Gabriel Joel
Acoustic Yet Running (CD)
 I didn't like this at first. It reminded me too much of Bright Eyes. A little too openly confessional for my tastes. But then it kind of grew on me after awhile. Gabriel Joel doesn't hold back punches, sometimes even overloading the mic into distortion as he really gets into his songs. If the fury and pain is missed a little bit on me, maybe it's because I'm older now. The music itself is actually not half bad. It reminds me of earlier Matt Pond P.A. minus all the instruments, and something about the structure is sort of Mark Eitzel. And of course any number of the newer emo-children.
This album is mostly Joel and an acoustic guitar, apparently he's currently taken a semi-permanent sabbatical from playing in full bands having been in an emo-rocker called Third Verse(?) previously. I never heard his old band but I think it might have been a good idea to do the solo thing. I'm not sure if this would work with a full band. But I like the acoustic guitar arpeggios of "Two Miles, Too Short" and the vocal dynamics seem to fit this song pretty well. He seems to be playing in drop D tuning through most of the album, and it suits the songs well. Though the chords are a little predictable and standard. All in all, I've heard this music before, but it's a good reminder of what you can accomplish with just vocals and guitar.
- review by SHORTY (1.7.04)
Gabriel Joel
second_to_nxne@hotmail.com
|
25 Random Reviews
5.13.04 Mike Allen
1.12.05 Coffinberry
3.3.04 Snoozer
8.29.05 Pants Pants Pants
9.21.04 Hybrid Kid
10.16.03 The Soft Set
6.29.04 Morning Spy
9.5.03 Elekibass
8.17.04 Woody Whatever
1.24.05 Astropop3
7.25.03 Daytrader
9.18.05 Loveninjas
1.29.04 Thank God For Astronauts
7.21.04 L.A. Tool And Die
8.15.03 The 32-Bit Handhelds
2.26.04 Keith John Adams
6.30.04 The Cinema Eye
11.16.04 Wolf Eyes
5.10.03 Rilo Kiley
8.1.05 Kinski
11.3.04 Ponies In The Surf
11.10.04 Mike Ferarro
10.14.04 Abattoir 3000
2.10.05 Ouch
1.3.05 Matthew Shaw
|
