DownTown Mystic- "Standing Still"
Posted on January 29, 2011 with 0 comments
New Jersey artist Downtown Mystic delivers their third album "Standing Still" as an example of what Roots Rock should be. This band captures the sound of the 60's and 70's then repackages in a way that is new and relevant in 2011. It's not surprising that this album is able to do so given that the band has worked with the likes of Max Weinberg (of the Bruce Springsteen and Conan O'Brien fame), Garry Tallent (also of the Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band), and Steve Holley (of Paul McCartney's Wings).
The album opens with the fast paced, clever "Backdoor." This song has a strong country feel to it as it tells a humorous story of mistakenly taking a married woman home. "Backdoor" is followed up with "Believe" which slows things down. Instrumentally "Believe" and the 11th track of the album "New Friend" have the same feel to them as Beck's phenomenal Sea of Change album (named by Rolling Stone as one of the top 500 albums of all time). Both songs have an air of despair mixed with a sense of hope.
As the album continues to the third and fourth tracks DownTown Mystic drops two great tracks on you, "Better Day" and "Standing Still." "Better Day" is classic rock personified with a catchy chorus while "Standing Still" is blues heavy with a great buildup halfway in followed with a strong ending. Other standout tracks include "Sometimes Wrong" which is extremely well written with solid harmonies and subtle twists and my personal favorite "Too Many Times." "Too Many Times" is chock-full of smooth transitions and great lyrics. The sound is reminiscent of Tom Petty while offering such lines as "I'm losing my mind and my faith has been fading/living in the land of the free."
The album is completed with each song having its own necessity. "Modern Ways" (another track with a strong ending) is placed perfectly as it picks up the pace after four slower tracks. The piano heavy "History" shows the band's diversity as it is the only piano heavy song on the album, yet still fits right in with the other tracks."Rise and Fall" and "Rise and Fall 2" both pull you in with a catchy chorus while "Shade of White" and "Shade of White Bluegrass" provide a catchy chorus as well but ends halfway through a line of the chorus. This abrupt ending really shows the character of the album as DownTown Mystic has found a way to be catchy but not predictable.
DownTown Mystic's "Standing Still" album draws you in by finding balance. They are both catchy and unpredictable, technically sound yet easy to listen to. They have created an album that at a quick glance is great and after listening to intently is even better. The end result should come as no surprise with the amount of talent and effort put into each song.
Go buy this album if you are a fan of: Roots Rock, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty, The Byrds, Steve Miller Band
Band Website: http://www.shala.com/downtown_mystic.htm
The album opens with the fast paced, clever "Backdoor." This song has a strong country feel to it as it tells a humorous story of mistakenly taking a married woman home. "Backdoor" is followed up with "Believe" which slows things down. Instrumentally "Believe" and the 11th track of the album "New Friend" have the same feel to them as Beck's phenomenal Sea of Change album (named by Rolling Stone as one of the top 500 albums of all time). Both songs have an air of despair mixed with a sense of hope.
As the album continues to the third and fourth tracks DownTown Mystic drops two great tracks on you, "Better Day" and "Standing Still." "Better Day" is classic rock personified with a catchy chorus while "Standing Still" is blues heavy with a great buildup halfway in followed with a strong ending. Other standout tracks include "Sometimes Wrong" which is extremely well written with solid harmonies and subtle twists and my personal favorite "Too Many Times." "Too Many Times" is chock-full of smooth transitions and great lyrics. The sound is reminiscent of Tom Petty while offering such lines as "I'm losing my mind and my faith has been fading/living in the land of the free."
The album is completed with each song having its own necessity. "Modern Ways" (another track with a strong ending) is placed perfectly as it picks up the pace after four slower tracks. The piano heavy "History" shows the band's diversity as it is the only piano heavy song on the album, yet still fits right in with the other tracks."Rise and Fall" and "Rise and Fall 2" both pull you in with a catchy chorus while "Shade of White" and "Shade of White Bluegrass" provide a catchy chorus as well but ends halfway through a line of the chorus. This abrupt ending really shows the character of the album as DownTown Mystic has found a way to be catchy but not predictable.
DownTown Mystic's "Standing Still" album draws you in by finding balance. They are both catchy and unpredictable, technically sound yet easy to listen to. They have created an album that at a quick glance is great and after listening to intently is even better. The end result should come as no surprise with the amount of talent and effort put into each song.
Go buy this album if you are a fan of: Roots Rock, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty, The Byrds, Steve Miller Band
Band Website: http://www.shala.com/downtown_mystic.htm