Published on Feb 17, 2006
It’s been a while since we had a really good jam
band. Dave Matthews has long since ceased to be musically relevant,
and Phish is no longer together, so jam band followers are
wondering who the next big thing will be.
Well, the L.A.-based FallWater Project would like to
claim the throne, and with some fine-tuning they could be on their
way. Bridge The Gap is a mostly blues-rock hybrid with a few
unexpected flourishes thrown in, showing this band is a lot more
capable than the average bar band.
Singer Scott Doherty has a perfect voice for the
music, and one could see this band headlining a summer festival
with plenty of 20-somethings singing along. The FallWater Project
doesn’t have anything new to say, but they are a talented quintet
that knows how to write a good bluesy-rock song, and their
occasional flashes of power and brilliance are a welcome sight in
the post-grunge wasteland.
And the aforementioned flourishes pop up
unexpectedly, such as the funky intro to “Not Much” and the
horn/guitar solos in “Never Went Too Far,” although the rest of
both of those songs is forgettable. The title song has a late-70s
rock feel with a bit of Stevie Ray Vaughan’s soul, mixed in, but
Doherty’s lyrics and a knockout solo by Vince Laverty elevate the
track, really giving it heart.
A sad piano opens “Say What You Know,” which gives
way into a late Chili Peppers-type vibe (and another great Laverty
solo), while “Words” recalls Dave Matthews’ Under The Table And
Dreaming but goes for a more upbeat sound on the verse. “Tie Me
Up In Red” is the only ballad here, but it’s carried off well,
while “After All” is an all-acoustic closer with some excellent
finger-picking, the best I’ve heard since Leo Kottke. This band
also has folk influences, to go with the blues/rock/funk/jazz on
the rest of the disc.
Perhaps the most notable moment is “Heavy,” a
seven-minute tour de force that offers several musical styles in
one song. The solos are great, but the African-beat break in the
middle completely takes the song in another direction, blending
perfectly with Laverty’s ear-shredding solo just prior.
This disc ended too quickly, a sign that the
FallWater Project should keep up whatever they are doing. With many
lesser bands, so many styles would mean an inability to find
footing, but in the hands of these five guys it all makes sense.
With any luck, the Project will find what they are looking for and
be off to the big time — a band this talented deserves to be.