The best thing that can happen to an album during its creation and recording is a birth of a common idea that will turn a list of songs into an integral finished work. I personally don’t think it’s right when musicians think up an albums idea artificially before staring to work on new material. Quite the opposite – the magic of integrity comes either when the first idea changes and evolves into something new and radically different from the original one or when it isn’t chased and the band just play the music they want to and love. When everything is done and the last note is written, the soul of the music will show itself. Also, there’s a more important division. Music can be made a) professionally or b) professionally and brilliant.
This was the first thought at my first listen to the album. It didn’t feel like a whole story. “A Modern Way of Living with the Truth” is no doubt a professional work, yet without much sparkle. I’m an exacting listener, and I love to be surprised and amazed – this is music and it can’t be successful if it fails to surprise. An extremely difficult task for any band, yes – and especially in front of their loyal audience, who talks about the forthcoming album, so to speak, in the waiting room long before it will be heard. I wasn’t waiting for this album and to tell the truth I wasn’t surprised much. At least not by the album as a whole entity.
I don’t think the album is bad – I never attempt to say “bad” about a professional band. No doubt that thousands of listeners have called it a mirror to their today (or yesterday). This is the subjectivism of music – I hope I’m not too rough, because if I call something professional, I automatically respect it. However, one song has become a soundtrack to my previous week (I award it as the best album song) – the track named “Stray”. There’s a beautiful drummer’s mood modulation standing out in the song – my weak point. And the vocals of their lead singer Scott Stevens deserve more acoustic space – he has if not a unique timbre, but a very charismatic voice, that’s for sure. The guitar sound on the album is quite dense and sometimes muffles up the voice, but one song belongs to his voice entirely –“My Ordinary World” – a song that needs no critics.
All in all a good effort by what may become an amazing band in the future.
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THE EXIES BACK ON TOUR
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The Exies - A Modern Way Of Living With The Truth
