 |
 Caught in the Carousel "There will be music despite everything"
|
Eightforseven
Lossless
Minus Head Records
It's been a full four years since Eightfourseven released their last EP, Silent Raid. But those four years didn't see Eightfourseven sitting idly by; they signed with Minus Head records and joined forces with mastering legend "Big Bass" Brian Gardner to create their second full-length album Lossless. The result is a skillful blend of electronic synth, rock and even some rap that, while interesting, fails to bring anything truly unique to the world of "alternative rock."
The first track, "Phantom Limb" provides a lush aural journey to…nowhere. Although the journey itself can be enjoyable, it starts to meander and you begin to feel like an impatient eight-year-old on a family vacation ("are we there yet?"). And that's how I started to feel with the album itself; it's interesting but lacks an edge. Several of the cuts are overly long and border on self-indulgent.
But then Eightfourseven lobs a hand grenade into the middle of the disc with "Claire." This is where the band gets the blend of electronica and rock right. The alchemy of front-man Lance Jackman's vocals, Sean Bivens' guitar along with the effects programming of Anthony Sarti and Ben Conger's drums all come together to provide a track that lives up to the bands' promise. Another high point of the album is the title track, a diverse and powerful cut that showcases Jackman's vocals.
Eightfourseven is obviously a band with great potential, and Lossless has moments where we get a glimpse of exactly what they can accomplish. If they keep up the growth they've displayed since their beginning in 2002 they could very well be a band we'll be discussing for years to come.
—Pamela Obenchain
Can we help you find something?