the needles the space - album review - EU Jacksonville 7/12/07

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the needles the space

by jon bosworth
jaxvillain@yahoo.com

Artist:
Straylight Run

Title:
The Needles The Space

Release Date:
06.19.07

Label:
Universal Republic

      In what seems like an odd fit for the Vans Warped Tour lineup, Straylight Run will be holding down the indie-rock scene in the usually punk/emo/hardcore Warped Tour environment. With the male and female team of John Nolan and Michelle DeRosa at the helm, this sometimes folksy and sometimes haunting four-piece plays a hard-to-pin breed of rock music. From the topsy-turvy, gypsy boat feel of ‘The Miracle that Never Came’ to the melancholy Southern Gothic feeling of ‘How Do I Fix My Head,’ this band knows how to be taken seriously. Yet songs such as ‘Soon We’ll Be Living in the Future,’ and ‘Take It to Manhattan,’ show that the band can play the songs that the radio is willing to play, too.

      They give nods to Wilco, and they certainly experiment in a careful way with Nolan’s keyboards and by twisting seemingly incongruent genres together. But otherwise, this is a fairly straightforward studio album. The artistry stands out as unique, not so much in song structure, but in the eclectic differences in the various tracks. DeRosa’s voice is seductive and somewhat sad, while Nolan’s is driving and intentional.

      If you find yourself at Warped Tour and bored with the homogenized sound of the majority of the bands on that bill, or if you are a Murder by Death fan, make an effort to check out Straylight Run. They will certainly reset your ears and you might just find your new favorite.

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