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 Caught in the Carousel - Music Reviews and More
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Mr. North
Fear and Desire
Rock Ridge Music
Fear and Desire opens with an orchestral sob. The composition is ethereal and tragic, conjuring up hopes of a rich and passionate album. Sadly, that promise quickly melts away, revealing an indistinctive, forgettable sound that is sure to open but never headline. The second track ("Love is….") abruptly rips you away from those cushy seats at the symphony and forces you into a standing-room-only venue with a really long bathroom line. The tracks to follow, while masterfully produced (Steve Lyon of Depeche Mode and The Cure is at the helm), lack creative substance and boast melodic progressions that go nowhere--each one begins hopefully yet gets lost in the distortion. The musical content feels familiar yet is missing the spark that needs to set this band apart from their influences. Although Colin Smith is vocally charismatic, his sound seems derivative. In "The Player," Smith channels the shouts of The Offspring’s Dexter Holland, while sounding scarily similar to Maynard James Keenan and Chris Cornell on a number of other tracks.
Lyrically, the songs are jilted and self-reflective, positioning themselves under the tree with a piece of fruit, wondering why love hurts so much, yet feels so good. Lines like "Love, I'd die for it and I can't sleep because of it/And I chase my life away for it and I damn and I pray for it," help preserve the thematic continuity of the album's title. Each track marches further forward in the love-bashing parade with titles like "For the Cheater and the Cheated" and "So Long Love," however, as the album concludes, the lyrics become passive and frustrating. "My love is a roadblock,” Smith sings, “and I need a way around." It's hard not to imagine the regular at the bar who draws no conclusions and would rather talk than listen. Although the album lacks distinguishable traits, the hard sound and riffing guitars prove its performance appeal: however, while it would be great in the front row, it's not enough to demand silence from the passengers riding in your car.
--Katie Cleland
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