|
|
|
BANDS: Punk
& Ska INTERESTS: Venues ETC... About
LOTD
|
Otis Finch:
Monkeys Typing
Im under a lot of pressure here. LOTD gave Otis Finch a great review for their debut EP, saying that it was brimming with mainstream radio appeal, etc. Otis Finch even thanked LOTD in the liner notes of this new CD, Monkeys Typing. So I would have to be a real prick to speak badly about them. Damn the politics. Otis Finch is four very talented musicians. Browsing their website, I learned that they all have some pretty diverse influences. They bring a lot to the table, musically. Clean-cut moderate rock numbers are injected with funk and occasional jazz flourishes. It works well for them and doesnt sound forced. Quite an accomplishment considering the tremendously high failure rate amongst funky white boys. The production is clean but almost too clean. Perhaps they recorded in a hospital operating room. Maybe sterile isnt the best word, but its the first word that comes to mind. Luckily the guitars almost always have a good groove going on, which is by far the highlight of this album. Otis Finch sounds like a very proficient bar band. What pushes them ahead of their bar band peers is the lyrical content of their songs. While not exactly Shakespeare, the lyrics here are better than you would expect from a band like this. Traditionally, you either have a band that writes good lyrics and has lame music, or vice versa. Otis Finch avoids both extremes, which is fine with me. The only thing that really detracts from this album after repeated listens is the vocals of singer Patrick Garrity. Its not a bad voice, but it definitely has its limitations. And those limitations seem more and more apparent every time you hear this album. Not a bad release by any means, but not anything I would insist that you buy. Sounds like they would be a good live band though, so see if you can catch them on the road.
About LOTD Contact/Staff Advertise Home All content © LEFT OFF THE DIAL 2001-2005. All rights reserved. |
