Published on Oct 1, 2004
In an era when music has been bastardized into so many
micro-genres that nearly every new band traces back to an obvious
musical niche, precursor, or dominating influence, it’s refreshing
to say that I’ve never heard anything quite like M-Lab before. In
fusing together elements of progressive rock, piano-based pop and
Broadway theatricality, this unique quintet has created a sound all
its own.
This New York-based group’s originality stems in part from the
unique building blocks of its sound — acoustic and electric piano
(Derek Gregor), acoustic and electric violin (Skye Steele), bass
guitar (Twon), drums (Mike White) and vocals (Drew Brody, with
harmonies from Twon). How these pieces fit together changes from
song to song on
From Baser Elements, or even from minute to minute. The
first 60 seconds of “Free Now” sound like a chamber quartet, the
second like the quiet section from a Broadway score, and the
remainder like a slow-building, somewhat operatic rock ballad with
keening violin accents.
In places the piano-playing captures a kind of Freddy
Mercury-esque sense of pomp and grandeur, but is more typically
flowing and lyrical. You can find hints of Coldplay in the supple
melodies of tracks like “Talking To Myself,” but more typical are
the Kansas-meets-Andrew Lloyd Webber stylings of “Cityscape.” The
one song that has kind of a pop feel is hidden at the end of the
disc — “To Be There” sounds vaguely Dennis De Young/Styx-ish on
the choruses, though its verses and instrumental passages are much
quieter than that implies.
The songs tend to be somewhat free-form narratives, full of
gently observational moments like “Your favorite time of day is
right before sundown / The golden hour when we change and shower /
And welcome the night” (from the softly rocking “Tompkins Square”),
not to mention “And when you walk out the door / I’ll have what I
came here for” (from ironic closer “Begin Again”).
Overall,
From Baser Elements showcases a band finding its way with a
new and unique sound. Not all of these songs connected with me, but
none of them failed to merit my attention, either. There’s an
intensity here that simply cannot be denied; all evidence suggests
that M-Lab is most impressive in a live setting. If you’re in the
greater New York area, you might want to check them out via their
Web site at
www.m-labmusic.com.