guitar lines and cascading percussion kick off the first track Be Careful in which Hangauer exclaims "I wouldn't listen...I'd have my hands over my ears" as a subtle trumpet utterance finds its way into the fold. The start/stop aesthetic to the track is crisp and proves to be a good indicator of where this record is headed. Hangauer's vocals are strong and aren't overly flawed which makes the band instantly more accessible than say Neutral Milk Hotel or The Decemberists. The former seem to have influenced Fourth of July in some spots though, especially in moments when the odd instrumentation peeks its head into the fray.
The highlights of Fourth of July On The Plains are the songs when the band sounds like a fine-tuned collective and not disparate factions. The rather obvious cohesion can probably be explained by the fact that half of the band are related to each other. The concordance of the members is most audible on tracks when the band is operating at a quicker pace and making full use of chanted group vocals, namely on Long Gone and Purple Heart.
The most striking quality Fourth of July displays on its debut is its incredible sense of melody and pop sensibility. Every song on this debut is catchy. However, one can only write so many accessible hooks without some material spilling over. At times, it feels as though the songs run together and it becomes difficult to discern one ditty from another when not entirely familiar with the album just yet. This isn't to say that Fourth of July never switches it up though. Tracks like the quasi-prairie ballad Why Did I Drink So Much Last Night and the keyboard-heavy She's In Love demonstrate just how interesting this band can grow to become; "can" being the term emphasized in that last sentence. Many bands show signs of promise early on and then drop the ball on their sophomore effort. Here's hoping this isn't the case with this sextet.
7.2/10
Song of the day
Today's song of the day is The Flaming Lips' cover of the Queen classic Bohemian Rhapsody.
Monday, June 11, 2007
Song of the day
Another radiant day in Montreal calls for a happy pop song. Here's If She Wants Me by Belle & Sebastian.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)