Sound Bites

 

The Fingers “Dig Spaces” Vineland Records

Somehow The Fingers have managed to remain underground with a
strong following in the Bay Area. This album, however, could
potentially catapult The Fingers into pop fame. The Fingers’
third effort, “Dig Spaces,” features 12 new doses of
their unique take on pop rock. The music is a mixture of
radio-friendly vocals, rock-inspired guitars, and a deeply
resonating cello. An unusual addition to a rock ‘n’
roll band, the classical cello adds a romantic dimension to their
would-be-average sound. Able to speed up in songs like “All
Kids” and then slow back down in songs like the sensuous
“Good and Beautiful,” The Fingers show notable range.
The first track, “You Can Change Your Mind,” is ready
for the radio any day now, despite the weird lyrics about a
freak-show girlfriend. The rest of the album stays close to the
safety net of songs about love and lost love. Despite their pop-ish
tunes, there is a decidedly different element to The Fingers that
should allot them some respect in the music world. Impressive skill
is showcased in the screaming guitar riffs of
“Remember” and in the pounding keyboard solo of
“Hip Shock.” The CD is worth listening to, especially
while hanging out with friends or simply avoiding homework. There
is a casually diverse feel to the entire album that makes it an
exciting, though short, collection of unique cello-driven pop-rock.
Shana Dines

 

K’S CHOICE “Almost Happy” Sony Music
International

Belgium import K’S CHOICE is like that opening band before
the main band takes the stage. In that respect, the music is the
same as all of those bands: another seamless blend of rock, folk
and pop resulting in easy listening rock that sounds mildly
familiar at its best and easily forgettable at its worst. These are
the facts: K’S CHOICE toured with Lillith Fair for three
years. The group had a song called “Not an Addict” in
1996 that was on the Billboard charts for something like 30 weeks.
If any of this sounds familiar and intriguing, first, go to a
psychologist, then please go buy their latest offering,
“Almost Happy,” which is really just more of the same.
K’S CHOICE is stuck in that limbo that many bands that
don’t wish to be labeled end up in. Unfortunately every band
in this position can be described similarly: a mesh of acoustic
guitars, half whispered lyrics about regret, and the occasional but
not too offending guitar solo. It gives off the impression in all
of these cases that the band just isn’t giving their all.
Then again, anybody into that pop/folk/rock blend and who listens
to their Sheryl Crow to the point of madness, check this out for a
change. None of it will end up on the radio, but the anonymity
works in their favor– the result is something new that sounds
exactly the same as everything else.  

 

Christopher Cobb Alfie “A Word In Your Ear” Twisted
Nerve

English group Alfie serves up a smorgasbord of instrumentation
on its latest release, cramming melody into every possible crevice.
Most of the tunes offer mellow keyboards and acoustic sounds
perfectly written to play on trips to the beach, the park, or
anywhere where the goal is to get away and relax. Tracks such as
“Rain, Heaven, Hail” exemplify the light grooves that
are found through most of the album. There’s even enough of a
hint of electronica to spark images of the Disneyland Electrical
Parade. “The Reverse Midas Touch” gets a little
grittier. The guitar rocks a little more, and the harmonizing
lessens. Blues sneaks in and curls up with all the other genres
filling “A Word In Your Ear.” More of this would have
balanced the album out, but it does just fine exactly how it
stands. This CD smacks of a sucker-punch. The mellow riffs
don’t really seem like straight rocking out, but the layered
instrumentation begs to be listened to more intensely. The repeat
button will be Alfie’s friend. This isn’t Brit-pop but
a complicated version of pop-rock that is worthy of dissection.
Kathleen Dunphy

 

Vanessa Carlton “Be Not Nobody” A & M
Records

   

Carlton’s solid voice meshes smoothly with her piano, and
a backing orchestra emphasizes the two beautifully. Her songwriting
is lacking: “Why can’t you hold me and never let go.
When you touch me it is me that you own,” but the
musicianship on her album keeps it alive. Her single “A
Thousand Miles” is one of the best-crafted singles on the CD,
and anyone who enjoys that will enjoy the entire record.  The
production on the CD is impressive. Carlton’s vocals and
piano are expertly mixed, illuminating her talents and greatly
improving the disc. A cover of the Stones’ “Paint It
Black” is annoying. Not different enough from the original to
seem fresh, it simply serves as a reminder of really great
songwriting. The song is not nearly as awful as Britney’s
cover of “Satisfaction,” but these young artists need
to realize that some songs are meant to be rocked out. Classical
pop is Carlton’s specialty. Comparisons to Fiona Apple and
Tori Amos make as little sense as those to Britney Spears. However,
Carlton’s piano stylings are much more pleasing to the ear
than all the saccharin pop being produced on mass levels.
Contemplative moods will be well suited to “Be Not
Nobody””“ Carlton explores the vague questions love and
longing so often pose. Kathleen Dunphy