January 6, 2009
| CD Review: Backyard Tire Fire - The Places We Lived |
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| Tuesday, 02 September 2008 14:56 | |
By Nick Friese - GJDMan, I love this CD. On Track 1, The Places We Lived you can tell right off the bat that the production is very bare bones which fits perfectly for their music. The vocals are very clear allowing you to hear the content of the lyrics. I especially enjoyed the lack of reverb on the lead vocal track. I like their use of chromatic bass notes that give the song a great hook. These guys have major vibe in the songwriting department. Their music is very refreshing; it is a nice departure from the “Guitar Hero” stuff that is often submitted to our site. They make excellent use of mild crunch and steel string guitars. I think that they are very original in their overall sound but I do hear many influences such as Tom Petty, The Beatles, REM, Counting Crows. Ed Anderson, the band’s brainchild, makes great use of subtle keyboard parts to outline the chord changes in his compositions. The keyboard parts are also arranged nicely as to not clash with the guitar parts which many would consider somewhat of a lost art. Another one of my favorite songs is “Welcome to The Factory.” This tune features a class rock backbeat with a catchy mild fuzz guitar part that sounds really organic. Soon you are hit with an unexpected bridge that really makes the song. This song also features a short but colorful solo highlighting Ed’s ability to dig in and pull some fat tones out of his guitar. Actually the solo had a psychedelic feel with ringing intervals. I can almost imagine Neil Young covering this song. The next song, “How In The Hell Did You Get Back Here?” is definitely the most upbeat and rockin’ tune on the CD. It almost has a southern rock feel blended with an alternative rock sound. This tune contains great rhythmic fills and precise vocal harmony. The rest of the songs on The Places We Lived are all well crafted, very musical and highly enjoyable. I could tell that Ed Anderson has excellent guitar skills but doesn’t craft his songs to fit that bill. In other words, he puts his integrity as a composer before his guitar ego. Once again, I must add a lost art… Backyard Tire Fire also features Matt Anderson on bass, and Tim Kramp on drums. The trio works together like a well-oiled machine. Somehow these guys manage to pull something pretty amazing. Most of the tunes sound familiar but very fresh at the same time. So go get this CD and find out for yourself. |
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20:53 - 25.09.2008
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By Nick Friese - GJD