Spooky 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 describes as a "more direct statement of our Christian views," which the listener can glean from the album's twelve songs.
Musically, there are soft ballads mixed in with some of the more up-beat songs, creating an almost "moody" atmosphere. From the alternating soft strumming of an acoustic guitar and dreamy electric guitar tones in "Free" to the Spanish music-influenced "Agua," each song is distinct in its presentation and sound. Jars of Clay fans will appreciate the marriage of acoustic and rock genres in many of these songs.
Lyrically, the topics covered in the songs are diverse and wide-ranging. From "Personal Institution" to "Selfish Love," these songs will definitely strike a chord with many who are looking for a band who produces music which is empathetic first and foremost, and not necessarily preachy. Here is an excerpt from "Sleep:"
Cry little child
Let your tears fill my floor
You've got no one to talk to
So you look to me for more
Cry little child
Pick your face up off the floor...
Moreover, rather than simply wallow in gloom, self-pity or hopelessness, the music of Spooky Tuesday offers answers through the forgiveness and love of Jesus Christ. This is quite evident in songs such as "Salvation:"
Child, I have forgiven you with the thorn in my hand
Child, I went through hell for you and I would do it again.
There is one area in which this writer feels is a weakness in Spooky Tuesday's music - vocals. Although Andrew Newman's vocals are discernible, concise and melodic, as in the song "Suicide," they seem to at times lack the emotional passion and the stronger, more pronounced delivery needed to add the emotional charge which some of these songs demand: particularly in tracks like "Hansel & Gretel," which deals with the topic of incest. Jessica "Scooter" Treskon's vocals appear to be more appropriate in these songs, as her vocals often fuse with the music much more coherently than with the male vocals. Songs like "Styrofoam" and "Trust," in which she showcases her strong, assertive vocals, illustrate this point.
Produced by Matt Wignall, Happy Dissonance will appeal to listeners who are looking for music which is both accessible and serious. Happy Dissonance delivers on both.
3 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 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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