Published on Jun 11, 2004
I’d been listening to this disc on my morning commute for three
days straight when the news came across the wires that Creed is
done, broken up. And all I could think to do is quote a Who song:
“Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.” Thunderous guitars,
spacious production, multitracked vocals and an undercurrent of the
spiritual in the lyrics… yeah, it’s a hell of a coincidence
to be writing this review right now, but I’ll try to get past it if
you will.
Eight Days Gone hail from Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley, not
exactly a hotbed of major-label signings, but
Silence To The Naysayers should accomplish its implied goal,
because this album is full of solid songwriting and strong
musicianship. “Shooting Star” in particular grabs you by the lapels
and shouts “put me on the radio!” — fat guitars, a memorable
chorus and nimble dynamics add up to a no-brainer single. “Time Of
Year” and “Today I Dreamed” burn with a similar energy and
big-as-the-sky sound.
The pleasant surprise, though, is how well EDG handles ballads.
“Better Things” in particular sounds like it fell off the last
matchbox twenty disc, a classic Rob Thomas-style ballad full of
sweet melodies, down-sized, intimate vocals and a smartly textured
arrangement. “Pray,” it must be said, does sound suspiciously like
an unreleased Creed cut, with its super-sized vocals and guitars
and frankly spiritual theme. But EDG separates itself from its
peers with playful, creative touches like the voiced-over bridge
and “doo-doo”s on “Pray,” and the strings that dress up “Dance Me
Tonight,” another winning ballad.
This disc’s principal flaw is that it peaks early. Of the last
four songs, only “I’m A Star” made an impact. The highlight there
is the effortless tone shifts and sharp, Satriani-esque soloing
from guitarist Steve Miceli, who proves to be quite the musical
chameleon on this disc, leaping with ease from quiet ballads to
thundering rock numbers. For his part, singer Neill Steinke’s
lyrics have a dreamy quality that’s alternately appealing and
somewhat vague; I couldn’t tell you what more than a couple of
these songs are about, but the words have a nice flow and cadence
and sonority to them.
So anyway, Creed fans — and the rest of you into music that’s
both muscular and searching — you might want to check out
Silence To The Naysayers. It might not be the most original
disc I’ve heard this year, but its melding of heavy music with
reflective lyrics has definite appeal. Eight Days Gone can come
along on my morning ride any time.