Cromwell St.

Friday, March 04, 2005

Welcome! I’m so excited…. The first real posting to the site that contains a REVIEW!!! Of an actual band! Woo Hoo! (I realize that, yes, I am a dork, but hey- at least I’m happy dammit.) So, tonight- I’m listening to a band called Cromwell St. from Chicago. (Yay for an Illinois band as my first post as well!) Cromwell St. is an alternative rock band, which right away caught my attention. Listening to them, I was overwhelmed by their depth, and sensed right away that this band had put a lot of time into their sound. Everything seems to blend well overall, and I was impressed by the lead singer’s clarity and style. I’ve listened to some local stuff here recently that I wondered if the bands had even really listened to their vocalists…

So, moving into their track listing- which you can find on http://www.purevolume.com/cromwellst , the first song that really caught my eye was “Suspicious Minds”. Wait- wasn’t that an Elvis song? And then a Dwight Yoakam song? Hmm… maybe it’ll be the same song. YES, yes it is the same song! And it’s actually a decent remake, a little harder than I remember either the King or Dwight doing it- but very well done. The singer seems to get into the song, and the band keeps their version simple with a steady, clipped rhythm through most of the song.

The next song that intrigued me was called “Broken Guitar.” While the last song was a live recording- this is not. An acoustic serenade, with wonderful lyrics. After listening to this once… and then again…. This is definitely a song that, with me at least will have lasting power. “I play a broken guitar with only three strings, I’ve got a bucket for a drum, and I can barely sing… but I’ll play you a love song with these three strings, and I hope that you will hear that it’s you that I need.” Maybe it’s the female side of me coming out- but I am find this irresistible. And for all you musicians out there- you know how much of a bitch it can be to play with only 3 strings… That takes some real dedication.

Wow… I’m impressed with this band. There seems to be some recording issues with the live stuff- but that’s to be expected. Some feedback, and not as clear as I would have hoped. But I do suggest that whoever can- go and see this band. Sounds like they would put on a great show and they have got some talent. Their next show- March 5 at Pepe's Naperville Cantina. Go to PureVolume for more info. That's it for now.

Later...

~*~Music4YoungMinds~*~

- Jen @ Music4YoungMinds