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BANDS: Punk
& Ska INTERESTS: Venues ETC... About LOTD
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Schizophonic: Self-Titled Mixing acoustic chord progressions with electric guitar solos and then injecting lots of vocal harmonies has always been one of the hallmarks of AWARE bands. Schizophonic, a trio from Northern Virginia, has not yet been included on an AWARE compilation but clearly takes its inspiration from the labels roster of artists particularly the ones who favor the soulful Southern sound, such as Hootie and the Blowfish, the Edwin McCain Band, (old) Vertical Horizon, and the Pat McGee Band. Guitarist/bassist/vocalist Josh Burgess has a rich, resonant voice that instantly draws comparisons to Darius Rucker, especially on the eponymous albums closer, Lunartick, and the sublime Lighter Side. In fact, the albums standout track is Lighter Side, a slow, soulful lullaby love song, with a beautiful acoustic guitar solo and appropriate and capable vocal harmonies from guitarist/bassist/vocalist Thomas McGuire and drummer Justin DeHaven. The song illustrates that when the band keeps things simple, it has the largest measure of success. However, the band also makes some ill-advised forays outside of their acoustic-pop world. Year of the Monkey and Wake Up are regrettable attempts at reggae, while Get Up is a downright embarrassing attempt at funk (yes, there is actually a Get up / get on up call and response in the chorus). The bulk of the album, however, lies in inoffensive harmony-driven acoustic pop songs. 6 Miles, Little While, and Virginia (So Long Ginny) are all examples of the familiar acoustic guitar riff-propelled, verse-chorus-verse-structured pre-manufactured pop nugget. Roll On is Schizophonics attempt at the genres requisite jam song, with its long electric guitar solo as the outro. Romeos Heartbreak is a near carbon copy of Vertical Horizons much better Wash Away, right down to the guitar harmonics. Schizophonics press package comes with a lengthy list of cover songs the band incorporates into their live shows, giving the impression that they are more of a cover band working on a few original tunes rather than vice-versa. It is easy to picture a happy hour scene at one of the suburban strip mall bars in the vast sprawl of Northern Virginia where Schizophonic is playing in the background. Friends gathering after work clutch Coors Lights and poke each other in mid-conversation when they realize the band is playing their favorite Dave Matthews or Bob Marley song. The white hat-types are then easily drawn in by the simple harmonies and singable choruses of the bands original music. Of course, those looking for originality, depth, or even just a hint of melody already know not to dally with bands such as this. Nevertheless, the world is full of John Mayer fans that give bands like Schizophonic a fine career. Who knows one day, Schizophonic might make it onto an AWARE compilation too.
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