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The Graves
Brothers Deluxe: Light
This group claims to disembody music spirits, and they certainly play as such. The music is a bit eerie with an experimental, jazz-infused, space-rock sound; of course, that is if you want to approach this album with a completely general point of view. Each track, however, varies in style with the most constant element being Stoo Odoms vocals, and even those vary. Light starts off with hopping guitar and drums that set the stage right away for the songs you will never hear on your local radio. When Odom enters the scene with his spooky smooth vocals, he proves that the group isnt just instrumentally talented. He shows that he also can add in some comedy with lyrics such as, I dreamed I got attacked by everything in the seafood store. The album is laid out well and transitions nicely from full-out rock to the slower, more intricate tracks. Legs Rub Together starts track three on a lighter note with soft instrumentation and deep, whispery vocals. The song features some guitar riffs before a rock-out meltdown for the last minute of the track. Then The White Devils Death Song follows up with a totally grooving bass line and hushed vocals before transitioning into the circular bass line of Big Chain Store; this forms the foundation for the guitar replication of what witnessing a space ship takeoff in an 80s movie might sound like. Odoms cool, growling vocals are accompanied by a feminine touch and some chimey things. Next, sitting one track past the midpoint is Seen It All, which is quite possibly my favorite track on the album. Odoms vocals are at their best here as they ooze sexiness and playfully rise and fall over the guitars. Drinking at the Sea Star opens up with a bouncing bass and jazzy drums; traditional vocals are replaced with what sounds more like drunken friends howling and yelling almost in tune, mind you for a few seconds toward the beginning of the track. I totally dig this track. The cover of You Keep Me Hangin On, however, is less than remarkable. They turned a song I once loved into a hard rockin ditty where the vocals are not sung but rather yelled. The album ends with the intriguing, The Flame of the Final Inferno Is a Jive Ass Hot Plate which is an experimental jazz session on drugs. Willy the Mailmans tripped out saxophone reminds me a little bit of the bar scene in Lost Highway, where Bill Pullman looks like hes going to blow his top on stage; but at the same time, it sounds like a car is revving up in the background which, must be the what the fuck performed by Odom. With the trio packing in everything from a saxophone, trumpet, trombone, and other such things to the standard lineup, the band makes quite an offering with this latest endeavor. While I couldnt possibly say this would appeal to the masses, it surely will be a great addition to the collection of someone interested in experimental rock with a jazz influence.
The Graves Brothers Deluxe Official Website Check Amazon, Insound and CD Universe to purchase this album.
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