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This band is aptly named. The way the singer talks about you, you feel like a
3 year old. We can appreciate a healthy dose of agnosticism, but they may
just be better off dropping the words altogether. It would allow the spacey
atmosphere, achieved through guitar effects and keyboards on top of what would
be a soft-pop band, room to breathe. The female voice is very well-placed in
some of the songs ("The Thrill" and "Get It Out"), but she also often sounds
like she’s talking cutesy to a baby. Is this supposed to be a lullaby for
young adults?
From "Misunderstood" on, the lead vocalist acts like some kind of therapist,
helping us to take that next step that we could probably take without his
help. We just pay him to put the advice to music. The core of this problem
seems to be that he sounds condescending because he constantly tells the
listeners what they think, rather than suggesting an idea and letting them
think for themselves.
"Misunderstood" would be a great track if not for this immediate mistake. The
dark, quiet verse part moves into a light and uplifting chorus. "The Other
Knowers" is a mediocre song with a comforting theme (re: the album title), but the
best track at the head of the album has to be "The Thrill", featuring an
enchanting mixture of male and female vocals with guitar and rising, hypnotic
percussion. "Someday" and "Subside" follow without too much direct vocal
interruption. The songs are not that noticeable, but therein lies their
beauty. They share that of the ocean tide’s constant pulse. "Get It Out" has
glimmering, processed guitar and held vowel sounds that emphasize the voice as
an instrument. The real gems, however, are "I’ve Been Told" and "Tradition Is
Boring". The first dabbles in some sharper guitar sounds, and the second uses
as many electronic effects as possible without sounding cluttered (even a
vibrato voice effect on the chorus), bringing it almost to Mega Man soundtrack
level – which would probably be the ultimate compliment. It would be better
if First Night On Earth played more songs like this.
Reviewed by Lance Birch
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