Published on Dec 6, 2000
It’s probably a coincidence, but in the last year (and
particularly since Phish announced they were taking a breather)
I’ve been hearing from many jam-oriented bands. And while many of
the groups I’ve heard have promise, none of them have seemed ready
to challenge Phish for the throne, even while it’s temporarily
vacated.
Add Zyrah’s Orange to this list. Their second album
Body shows that this three-piece has the jamming arts down
almost perfectly, but they still need a coat of paint or two when
it comes down to vocal-based songs.
The band – guitarist/vocalist Elliot Page, bassist/vocalist Ben
Thibault and drummer Dan Gullotti – seems to be torn between being
an acoustic-based alternative rock band and a jazzy groove-oriented
trio. The sad thing is that, as an alternative band, Zyrah’s Orange
is at their weakest. The prime example of this is heard in the
album’s two opening tracks, “Best Day” and “Satisfied,” tracks
which almost suggest that the group is a bit listless, drifting
towards an unknown musical goal. That is the kind of uncertainty
that I don’t need to hear right off the bat.
Fortunately,
Body quickly gets into the groove – and when they get locked
in it, you find yourself hoping it won’t end. “Messages” features
an almost Violent Femmes-like vocal style, and is a decent enough
introduction to the band’s skill on their instruments, but it is
the following track “Message Machine” that gives the band some room
to really cook. Page occasionally has a Trey Anastasio-type style
to his playing; it is exciting to hear him in action.
Likewise, Thibault is a talented bassist, and is able to make
his skills heard on “Maceo,” on which he makes his bass solo sound
like he’s playing a regular guitar. I’ve always been envious of
bassists who had such skill in playing their instruments, and I can
now add Thibault to that list.
Had Zyrah’s Orange kept the bulk of
Body in the jazz-rock format (not at all dissimilar to the
work of Jeff Beck at times), this album could have been killer. But
the band is still kind of feeling their way through being an
alternative band, and songs like “Fire Engine” are proof that their
journey is not complete. (And while the band promotes their
three-part vocal harmonies, my take is that they need to develop
said harmonies more.)
The other thing that bothers me a little bit on
Body is the occasional rough feel to the music’s sound. You
can pick up a little of that on “Best Day” – almost as if there was
some distortion in the mix. And why they bring that distortion to
the forefront on “Leave” – an otherwise pretty song – is
unfathomable. Sorry, guys, you’re not Nine Inch Nails.
Still, there is a lot of promise that one can hear on
Body, and Zyrah’s Orange, to date, has the best chance of
unseating Phish for the title of jam-band king – namely by beating
them at their own game.