Jef Scott Soto cohort Schutt has been releasing quality solo material for some time now.
We reviewed his
'Loss 4 Words' release back in 2008.
But this new recording left me dazed and confused.
Surprisingly, it's all vocal tracks, whereas
'L4W' was basically an instrumental album, and a classy affair it was.
Here, Schutt has aimed to capture the mood of modern alt rock with punchy, zingy melodies, sharp, taut riffs and buzzing guitars. '
Nobody Special' and '
Better' are fun, frantic poprock, full of energy and punky undertones.
There's no argument it's well crafted and well intentioned. Sometimes you need to change direction when success proves elusive.
But occasionally, on (the aptly named) '
Contingency Plan', when he reaches for that something more, that hard-to-pin-down, chord-striking moment, his vocals let a good song down.
The metallised
'Love Me For Me' is not a great track but is a good example. The vocals lack the passion and depth the song needs, conversely (and indeed, tellingly), when Schutt's axe solo intervenes, the track takes wing and flies. The moral of the story is . . . well, you fill in the blanks.
Having said all that, a couple of tracks, maybe three, allow for some form of redemption.
The progmetal-ish '
Bitch' is a cracker, with Schutt's vocal snarl a neat fit for the narrative, while the more conventional melodic rock track '
Wait Till Sunday' shows just how strong Schutt is at this kind of material. It's a powerful, memorably melodic piece, cleanly structured, ascending to an addictive hook.
Elsewhere, there's little variation in the style and pace of the album and a sense of sameness creeps in.
It's not until he pulls out heavy hitter, '
Tenfold' - a gritty slice of industrial rock lite - that we are hauled back onto the edge of our seats again.
No question, Schutt's a talented guy - he wrote, produced, mixed and played everything here, but not everyone will be enthusiastic about this change of direction, especially those who are fans of his undoubted prowess as an axeman.
But, then again, what do I know.
Written by
Brian Saturday, January 29, 2011
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