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Musicianship – 7.5 out of 10
Before I began writing this
review, I read my review of Trapeze, 4Fodder’s last album. Trust me, I
don’t have anything as original to write this time as the last! (If you don’t
know what I mean, you’ll have to read my review of Trapeze). However, I
do have good things to say about the band’s performance on Memory Gag!
This incarnation of 4Fodder finds Troy Harris at his usual position, playing
guitar and providing vocals, while Chad James switches things up and plays
drums! On their last album, they hired a drummer and
Chad played bass. Though the approach is different, I
have to admit that I didn’t feel that the lack of bass left a hole in the sound
of the Demo! I think that Harris changed the way he plays guitar, providing a
full thick sound that covers the missing bottom end quite nicely!
Last album, I compared the band’s sound (and especially the vocals) to that of
Beck; this time around, the initial sound I heard was comparable to what I would
imagine early Nirvana recordings might sounded like. Specifically, the first
two tracks showcase these qualities. Harris’ voice has that gritty, whiny rock
sound that made Cobain famous, and the music is raw-edged and heavy, focusing
primarily on crunching, driving guitar rhythms. Good stuff! I like this Demo
more than I did their last project; Harris and James are definitely progressing
as musicians!
Songwriting – 8
out of 10
Though I found the lyrics a
bit unintelligible, I could make them out enough to get the gist of the songs.
Besides that, I enjoyed the musical quality! Their songs are meant to invoke
thought, and be about as far from the mainstream as one can get; however, they
do exhibit an ability to include elements in their songs that music fans find
interesting. In particular, I really liked the driving feel of the drums; I also
liked the way that the guitar work integrated very seamlessly with the
drumming. A great example of this quality (and the standout track on the album
in my opinion) is the second track, (Coma). Talented musicians are able to
write a song like this, filling the holes in the musical arrangement quite
nicely. I enjoyed all of the songs on the album, and felt that the duo’s
ability to arrange and write a song should definitely be rewarded with a good
rating!
Sound
Quality/Professionalism – 8.5 out of 10
With each album, 4Fodder seems
to mature as a band. This album displays a much greater quality of recording,
and a natural Rock sound that is easy to enjoy. The songs also feature small
pre-recorded vignettes that fit the theme. I liked that, and I think it’s
something 4Fodder does quite well!
The most professional thing
these guys did, though, was to feature the recorded voice of a woman that gave
information about the band and the songs between songs! I haven’t ever heard
any other band do that, and I loved it! At the end of the CD, the same recorded
voice gives information about the members of the band, including their names,
where they are from, and the number of times they have toured, and then also
gives the band’s website as a reference!
Practically speaking, this is a brilliant thing to do. No doubt, they are going
to be sending this demo to venues and other industry contacts; having that
information play at the beginning of each track, and then providing a brief bio
at the end is valuable in a lot of ways. For guys like me who listen whenever
it’s possible (typically in the car on the way to work), the info is readily
available, without having to read an album jacket or case to see the names of
the songs and info about the band. This feature alone is going to pay big
dividends for 4Fodder down the road, and I would encourage other bands to get on
board, and follow their example!
Packaging – N/A
Because of the
promotional/preliminary nature of this project, the CD was not shipped with
packaging; as such, I will withhold my comments.
Favorite Tracks
Coma
Track 1 (Pop
Quiz, I think?)
One Side Box
Overall
Rating – 7.5 out of 10
At times, I am jealous of
musicians that have the freedom to put their material out there any ol’ way they
think it best, and not worry what the critics might have to say! There must be
some sort of gene in their biological make-up that allows them this freedom,
while schmoes like me wander around all the time, seeking approval from anyone
and everyone we feel might provide it! This ability gives guys like Troy Harris
and Chad James the freedom to experiment, and find the type of sound that works
for them, while also being able to maintain a separation from the mainstream of
popular music. I liked their stuff from the Memory Gag demo, and I think
avid fans of Indie music are going to like it too!
Slowly but surely, Indie music
is on the rise! Good bands, like 4Fodder, are in a position to make their
off-beat material the mainstream sound of tomorrow, and I hope that they take
advantage of every opportunity they get today so that they are able to rise to
the top tomorrow!—Mark Lush, Midwestbands.com, 4/22/05 *Listen to 4Fodder on
MWB Radio!
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