Music
Press
National Product – Luna
Release Date: August 7, 2007
Record Label: R&M Artist Records
Over the course of their 12-song debut album, Luna, you will get to experience the many faces of California rockers National Product. Luna has a crisp production to it courtesy of James Paul Wisner (Underoath, Dashboard Confessional), and that plus the band's raw musical talent equals one heck of an entertaining record. Their future is clearly bright and the fans are buzzing.
From "By All Means," Luna's opener, listeners are instantly captivated if not a little put off. Expecting a straightforward rock band, instead tinges of post-hardcore wailing creep into the music, which is wild-eyed and aggressive, albeit very catchy. One of the things that National Product does well is mesmerize listeners with a diverse mix of sub-genres, styles, and tempos to their music, while retaining the "catchy" aspect that keeps fans coming back for more. On "Collision," the band shifts into overdrive on the chorus before dropping down to a mid-tempo sound, highlighting Danny Casler's excellent vocals. Just as soon as your brain catches up to the music, National Product kicks it back up to 10 to close out the roller-coaster ride of a song. The lead single is "Love Me," a heartfelt ballad. Despite a cheesy aura at first, there's something undeniable about this one. It's sugary, sincere, and has been attacking the charts with a vengeance. Girls will love it, and guys will love to hate it. Regardless, it's one of the best pop-rock ballads I've heard this year, and I think you'll agree.
The crunching riffs backing "Valentine" make the song another possibility to go to radio in the future. With this track sparking singalongs en masse, you'll probably get a little 30 Seconds to Mars vibe, only heavier and more exuberant (as opposed to dark). One of the great things captured by producer James Paul Wisner and NP drummer Rob Caveney on this CD are the drum sounds. Everything is so loose (no compressed drum-pad thuds here), and the drums have deep tone, giving the whole band an added depth, which I imagine also translates well live. Expect to find some of the best examples on the fast-paced tracks such as "Paper & Ink" and "Sad Excuse." After a change of pace with "Where Do We Go?", a tight but relatively harmless acoustic ballad, the band alternates twice between aggressive and not-so-aggressive songs to close the album. "November Nights" and "Explode" are probably my least favorites on the CD; they're not quite as dynamic as the rest of Luna, and by the end, it feels like we're experiencing a reprise from somewhere on the album.
After repeated listens to Luna, you'll undoubtedly be hooked, whether you choose to admit it in mixed company or not. It's a little too safe at times, with a radio-ready sheen throughout the CD, but the music is assorted enough to draw in listeners from across the post-hardcore/pop-punk/alt-rock/indie rock chasm. Luna is not quite groundbreaking, but National Product's debut leaves little doubt that this band will be your new obsession if you give them a chance.
For fans of: Boys Like Girls with a crunch, Over It, 30 Seconds to Mars - AbsolutePunk.net
The latest album by National Product quite simply rocks. Post-Hardcore continues to grow and is starting to kick ass and this latest release by National Product makes them one of the bigger boots in the genre. “Luna” is a complete release by National Product and is easily one of the most accessible, most entertaining, and most skilled acts in the whole genre. The harder tracks on “Luna” are excellent, especially the opener “By All Means.” That’s one of the best in your face type songs to come out this year. But where National Product is really impressive; their ballads. The ballads touch on emo territory so much that they would make Dashboard Confessional proud and Secondhand Serenade jealous; especially with “Love Me.” That song is one of the best ballads I’ve heard this year and it’s a big reason why “Luna” gets two big thumbs up. The only real criticism I have with “Luna” is the songwriting. Most of the songs are great on the disc but there are a couple of moments where things drag on and get boring when they just don’t need to. “Collision” is a big one of these moments. Other than that track placement is a bit of a weakness. On independent releases your best song goes at the beginning, and they get that right, but it would have been nice to have “Love Me” at the end of the disc instead of “Explode”, it just seems like a better way to end it. If you want to check out a new band that will impress instantly check out National Product. There’s no doubt that these guys could use some polishing here and there, but there’s no denying raw talent; something that National Product has no short supply of. - Alternative Addiction
Discography
Luna (R&M Artist Records, August 7, 2007)
Photos
Bio
National Product, named one of the 'TOP 100 BANDS TO WATCH IN 2008' in the April '08 Alternative Press Magazine, has been storming through the music scene with the ferocity and determination of a band that is poised for success.
The band's stellar debut release, Luna, out now on R&M Artist Records and produced by James Paul Wisner (Paramore, Underoath, Dashboard Confessional), is seeing the first single entitled "By All Means" turn heads at Alternative Radio across the country. The song can also be heard these days at the movies as it is featured in a national CINEMASOUNDS campaign where it is being played in over 6,500 movie theaters. Building on their red-hot momentum, the video for "By All Means" is currently being seen on-line, at broadcast outlets in towns from coast to coast and at major retail and life-style shops in malls across the USA and has recently made its way onto TV. BY ALL MEANS just WON the FRESHMEN 5 on MTVU. A week prior MTV & Freedom Zone had a crew in Salt Lake City, Utah interviewing the boys for a show called ON THE RISE which will showcase the bands personalities, music, videos as well as serious topics like their involvement in various charities, suicide, the music industry from their point of view and how to survive as a band and family on the road through all the trials and tribulations that a band faces in this modern music world. An OC band by way of Hawaii, National Product consists of five guys( Danny/lead singer, Robby/drums, Stan/guitar, Nate/ bass-vocals and Jeff/guitar) from many different walks of life. The band originally started in Hawaii as best friends.
"We have a serious undying passion for music and the fans of music. We are not competitive with other bands because making music to us isn't a competition, it's an art form, it's our way of communicating, healing ourselves, and others and expressing who we are. We love all types of music and believe in writing songs straight from our guts and directly from the heart. Everything we do with this band is motivated by what is RIGHT in our heart versus what sounds right to others or what pays the bills. We are not motivated by fame or money. We are motivated by sing-a-longs, hugs, rad people, good times, and rocking you like a hurricane. Some of us are religious, and some of us are not. Some of us party really hard and some of us do not. We all like to rock though", says singer Danny Casler.
The songs on Luna are inherently catchy, but the band pushes far beyond having just great hooks to captivate the listener. They have a sense of purpose, with music and lyrics covering the gamut of emotions apt for all music fans to embrace. Alternative Press Magazine awarded NP's debut album, LUNA, 3.5 STARS in their August 2007 issue, hailing the album as: "half aggressive, half melodic, all catchy...solid record", with the record garnering 4’s and 5’s all across the board in highly regarded web and magazine reviews. Even before LUNA or any single was released, NP hit the top of the radio chart with a massive number 1 hit in Hawaii at KUCD with the shimmering "Love Me". They have shared the stage with acts such as: Saosin, New Found Glory, Rise Against, Yellowcard, Poison The Well, The Vandals, Me First & The Gimme Gimmes, Emery, Anberlin, Mute Math, Eisley, Shiny Toy Guns, Over It, Lorene Drive, Just Surrender, Drop Dead Gorgeous, Jeffree Star, 36 Crazy Fist, Unwritten Law, Mickey Avalon, Sugar Cult, Scary Kids Scaring Kids and many more.
Links
