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Last Second
Comeback: Cornered
Why cant all bands pay this much attention to their package design? I got this CD in the mail about a month ago, and Im still astounded every time I pick up the case at how slick the whole package looks. Nice color scheme, well-placed text, good font: all in all, a very professional-looking CD. I should also note that the semi-closeted Star Wars fan in me leaped for joy when I saw that the self-released CDs number was JC1138. If you dont get the reference, be very happy. You probably also have a girlfriend. With that out of the way, Ill talk about the album itself. A few weeks back, I discussed with a friend of mine the possibility of my own band using hand percussion for its rhythm section. His answer was swift and decisive: Dont be a bongo band. Yes, there is something of a stigma associated with being a bongo band. It can feel like a gimmick, rather than an honest decision made for the good of the band. However, Last Second Comeback pushes past this hurdle with their debut, Cornered. Lead singer and lyricist Jeff Campagna writes lyrics that flow very nicely. Several songs, such as the first track Rank, verge a little too much on the side of being clich, but then there are also songs such as Kaleidoscope that really push you to think with the lyrics He thought he was the only one/alone in his make-believe/with colors that swirl and bend. Nothing extremely profound, but worth thinking about. This is definitely a slick sounding record, with carefully placed guitar riffs and occasional piano or other more orchestral instruments breaking the typical garage band sound. Back to the bongo issue. If there is a rule against using hand percussion in bands, this is the exception that proves the rule. Chris Lythgoe really pulls the songs along with his powerfully driven rhythm tracks, and silences most (if not all) naysayers. The only weak link, if there is one, is in Jeffs singing voice. It is defiantly not terrible, but the slight nasal quality to it can get a little grating if you have a problem with nasal voices. I, for one, was not too bothered by it (aside from the fact that Id rather listen to British singers), but I think its good to point it out. Cornered is worth taking a listen to, and will sit happily in my good mid-Atlantic CDs stack.
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