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entertaining u newspaper: your weekly guide to entertainment
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by morgan henley freefunk322@aol.com
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Although Copeland seems to spend most to all of their time touring, they somehow squeezed in some extra time to make their third album: Eat, Sleep, Repeat. Their emo turned indie-rock sound is mellow, soft, and much more relaxed than the previous releases. Their emotionally charged lyrics are drenched in sorrowful memoirs of relationships or too gracious sentiments about love. It’s got a pleasant sound and lead singer Aaron Marsh’s voice is sweet and melodic. It’s almost similar to Dashboard Confessional’s Chris Carrabba but a little more pleasant and soothing.
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The first track, ‘Where’s My Head?’ sounds like Copeland took one of Bjork’s songs and put in Marsh’s voice. It almost sounds like it would be fit to play for meditation or yoga. This is somewhat different from their freshman debut, Beneath Medicine Tree with a giddier pop sound, with tracks like ‘Downtown’. It’s also much mellower than their last more punk charged, In Motion.
To many, this is probably the best Copeland album yet, although it definitely takes a few listens to develop a true appreciation. ‘The Last Time He Saw Dorie’ with accompanist Anna Becker is touching and almost beautiful. The band definitely takes a turn into a more indie-rock sound, leaving behind their more pop-rock infused resonance. The intense ‘Control Freak’ starts out like you’d expect from a soulful songstress like Fiona Apple, but then it slowly transitions with a more upbeat hook.
The lyrics can get a little nagging and similar but, the diversity of guitar and piano styles keeps the album alive. The group tried to change things up by eliminating the use of rhythm guitar. On the group’s website, Marsh explains, “We just wanted not to be lazy and take every idea that we had and build it to its full potential. That meant doing lush orchestration with real players and not programmed strings or anything like that. We’ve never had real strings on a Copeland record.”
Copeland comes from Lakeland, Florida and has frequently toured through Jacksonville at the snugly fit venues of Fuel, Plush, and Freebird. At one point they had almost performed 400 shows in a span of a year and a half. They were voted number one on Billboard’s Alternative New Artist Chart in 2004 with In Motion. You won’t be able to find Copeland on any radio station in this city, or even on MTV. They’ve let other more commercially appealing alternative rock groups fill those spots like Fall Out Boy and Panic!
It might not have paved a way in the “indie-rock” music category yet, but it’s definitely put its foot in the door. Their lyrics are still a little too emotionally charged and their style lacks the impulsiveness and originality that normally sets indie-rock bands apart from the larger “alternative rock” category. It’s hard to categorize Copeland into any musical genre without comparing them to groups such as Dashboard, Senses Fail, and Mae. One amazon.com user appropriately dubbed Eat, Sleep, Repeat as “indiecoustic”.
If you’re a fan of Copeland, you’ll be pleased with their latest effort. It stays true to their signature sound with Marsh’s voice and songwriting. If you haven’t been a fan of Copeland but enjoy other indie-rock or mellow pop-rock artists, Eat, Sleep, Repeat is definitely worth checking out. The album itself is pretty solid, not leaving any track behind in originality or talent.
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