Music
The best kept secret in music
Press
by Ezra Waller
Crybaby has set the new standard for great rock albums with their debut Lady Light Evolver. Reviving the explosive energy of early ‘90s rock and adding the post-hardcore, progressive and even Americana influences of recent years, they have created a record with overwhelming first blush appeal that is also full of ear candy and unique story lines that reward the attentive listener.
The breakneck pace of the disc is set immediately with the aptly titled opener "Furious 66," a microcosm of all the things that are so right with this disc: tightly orchestrated guitar parts, throbbing bass lines and frenetic drumming. There is syncopation galore, and co-vocalist Rusty Morris turns his throat inside out on every lyric. A study of the words will also give some clues to the story that lies ahead, essentially an epic science fiction tale told in jumbled fragments. Many of the phrases are only half-intelligible, so the theme is easy to overlook at first, but once discovered, unraveling the narrative becomes somewhat of an obsession.
There's no more hope left for those who enter here
The end of time awaits in a perfect sphere
She said I'll never fit in with the rest of the world
I'll never ever be a regular girl she said
Half post-apocalyptic love story and half space odyssey, the lyrics establish the geeky essence of the Lady Light Evolver story, and the poetic nature with which it's told evokes cosmic imagery without devolving into thesaurus-busting absurdity. The band is quick to point out that sequencing problems and time constraints caused this to be an aborted concept album, but what remains is just as intriguing. There are details missing while others are fleshed out in excruciating detail, and the story is presented out of sequence. So, in essence, the band has accidentally (maybe) made the soundtrack to a David Lynch space fantasy. One particularly effective device is the use of the same phrases in different songs. The line "come on baby let's be astronauts" for instance shows up three or four times, all in slightly different contexts. Whether artistically premeditated or an unfinished detail, it's one of many bits of story hitting you from different angles that are fascinating to absorb.
She's seen the singularity and she knows
What no other human being has ever has been shown
She said I feel existence changing, how could this be?
I could not foresee this thing happening to me
While the concept album aspect of Lady Light Evolver may not have come completely to fruition, Crybaby did invest the time to make a great sounding disc. Recorded and mixed by the band, it fully captures their live intensity. Morris and Mark Van Patten layer their guitars skillfully, yielding a heavy sound that's not compressed to death and retains enough clarity that the interesting leads stand out. The pair also trade vocal duties and complement each other well. Van Patten's voice is more subdued and smooth than Morris, who can rattle your brain with a gravelly mixture of banshee and Bon Scott. The rhythm section's intricate work is also on full display, from Andy Dole's much-more-than-an-afterthought bass lines to Jon Ford's on-loan-from-John-Bonham right foot. Details like hand percussion and the droning tanpura on the title track further elevate the songs.
I feel my shadow changing, growing in size
I feel new muscles forming, coursing with light
She said I'll never fit in with the rest of the world
I'll never ever be a regular girl
She said I've become pure light
I've grown so strong now I can draw myself out
I can cross infinite gravity
I will rise from this grave, shine my light and proclaim
I am god here
And then there's Pee-wee Herman. The third track, "Large Marge," is a rootsy rocker dedicated to the Big Adventure trucker of the same name. Again, without a thorough listen to the lyrics, this humor might escape a casual listener, making it that much richer. This and a few other amusing spots (like the cowbell in the blazing cock-rock anthem "RU Ready Tugo?") underscore the band's desire to not take themselves too seriously and instead concentrate on songwriting and entertainment. Crybaby doesn't care about labels or genres, they're just looking to make good time rock music. To this end, they also don't go to any lengths to disguise their influences, which certainly include grunge and garage rock as well as some post-punk. Much like innovators such as Skeleton Key or QOTSA, they can display their roots proudly without sounding completely derivative or retro.
We'll breathe fire into the equations
I've become so much more than a construct of the void
Lady Light Evolver is full of "this could be your new favorite band" moments, like the polyrhythmic intro on "Interspectacular," the guitarmonies in the verses of "Saltshake Redemption" and "Ghost Town" or the majestic climax of the title cut. But maybe the most endearing aspect of the album is that it's really - Cincymusic.com
Discography
Vernon Place EP (2004) (out of print)
Bake Sale EP (2005) (out of print)
Lady Light Evolver (2006)
Photos
Feeling a bit camera shy
Bio
Growing up together in a sleepy midwestern town, these four have known eachother since childhood, and in several different incarnations they have played music together for almost as long. Classifying the group musically is seamingly simple; at their core, the compositions are pop songs, but what sets them apart from other "singles" bands is the way in which their songs are voiced and layered.
"It always has to start with a great song; you write a really good song and you use it as a skeleton. Then you start adding different things to it and pretty soon it takes on a very disturbing and terrifying shape, and thats when we know we've done our job." -Rusty, Guitar Player
"As far as songwriting goes, we aren't afraid of one-four-five chord progressions, as long as we keep them fresh, but we also strive to use strange and unique progressions upon which we can write alien melodies." -Mark VanPatten, Guitar Player
Crybaby has been known to put on "extravagant" stage shows, making use of video projections, fog machines, lights, and crowd participation. They have performed pranks on the audience, played shows dressed up as a group of elderly men, and even held a bake sale at a show, giving out home-made brownies and peanut butter cookies.
"We want people who come to our shows to walk away with smiles on their faces. We try to give them more than what they bargained for. If we can make the audience have a good time, make them feel uncomfortable, scare them to death, or even instigate a fight, than we've given them something more to say after the show than 'That band was pretty good.' We've given them something special that they will be talking about long after the show" -Jon Ford, drummer
The Band, officialy formed in early 2003, has been building their chops playing shows in the tri-state area. They have also kept busy constantly writing and recording songs, and despite band member's personal problems like getting shot and narrowly escaping death in a massive car accident, these guys remain relentlessly focussed on their music and they are constantly striving to become a better band.
"Being in this band comes with a great responsibility to ourselves and to our audience, and that is to ensure that we are having fun. The moment we begin taking ourselves seriously is the moment that Crybaby comes to an end." -Andy Dole, Bass Player
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