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Moments
In Grace
These Days Will Fade EP
(Salad
Days)
"This will change the way you look at music." That
is what I read on a certain website featuring this EP from much
hyped Florida act Moments In Grace. Basically from what I understand,
the deal works out like this: Famed producer Brian McTernan
(who once sang for hardcore greats Battery; and has built his
reputation as a producer to an almost god-like status on the
count that many of the bands he records turn to gold) has a
development deal where he fosters potential-money making bands
and markets them in a way he sees fit with the possibility of
moving up to the major label market if they so happen to do
well independently.
The first act on his Salad Days Records will make waves for
sure. To say that this will change the way you look at music
is just rhetoric to build the interest but at the same time,
it does present a different look at a very tired genre. Let
it also be noted that this group features members of the much
overlooked As Friends Rust.
Sweeping vocal melodies are the main strength of the band’s
arsenal. The vocalist croons and bellows heads above the rest
of the singers in the genre Moments In Grace ascribe to. He
just simply out-sings the competition. Musically, they tread
on the same ground Thursday has trampled on before but with
a far simpler approach to songwriting. With only four songs
on this EP, it is not much for one to sink their teeth into
but the first song is by far the most interesting track; it
is wholly representative of the sound they strive for. However,
as These Days Will Fade continues, it seems to lose
much of the intensity present during the first song and opts
for more clichés than it does originality.
To completely write this band off as a hype machine would be
unfair as they actually do write decent enough material. Moments
In Grace will likely appeal to as many 13-year-old girls as
it does 23-year-old boys (like me). In general, this will get
many kids worked up into a frenzy, they will surely follow the
band’s every move and memorize every agonizing lyric as
they rise to inevitable stardom. As for this writer, I will
watch and wait for more material to surface before passing judgment
on where this band takes their unfocused, potential laden material.
Reviewed by
Ray Harkins
February 25th, 2004 |
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