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I love first impressions. I am a firm believer that you never get another chance to make a good one. It's the same for new music. Just like a wine tester washing out his pallet with water between sips, I like to spend a day without music before checking out new jams. Needless to say, after my day of musical fasting, I am dying to listen to this album. I want you to be a part of my first impression of The Child Ballads' new EP Cheekbone Hollows. Note: I haven't read a word of the promo kit. I know absolutely nothing about the band or its members. I just know music. Join me as I press play.
Our first track is aptly named "Cheekbone Hollows". As it plays, I feel like I'm listening to an old Rolling Stones record with a dash of David Bowie as Ziggy Stardust. Even though I am listening to a 128kbps compression rate, it still sounds like amazing production with very tasteful instrumentation. I am a little confused by the vocal layering; it appears to be artistic and playfully intended, but somehow discourages me from a second listen right now. Over all, the tune carries a fantastic groove and a good cohesiveness. I can safely say that I am on the fence about this track, even though in my heart I know it was carefully written and recorded. Thumbs up for that.
The second track, "They Hunt Us We Run", is an eclectic collection of thought-provoking poetry, sound, and melody cemented together in excellent fashion with a hook and a few nicely placed pauses. It feels very Irish as it marches on. This one doesn't break away from its own formula as it stays focused on its message, and delivers it in a beautiful four minutes and fifty-five seconds.
"Old Man October", the third track, seems to be very overdone. Too many effects and the absence of uniformity creates an off-and-on chaos that repeats for almost six minutes. The only part that appears smooth is the bass line. Not a fan of this one...yet.
Track four: "Green Jewelry". I love this track. It's very rootsy and smooth with a great style. It feels like a room full of talent just releasing trapped emotion via the song, the way music should be. Nothing is forced. Great track.
I can definitely hear some Beatles influence on the fifth track, "Blackbird Trax". This one has a certain feeling to it, something that sends my hands into a full clap. I would love to hear this one live. Great hook and melody that makes you want to sway as you sing along. Excellent track.
Last but not least, "Laughter From The Rafters", aka track six. I'm feeling that Stones/Bowie vibe again. The track has great accents, but I can't really get into the distortion in the layered vocals. Honestly, I can only make it through two minutes of this one. I'm having troubles connecting with it - maybe it's because I can't tell what's going on.
If you are looking for a band with the guts to stretch the musical boundaries a little and challenge your poetic insight, then you should pick up this EP. It's bold and performed by extremely talented musicians. The lead singer's voice, paired with the musically droning grooves, references the rebellion of the Rolling Stones/Ziggy Stardust era through most of the CD. I'm a fan of that sound, so while for me it's not necessarily a deterrent, I do feel like it was a tad hit and miss on some tracks. To summarize in a few words: classy recording, artistic application, and deep intention with a dash of WTF?!
My classification for Cheekbone Hallows by The Child Ballads: mood music.
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