"Interventions & Lullabies" by The Format (2004)
Artist: |
The Format |
Album: |
Interventions & Lullabies |
Released In: |
2004 |
Reviewed By: |
Kevin Jones |
Grade: |
4.0 |
These guys recently played a show in the city in which I reside opening for the Rx Bandits, which is a tough slot because the Bandits are out-of-this-world live - they're sick with it. I was however very impressed with The Format's set and picked up their CD and ended up listening to it alot.
They come at you with layers of guitars (mostly acoustic, or clean electric) with smart changes in voicings and dynamics, that complement some very good song-crafting. The songs are all quickly accessible and yet manage to be what has become almost impossible these days - unique.
Just to get you in the ballpark they're kind of a blend of alt-country genre bands - Jackpot, Mother Hips, Old 97s, Rhett Miller, and more mainstream Emo bands - The Ataris, Get Up Kids and Matthew Pryor's other incarnation The New Amsterdams. And on a few of the tracks Sam Means piano work smacks of Ben Folds. These are helpful as general landmarks on the map, but not much more than that. I've been hearing their first single "You Know Me," on my favorite Satellite radio station, which is always a good sign for a band who could easily catch fire, with the right break.
"You Know Me" packs a pretty mean chorus hook, and could well be their ticket to bigger and better things (venues). Singer Nate Ruess and multi-talented musician Sam Means, write a tastefully diverse array of songs, that keep the listener guessing track to track. The simple and lovely acoustic guitar and accordion ballad "On Your Porch," takes a novel approach at a love song, interspersing a touching sequence between a son and his dying father, who offers his unconditional blessing to whatever his son might accomplish as a musician. It has a Paul Westerberg melancholia about it, and that is the highest compliment I know how to give.
Though Interventions and Lullabies has it's share of up-tempo rockers, they escape the also-ran Emo trap, by mixing it with the alt-country slant, and by crafting interesting arrangements, with nice choices of unusual instrumentation, (reminiscent of Ryan Adams). I might as well just stop right there. Watch out for these guys.
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