Published on Sep 8, 1999
In an imperfect world, a group like Stroke 9 would be brushed
off as an alternative wanna-be. And being an imperfect person, I
almost made that mistake with this group’s debut album
Nasty Little Thoughts. This review was supposed to run four
days ago.
But something intervened – namely, something about this album
that nagged at me, and pulled me back in for another listen… and
then another… and then another. Before I knew it, I was hooked –
and I wouldn’t be surprised to hear that this is how it all was
planned all along.
The band – vocalist/guitarist Luke Esterkyn, lead
guitarist/vocalist John McDermott, bassist Greg Gueldner and
drummer Eric Stock – reminds me a lot of groups like Third Eye
Blind, with the musical harmony and the alternative edge to the
music. There’s one major difference, though, between Stroke 9 and
Third Eye Blind: Stroke 9 is interesting.
What intrigues me about Stroke 9 is how they’re able to
dance from tempo to tempo on songs like “Little Black Backpack,”
making it all sound so effortless. These shifts in style are what
not only emphasize certain points in the song, but they also seal
the deal for me.
Nasty Little Thoughts succeeds by creating just the right
balance of alternative and modern rock, resulting in a sound unique
to Stroke 9… yet familiar enough to hook you in for repeat
listens. Songs like “Letters,” “Washin’ & Wonderin’,” “Make It
Last” and “Not Nothin'” all have that magical fishing line that
will have you, before you’re even aware of it, listening to these
tracks repeatedly.
That isn’t to say that everything on
Nasty Little Thoughts succeeds, but at least Stroke 9 goes
down swinging on these few miscues. Tracks like “City Life,” “Are
You In This?” and “Angels” just don’t succeed on the same levels as
the excellent tracks, but you can hear that the band was at least
trying on these numbers.
Two questions still remain in my mind. First, are people going
to be willing to give an album like
Nasty Little Thoughts more than one listen in order to truly
appreciate what this band has to offer? Second, will they be able
to pick Stroke 9 out of an already crowded field on the airwaves?
Somehow, I keep coming back to the same answer to both questions –
“yes”.
Nasty Little Thoughts is not an album that you’ll warm up to
instantly, but if you have nearly the same reaction I did, you’ll
wonder why you keep getting drawn back to this disc. Before you
know it, you’ll discover that Stroke 9 is one of the best new bands
on the block today.