Review Summary: They might not have landed on the moon quite yet, but we definitely have lift-off.
On July 20, 1969 Apollo 11 delivered Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin to the surface of the moon. Many consider it humanity’s greatest standing achievement, one that is certain to take its place in history as one of the single most important events of all time. Thus, Landing on the Moon’s debut album entitled
We Make History Now seems like a bold, if not conceited, analogy with what amounts to a highly unknown band releasing their very first album. However, one can’t help but be impressed with their ambition, as Landing on the Moon prepares to take one small step of their own into the world of professional music artists. This may not have an impact on humanity as we know it, but it definitely comes with high career stakes for everyone involved in the band.
As with many debut records,
We Make History Now comes with an element of mystique. Very few listeners knew what to expect from this Omaha based indie-rock band, especially if they had no prior knowledge of their influences. The best way to summarize the band’s sound is alternative/indie-influenced rock with a penchant for classical experimentation. Megan Morgan’s piano work is heavily included to balance out the more straightforward rock sound that the rest of the band brings to the table. Aside from their ability to incorporate so many genres into their music, the band also features both male and female vocals from drummer Oliver J. Morgan and pianist Megan Morgan, respectively. The harmonies between these two typically provide the best vocal moments for the band, as neither seems confident enough to claim the frontman role as his/her own, an issue that has plenty of time to be ironed out and has not hindered them thus far.
Landing on the Moon’s
We Make History Now is something of a hit-or-miss album in terms of individual tracks. There are clearly times when the band is grasping at straws trying to create a consistently flowing innovative experience. For example, “Letters” is a bit too slow to hold one’s interest and the album opener “Time is Gone” is quite generic and one-dimensional compared to what the band shows themselves to be capable of. With that said, they are truly a wonder to behold when they reach their stride. “She Wants” is a touching and completely original song that manages to anchor the album. It features strong vocals from both Morgan & Morgan, resulting in beautiful harmonies that are accented with stunning piano notes and an attention-grabbing guitar solo that closes the song out in an unexpectedly intense fashion. “Big E” is an atmospheric gem, starting off with light electric guitar plucking that leads into suppressed drumming, layered with Oliver Morgan’s best vocal performance to date. The song features a beautiful midsection that revisits the light guitar notes from the opening minute, then ends with an instrumental crescendo that reaches its pinnacle with a majestic balance of crashing drums and high piano notes. From a technical standpoint, “Big E” is easily the highlight of
We Make History Now, although the album is full of moments that will intrigue more than just the casual listener.
As a whole, Landing on the Moon presents us an unprecedented
tight sound. This may seem logical, considering that that band is made up of, as they describe it, “a set of siblings, a pair of spouses, and two friends that are like brothers to the rest.” Considering that
We Make History Now is the band’s first official album released, they come across as seasoned veterans of the music scene with outstanding chemistry. This also presents what might be their biggest flaw, which is the absence of one band-defining vocalist. Megan and Oliver Morgan share the vocal duties almost equally, alternating between the individual spotlight and duets. Here, Megan Morgan appears to be the stronger of the two vocalists. She portrays more confidence and a sarcastic/sinister undertone that allows you to feel the emotion underneath her beautiful melodies. By no means are Oliver’s vocals lackluster, they just pale slightly in comparison. However, as the listener will find, the band’s ability to choose the right moment for Oliver’s voice, Megan’s voice, and harmonizing is exceptional and thus, a potential problem within the band is turned into a strength.
This is not a coming of age album for Landing on the Moon. It will not define our era of music, and it most likely won’t define their career either. However,
We Make History Now is a standout effort that will undoubtedly help Landing on the Moon make a name for themselves. And as the analogy goes, they might not have “landed on the moon” quite yet, but we definitely have lift-off.
