With a new lead singer and chief lyricist (not to mention new drummer), you'd expect big changes on Spooky Tuesday's sophomore release, Dissonance. Well, there are differences, just not the obvious ones. Vocally, for instance, there's not much change (the new singer and the one he replaced sound and look very similar). Instead, the band's stylistic direction is where you would find a difference. On its debut, Spooky Tuesday's style was disjointed, ranging from predictable, aggressive modern rock to roots rock. While the band retained some of the latter elements, the bulk of this project is focused toward a more groove-oriented sound. And, for good measure, there are novel appearances by Latin-based influences on songs such as "Agua" and "Cry Me To Sleep." However, the band's strongest suit is its songwriting, with lyrical gems such as "Suicide," "Salvation" (a unique look at the crucifixion), and "The Smoking Song" (a sarcastic jab at habitual vices). The production values of Dissonance could stand to be better. The album's opening cut, "Personal Institution," is a prime example of how a good song ended up sounding mediocre. But, overall, Spooky Tuesday shows marked growth and Dissonance has enough charm to win over a few more unsuspecting ears.
Other coverage for this album
The Phantom Tollbooth 1997Reviewed by Jeremy ChoiSpooky Tuesday returns with their sophomore effort after their debut It'll Never Fly, Orville, which garnered much praise and positive feedback. This quartet, which began as and still serves the worship band at their church on the island of Kauai, Hawaii, has released Happy Dissonance, an album which may be classified as acoustic alterno-folk-pop. "Happy Dissonance" refers to what the band…The Phantom Tollbooth 1997Reviewed by Josh SpencerI really enjoyed this Kauai, HI band's debut last year, an almost entirely acoustic/folk rock effort with a couple full-on grunge tunes strangely thrown in. Sure, the main singer sounded like a cross between Eddie Vedder and the singer from Plankeye, and one of the songs was almost a straight rip-off of Nirvana; but I happen to like those sounds, so it was good for me. When I heard from a friend…Similar sounding releases
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