Frankly I've always considered Piebald to be one of the best up and coming bands out there. I've
been listening to these guys for four years now. I was really into there first album, If It Weren't for Venetian Blinds It Would Be Curtains for Us All. From this title alone, it's obvious that these guys have got a sense of humor and they've also got the lyrical smarts to weave interesting metaphors into their songs. Curtains was a masterpiece that offered an array of styles from poppy, to strange and dark, fun and light to dark and haunting. Travis Shettel's voice at times seems so stretched and forced that it sounds like his trachea is going to crinkle like a Coors can. I suppose that is why the songs are so great; Travis put all his effort and energy into belting out those tracks.

Although I love Piebald and have always been a fan, their new album, All Ears, All Eyes, All The Time, is a real disappointment. I borrowed it from my friend Adam and when I first put the disc in my car player I thought to myself, 'Sweet! Adam must have put his Polyphonic Spree disc in the Piebald case by accident.' Sadly it was no accident. I'm afraid one more great underground band has been absorbed into the mainstream. I don't know what else it could be with that new happier than happy, stupid-ass sound they got going for them. There is way too much of the laughing piano and kindergarten teacher attitude on this record. It made me want to run wild in a field of flowers on a mountain top.

Holy crap I can understand making a more polished, radio-friendly album, but this is just lame as hell. You could take this record into a preschool and have sing-a-long time. Or better yet take it to the Rainbow Gathering and meet some new friends. There is nothing wrong at all with really happy, upbeat music, but the last band I want to listen to performing it is Piebald. I don't know whose idea it was for them to take this direction, but it's just embarrassing. Out of the twelve songs on All Ears, the only one that I can really stand is, "The Song That Launched a Thousand Ships." Other than that? whatever.
It's understandable that a band might want to experiment with a new sound or try to steer their career in a more commercial direction, but this is just wrong. Perhaps the saddest thing about all this unbridled happiness is that the songwriting is still good, it's just like it's gone missing in Willie Wonka world.

I suppose this New Release could actually serve a useful purpose. Put it on as you start to get sick after a long night of drinking games and other acts of social retardation, and it will take far away to a place where 'the spins' cannot hurt you and you will not be seeing the bottom of a trashcan or toilet all night. Instead you'll be flying around on ice cream cones, drinking from rivers of Kool-Aid, running where the grass is always green, and living like everyday is Sunday afternoon.