The Conch
It
is important to note that I am a big fan of the band moe. (that’s moe.
with a small
m and a period on the
end). So is it possible to remain objective about an album review when
you own every disc they’ve released, travel miles to see them play, buy
expensive schwag at their shows and make your wife and kids wear said
schwag?
Yes, I believe it is.
As typical with “jam”
bands, the songs on the Conch have been honed over the past few years at
their live shows, resulting in a familiar feel upon first spin. Also
typical with jam bands is the fact that studio recordings often fail to
capture the essence and energy that makes a jam band great. With this in
mind and like its predecessor, Wormwood, this album was recorded live
and then brought into a studio for dubbing and editing. Does this
process make a difference? Yes I believe it does.
The bio on moe’s
website and MySpace page cites varied influences, and, to quote “sounds
like:
all your favorite
bands, perfectly combined, blended & mixed into moe.” An apt
description. From the very first track you can hear moe’s musical
influences, taking familiar riffs and making them their own. The band
pays homage to their varied musical tastes with songs like Blues Jeans
Pizza (Steely Dan), Tailspin (Rush), Another One Gone (Nirvana), Down
Boy
(Talking Heads).
Sometimes, as in the case with Blue Jeans Pizza, the entire melodic
framework acknowledges what came before, or, as in the case of Tailspin,
only a rift is lifted.
But one thing is for
sure, each of these songs are uniquely moe. The familiar pattern of
moving from hard and in-your-face to soft and mellow is present on most
cuts. Another interesting twist, which the band used with great success
on Wormwood, is a greater presence of Jim Loughlin’s work on the vibes.
Very few rock bands are ballsy enough to even attempt to use vibes in
their music but it’s one of the things that really
work for moe. If I
were to have any criticism of this disc
it would be
the use of musical
segue’s between cuts. This disc has at least 10 solid cuts that stand
well all by themselves. The use these musical segues amounts to nothing
more than a toned down
musical wonking jam bands are so well known for. Not sure why so many
jambands have trouble
with the space
between? moe. typically manages
“wonk” factor very
well
simply
because their songs
have excellent structure and depth, but it’s the nature of the beast I
guess. Wonking, in this scene, is
inevitable.
moe. is one of those
bands that flies under the radar of conventional music and I suspect
they will never achieve the success Phish, or to a lesser extent,
Widespread Panic has in the jam scene but it’s not for lack of
accessible songs and melodies. Nor is it lack of hard work. As a fan of
most “jam” music and huge fan of Phish I find it interesting that moe.
has always appeared
one step away from the brass ring. As someone who watched Phish grow
from a bar band to a national touring
phenomenon, I’m OK if
moe. remains the best kept secret in rock and roll.
Ok, so that wasn’t
very critical at all. But there is very little to be critical about with
this disc.
Bands with this much
history under their belts always run a risk of sounding stale after
their first few releases. Not so with The Conch. A solid album
from a solid rock and roll band.
Rolling Stone just gave The Conch 4 stars. Using their rating system I’d
say 4 stars is a fair
assessment.
StAlphonzo
2/10/07
