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Blue Sandcastle: If Only You Knew...
In Blue Sandcastle's latest work, If You Only Knew..., gone is the brooding anger that dominated their first release. I didn't know that, really. I read it in the press kit I just received. But you know what? I'll trust their judgment. For a group comprised of two clearly talented New York musicians (others contributing to the CD are recognized as "additional musicians"), I had a difficult time accepting their latest effort as anything more than...well...a band comprised of a couple of talented musicians. The aptly titled first track, "Starting Gun," gives the CD a lively intro, with the lyrics providing an interesting study in metaphor ("youre such a gentleman/said Ready to Not"). There are enough high, triumphant harmonies and aggressive guitar licks here to suggest that this is how Blue Sandcastle starts a show. "Second Place Waltz," my personal favorite from this release, uses a clever 3/4 cadence to underscore Vest's spinning, whirling lyrics, leading the song into a crescendo reminiscent of the doleful ending to the Beatles' "She's So Heavy." The majority of tracks such as "All for Nothing," "I Went Away," and "Turn the Corner" have good guitar licks, good vocals, good drums, and good melodies. They're good. Again, Erik Schuman and Jean-Paul Vest are indeed talented musicians, but there's little that makes this release really soar. Adaptations of George Harrison's "Art of Dying" and Willie Nelson's "Crazy" confirm just how strongly Vest & Schuman are compelled by the lyric and not so much the melody. Attempt to "name that cover" would probably sink, especially with Willie's tune. To cover a song like this is akin to the child who on Christmas morning opens the expensive present only to play with the box. It's a fundamental law of physics that covers, even delivered as the best intended interpretive homage, rarely compare to the original, so one is perfectly free to rock out and reinterpret a Patsy Cline standard as he/she chooses. But my questions are many: why totally disassociate yourself from the melody of a classic, just to hold on to the lyrics? Is it worth it, both financially (these notable tunes must have a price) and creatively? I just couldn't catch on to what Blue Sandcastle was trying to accomplish. I wanted to like this band more. I confess I looked at other reviews. I Googled the hell out of them. I read about those who thought highly of their intelligent lyrics and their driving guitars. Yes, I know they are talented. But to this listener, I leave what I call the "Three Star Review." When I see a review with three stars, it tells me several things about a release: it doesn't suck, it's not great, and it'll probably never see a scratch.
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