Mittwoch, 17. Mär 2010, 20:03
The Right Now - Carry Me Home
http://innerearmedia.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/carry-me-home-art.jpg?w=150&h=135
Previously known as Eli Jones, The Right Now releases a new album by the name of ‘Carry Me Home’. The funky, uptempo soul songs are mixed with seductive soulful ballads, and all mixed in an interesting mainstream jacket. The CD has a very pleasant feel to it and sends a message across. However it doesn’t leave the impressive impact that I was hoping for.
While the album leaves me with a feeling of satisfaction it doesn’t overwhelm me. The songs are all solid and some of the tracks might even be called impressive. But the real oustanding class stays just out of reach. I would imagine this is an incredible live band, but on CD it misses that last bit of excitement, last touch of energy and mystery, the little things that do you in completely.
The album starts with the solid Ain’t Going Back, which is probably one of the album’s most interesting songs. The funky yet soulful vocals and the captivating instrumentals fuse together seemingly effortless and give you a song that could very well be used as a radio single because it is very appealing. Nobody however nice it may be doesn’t really stand out or leave a very lasting impression. The vocals are good and musically it’s sound, but it doesn’t really stick in your head and it also doesn’t really show anything that’s really new and exciting.
The uptempo and even festive You Will Know is the one of the few tracks on this album that really stands out for me. It has a seductive groove to it and it draws you in, makes you move and gets you involved. Which is what you really need with this genre. You need to get a real connection with the listener in a sense where you can captivate the listener and You Will Know is a track that succeeds in doing that. The more urban feel on I Could Really Hold On isn’t working for me at all. It feels like a forced attempt that doesn’t quite do what it was intended to do. This also reflects on the vocals that don’t come out as naturally in this mix.
The more infectious Before I Know Your Name is another very good song and a very good choice to release to the radio. It is catchy and it has a very playful and at times even sexy sound. It’s fun, it’s solid, it’s challenging. It’s a very fine song! Probably my favorite on this album. Too bad that the production and arrangement on Better Way To Live is a little too dark and heavy, which doesn’t really do justice to the potential of this song. With some brass instruments and a more lively approach this could’ve been an interesting song with a cool build up but now it’s just a little too melancholic/depressing musically.
Doing Nothing is a pretty decent track, but it doesn’t really stand out. It has a pretty cool melody and the vocals are really good, and it is a nice addition to the album, but it isn’t quite as memorable as Before I Know Your Name or You Will Know. The chorus is really fun though. With the infectious drum rhythm, I’ll Get Down mixes the funky, soulful style with some rock & roll, which does wonders for the song’s energy and spirit. At first I wasn’t too excited about this track, but it’s growing on me and at the moment I would even say it might be one of my favorite tracks on the album. Just because it does a good job at getting you involved and the energy is infectious. Pretty cool to sing and move along to!
Then The One You Love, which is very fit for radio, even though it’s only a mid-tempo ballad-like song. It’s just a very sweet song and has very impressive vocals. The accents in the song are subtle but very tasteful and well arranged. Musically it is probably the song that stands out most for me. The album then ends with the title track Carry Me Home. It’s another softer song, another ballad. Not the most impressive ballad I heard lately, but it’s a very nice way to end the album. It has an empathic feel and soulful vocals that can really speak to you. Not great, but definitely good.
As you can see, I’ve been quite critical about this album, but I want to state that I actually really enjoyed it. And while it does leave me feeling satisfied, I do feel that there’s so much more to explore for this band, both musically and in the songwriting. They are definitely on the right track and I would be very curious to hear what happens next. ‘Carry Me Home’ is a good stop along the way, but it’s not the final destination. But if The Right Now keeps at it, they could grow out to be a pretty big name eventually.