Michelangelo & the Difference

Item: Under Rower
Author: Stacey Lee Feldman

Under Rower

(1997)

Reviewed by Stacey Lee Feldman

Discogs Bandcamp

Label CadenceThe LighthouseUnsorted 1999

acoustic rock alternative rock modern rock

These days, a lot of great bands are laboring long in the indie realm before finally coming to national attention, not because they're not good enough to be signed, but because they don't care if they get signed or not. Michelangelo and the Difference is a good example. After releasing three critically acclaimed albums themselves, they finally felt it was time to sign with a label and bring Under Rower to the scene at large. They describe themselves as "remo rock," meaning reflective modern rock, a description that the listener will find accurate when hearing them for the first time. This is no mindless pop - Michelangelo and the Difference are definitely different, and definitely good.

Most people will consider Michelangelo and the Difference a new band, since they've probably never heard them before. I have, and Under Rower is light-years above their past efforts, since it's been three years since their last indie project, Mercy Suit. In those three years they have matured and refined their sound to create something far more impressive. Stylistically, they might be compared to The Throes, a more acoustic Choir, even The Prayer Chain (a seeming favorite of the band). Innovative percussion and driving rhythms, with distinct guitars and lyrics full of wisdom and insight, will describe that "reflective" rock to the listener. You can hear that they've been influenced by The Choir and The Prayer Chain, especially on the title track, but as you listen to the album as a whole, it becomes clear that Michelangelo and the Difference does not sound like either of those bands, but have their own style completely. They're not trying to clone anybody or follow any trend. The guitars are really warm, rootsy, and played with a calm confidence. The percussion and rhythms are just fantastic. Michelangelo Caggiano's voice is his own; there's no one to compare him to. Granted, he's not a virtuoso, but down-to-earth and normal in keeping with the musical style. Most of the album is comprised of that contemplative rock, but they do play with other ideas; "The Firm" is a standard blues progression revved to high speed, making for a wild ride, and "OTMF," "George," and "On And On" are self-described "upbeat pop songs" that are good for crowd sing-a-longs. They don't diminish the rest of the album, though, for the contemplative vibe is well done and overpowers everything with emotion and clever instrumentation. Of note are "Under Rower," "Through The Fire," "Hope," and "Let Me See." The latter is a simple acoustic poem, putting the band in league with Age of Faith or early Third Day.

About the only thing holding Michelangelo and the Difference back is the production. When the guitars go full-bore, as they do on the title cut, the bass and rhythm is mixed back too far. The whole album still has a raw, indie feel to it, though that's not totally a bad thing. But any track from this album heard back-to-back with something more solidly produced (for example, Third Day or The Waiting) will cause Michelangelo and the Difference to sound inferior. It's not the band, that's obvious - it's the production. Fortunately, then, that can be overlooked.

A review of Under Rower would be incomplete without mentioning the power of the lyrics. Michelangelo Caggiano is a talented songwriter, and he brings thoughtful introspection and emotional expression together with dramatic results. Many songwriters trying to be reflective and introspective forget to mention at the end that the moral of their stories is that there is a God, and He can save you. Michelangelo doesn't just think, he thinks about God in a man's daily life. The title track is from a Bible study he did on 1 Corinthians 4:1, on the real meaning of the word "servant." "The Firm," inspired somewhat by the John Grisham novel and movie, places the church as the villain rather than a law firm. "Hope" is sort of like Lost Dogs' "Breathe Deep," with lots of words but a simple message. "Through The Fire" is also stellar:

Starlit evening, winter rain, Unwanted morning, bitter pain, You will be there, You will be there, through the fire.

On the whole, if you just take a moment to get used to the underproduced vibe, you'll probably find Michelangelo and the Difference to be an amazing band that came into the world at large at just the right time. They're talented and friendly, with deep thoughts to embrace and a fantastic performance that ought to be great live. Under Rower is well worth holding onto, and the future of Michelangelo and the Difference looks bright.