I 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 who saw them live recently that they had a new vocalist, I cringed. What would the new singer sound like?
Well, we'll get to that. The most noticeable difference, though, on Happy Dissonance is the overall sound. There are more electric guitars, more bass, more . . . sound. It's still relaxing, and the acoustic guitars are still prominent, but they've moved on from the stripped-down production of It'll Never Fly, Orville! to a fuller, this-is-an-alternative-rock-album mix. If you heard the two CDs at separate times, and you didn't know it was the same band, you probably wouldn't guess it. Knowing it, though, you hear the similarities.
This album is much more original than the first. The first track, "Personal Institution," and several others reminded me of Poor Old Lu's simultaneous acoustic/electric strumming style, but that's a good thing. "Agua" and "Selfish Love" make me think the band members may have been on a mission trip to Mexico at some time (a common thing for Christian youth in Hawaii), with the quirky, faintly Latino rhythms and speedy singing. The background vocals are again handled by the lone female, Jess (known as Scooter on the first album), who has a very pretty voice. It calls to mind the woman in Acoustic Shack at times, but is lower in tone. This time she gets two mostly mellow songs to call her own, "Styrofoam" and "Trust." The first is a very relaxed tune with dreamy guitar in which she softly sings a poetic lyric about the journey to salvation (her own?):
vague memories faded minds lost forgotten dreams
so left behind
dig beneath the hurt
what will I find
a blackened little soul held up to shine
leave it all . . . transformation
give it up, follow the truth, walk with me . . . salvation
I know the way to lead you to safety
Based on how good her two songs sound, I think she should be the band's main vocalist.
Which brings me, reluctantly, to the new lead singer. I just don't like his voice, though a lot of people probably will. It's higher and smoother than the original singer, and although I suppose he's got more variety, I just didn't get into it. He does sound good sometimes, usually when he's singing slower acoustic songs like "The Smoking Song," an almost James Taylorish ballad about making excuses to do drugs, and "Sleep," a song of God's love and comfort for us.
Overall, this is an alternative album on the lighter side of things. The song lyrics are sometimes clearly about Christ, sometimes not so, but always seem to be based on actual experiences and are interesting to think through. Give Happy Dissonance a spin. You just might like it.
2.5 tocks
Other coverage for this album
7ball #12Reviewed by Chad BonhamWith 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.…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…Similar sounding releases
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