By Natalie Herman
STAND, a four-piece ensemble based in Dublin, has truly mastered the art of subterfuge with their fourth studio album, Travel Light. Duplicitous without being deceitful, this CD creates a surface illusion of expectations and then quickly and almost escaping notice, delivers something entirely different - -a musical sleight of hand.
It opens with “Carousel,” a title which suggests the sound we expect to hear: fun, fast, and fanciful – and STAND delivers. With the bouncy piano, anchoring drums, and upbeat, catchy chorus of, “she is so happy now,” one hardly gleans the full lyrical impact of this song.
“Slave to the Weekend” is another fun and gripping song which features lead vocals by Alan Doyle, whose voice is warm enough to melt snow. This bouncy tune moves the listener, who may not immediately realize that the lyrics contained therein are less light-hearted than the tune suggests. The beautiful layering of elements and vocals makes you want to forget anything and everything and simply get lost in the song.
Arguably the most outstanding song, “White Elephants” is a beautiful, dreamlike piece which from the outset belies the melancholic lyrics dealing with the obligatory return of a son chasing his dreams, home to the guilt about the family he left behind in order to do so. Touching the universal sense of duty owed to one’s mother, (”It’s hard to fight when you gave me every movement of your life”), this song portrays a moving portrait of the bustle and sometimes burden of a life of a large family assembled together. Musically, Carl Dowling’s echoing drums further the song’s storyline and the expertly placed caesura designates the ending of one way of life and the beginning of another.
While STAND makes good use of duality, some songs avoid this technique and cut right to the chase; “Who Made You Jesus,” the scathing political commentary, features no-holds barred lines such as “Secrets and games down in the bunker / What’s the delay? Is the script not done?” In this case, STAND makes it abundantly clear by the lyrics exactly whom the song is referencing, and for anyone who still can’t guess it, the sound bites of his asinine speeches serve both to clarify the issue and prove the song’s point.
“Who Made You Jesus” is one of several songs that employ one of STAND’s great strengths: the sharing of the vocal spotlight. Neil Eurelle’s earnest copper tone is offset by Doyle’s smooth vibrato, doubling the aesthetics of the song.
All band members showcase their talents in the funky “Dressed to Kill”: Dowling brings out his entire arsenal of drumming techniques to create a rhythm guaranteed to move your body while Eurelle’s outstanding bassline rocks you through the chorus. David Walsh’s guitar stylings punctuate Doyle’s voice, which floats though the song as if surfing a musical wave.
Experimentation with electronica peppers the CD, especially flavoring songs such as the hard-hitting “Low Culture” and “Who Made You Jesus.”
Although this band has a lot to offer instrumentally, the acoustic “My Theory” stands out as a shining example of stellar songwriting and the merits of simplicity. The band also strips it down a bit for the lovely and ironic “Everything You Do Is Right.”
Saving the title track for last, STAND exits on a hopeful note, employing electronica once again. “Hello, good-byes, travel light. . .”
This band has a great deal to say but finds a way to deliver it to the listener wrapped nicely in a euphonic package that one cannot refuse to listen to: Travel Light, hit heavy.
Travel Light was released in 2006 by New World Music and is available for purchase at STAND’s official web store. Visit STAND’s official MySpace to purchase earlier songs from SNOCAP. Travel Light and earlier albums are also available as digital downloads from Amazon.com and iTunes.
Natalie Herman provides content for Paddy-Whacked Radio™ News
Copyright © 2008 Natalie Herman and Paddy-Whacked Radio™
