(click on the album art to purchase the album)
Anthony Green is a scene legend. With a discography that
ranges from the self-titled debut of Zolof the Rock And Roll Destroyer, to the
lauded Saosin EP Translating the Name,
to the experimental The Sound of Animals Fighting, to beautiful brainchild
Circa Survive, Green has been releasing music for over 10 years now. On his
second solo album, Beautiful Things, he
explains why he continues his prestigious career. “I'll always be unhappy one
way or the other/ I'll always be unhappy if I don't sing,” he sings on the
first track, “If I Don’t Sing”.
Beautiful Things succeeds at its best when Green lets his
powerful voice take control of the song. The moaning, “The storm isn’t over,”
at the end of “Moon Song” serves as a high point vocally for the album. On the
contrary, when Green tries to sound laidback like on “When I’m on Pills” the
sound comes off less brooding and more insincere.
Perhaps the most unusual track is “Do it Right,” an a
capella track with members of Good Old War lending their vocal (and beat
boxing) talents to the track. The track is a standout if just for the oddball
nature of it, but it is also actually quite aesthetically pleasing.
The problem with the album is that at some points it
struggles to find out what it wants to be. “Blood Song,” with its twangy
guitars and basic drum beat could be at home on a country album, but “Love You
No Matter What” takes on a more indie ballad status, and “Can’t Have It All At
Once” with its heavy drums seems like it would be more in line on a Circa
Survive release.
One of the most touching tracks is the simplistic “James’
Song,” written for Green’s year-old son James. “But things they don't stay the
same/The whole world is spinning around James” sings Green. This track and
close “Lullaby” close the album with a sense of hope for the future. Green
seems to be at a content place; the birth of his son has seemingly changed his
outlook on life. “Beautiful things are coming to you,” Green sings softly as
the album closes out. While some of the album’s lyrics appear overly dripping
with sentiment (“I’m alone, almost makes life seem unbearable at times” from
“When I’m on Pills” comes to mind) these two tracks come across as refreshingly
genuine and honest.
The tracks seem to work separately and Green proves himself
adequate at all the different genres he attempts, but Beautiful Things may have benefited from having one cohesive
direction. As a listener, I would get
tangled up and engrossed in one type of sound he would try, only to have him
change things up.
However, anyone who has ever listened to an Anthony
Green-fronted album, (and if you haven’t, you really should get to that) knows
to expect a flawless vocal performance out of the scene’s version of “The Man
with the Golden Voice”. Anthony Green has yet to disappoint.
Bottom Line: Green’s vocals are still uniquely impactful and
emotive, and they carry Beautiful Things
to success. Regardless of the albums
shortcomings in cohesiveness, the man behind the microphone is still one of the
most talented around. It should be interesting to see if the 2012 release of
Circa Survive’s upcoming album Violent Waves can top this album (I hope the answer is yes).
Recommended if you rock: Circa Survive, Drugs (and not the band),
Singers with their testicles in a vice
-Craig Ismaili
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