CD Reviews
Nakul Verma
Band: Toad the Wet Sprocket
Album: In Light Syrup
These hometown rockers from Santa Barbara, California are yet to achieve the level of notoriety that goes hand in hand with record deal success. Although they have made several albums under Columbia records, they are still not as notorious as mass media bands such as Pearl Jam. The reason for this lack of notoriety is very simple; Toad (consisting of guitarist and vocalist Todd Nichols; keyboarder, vocalist, and guitarist Glen Phillips, drummer Randy Guss and bassist, backing vocalist, and keyboarder Dean Dinning) is one of those bands that cannot be reduced to a simple formula. Most of their albums strike a good balance between hard tunes and soft ballads and In Light Syrup is no exception. Like most of their albums, In Light Syrup is a subjective examination of human sociality in all of its cryptic splendour. This album is all-encompassing in the sense that each song examines a different aspect of human sociality from a different perspective. This album contains songs about everything ranging from brotherhood to relationships/friendships. But this alone does not account for the small loyal following that this band enjoys. Their charm lies in their unique harmony of music and vocals that often reflects the mood of their songs. For those of you who like bands such as REM and the Hip, try this album; I assure you will not be disappointed.
Artist: Damn the Diva
Album: Damn the Diva
This Vancouver band has yet to hit the pinnacle of commercial success. This is their first album and has been independently released. The band, consisting of guitarists Jerry Wong and Rob Duffield, bassist Cam van Ass, vocalist Kevin MacKenzie and drummer Jamie Kaufman, fits the classical genre of alternative hard rock. Not to say that they do this by sacrificing their originality. Nothing out there even closely resembles what Damn the Diva sound like. Their music, accompanied by MacKenzie's passionate voice, explores the dark side of the human psyche. Their songs are about despair, deceit, loss and pain. If the lyrics bother you, take solace in the fact that the band epitomises what hard rock is all about. For those of you who enjoy the energy of this genre of music, Damn the Diva is an essential addition to your collection.
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These hometown rockers from Santa Barbara, California are yet to achieve the level of notoriety that goes hand in hand with record deal success. Although they have made several albums under Columbia records, they are still not as notorious as mass media bands such as Pearl Jam. The reason for this lack of notoriety is very simple; Toad (consisting of guitarist and vocalist Todd Nichols; keyboarder, vocalist, and guitarist Glen Phillips, drummer Randy Guss and bassist, backing vocalist, and keyboarder Dean Dinning) is one of those bands that cannot be reduced to a simple formula. Most of their albums strike a good balance between hard tunes and soft ballads and In Light Syrup is no exception. Like most of their albums, In Light Syrup is a subjective examination of human sociality in all of its cryptic splendour. This album is all-encompassing in the sense that each song examines a different aspect of human sociality from a different perspective. This album contains songs about everything ranging from brotherhood to relationships/friendships. But this alone does not account for the small loyal following that this band enjoys. Their charm lies in their unique harmony of music and vocals that often reflects the mood of their songs. For those of you who like bands such as REM and the Hip, try this album; I assure you will not be disappointed.