Review Summary: Falling Up's new CD is definitely a step in a new direction with less fast paced songs, and a bit less guitar on the whole. But what they leave behind there, they pick up with more well placed Synth and Keyboard/Piano arrangements. The CD starts out stron
[ Fairly Wordy Review Incoming, but I try to be thorough : ) ]
Falling Up can be a bit hard to categorize at times, but what they do, they do well. That much is for sure. On their older CD's Crashings, Dawn Escapes, as well as the Remix CD Exit Lights, they show their ability to throw in heavy guitars but maintain very soft, melodic, yet powerful vocal sound. This time around, on Captiva, they have lessened the amount of crunching guitars, and added more of their signature keyboard/electronica sounds to the album. The vocals are as always crystal clear and truly beautiful, and the effect of the atmospheric feelings you get from the background keyboarding/electronica makes many of the songs put you at a great amount of ease.
In many cases, you can get truly lost in Jessy C. Ribordy's vocal melodies and keyboard, and then you're always brought back to reality by a guitar kicking in, with the exception of the truly soothing slower songs. Something else to commend them for is their lyrics. Sometimes they are extremely abstract which some people do not consider to be a good thing, but to me, it allows me to attach my own meaning to their songs, making it mean more to me. It gives certain songs a very personal feeling. [Interesting to note, is that throughout Falling Up's career as a band how many times they reference Gravity in their songs. I seem to notice it rather often.]
If there is anything you can fault Falling Up for on this CD, is at times a lack of variation. While each song still feels beautiful, you tend to feel that sometimes you've heard this before. Also, some songs end up feeling short, with their atmospheric feeling coming to a close faster than expected leaving you wanting more. Also, they don't really showcase any technical prowess with their instruments on this album, but that hasn't been their focus in the past either. Their editing is impeccable as it has been in the past, but overall, there is nothing mind blowing instrument wise.
Alright from here on out I will just rate each song out of 5 with some brief reasoning:
A Guide to Marine Life: The song starts off with well sung lyrics as you will find is true for most of the songs. The songs progresses slow, but doesn't actually feel slow. The chorus is very catchy, and is something that you really wish you could sing along to, if it weren't for how difficult it is to sing it on key. Throughout the song there is some simple keyboarding in the background, but it isn't until the third verse that you really see some interesting studio effects (which aren't used to amazing effect, but aren't detrimental either). Overall, the song feels complete, and is a really relaxing, beautiful and enjoyable listen. //4//
Hotel Aquarium: The song starts out with heavier guitars (for Falling Up that is), and combines some simple bass and guitar riffs with keyboarding during the verses. The chorus is once again catchy and something you want to sing a long to. The song progresses as you would expect it to, not really doing anything different, but at the same time, it clearly isn't bad. It's pretty and well done, just nothing special. Not a stand out. //3//
Goodnight Gravity: This song starts off with some very radio friendly sounding guitar riffs and vocals. It in fact seems designed for radio, which isn't really a compliment coming from me. The song once again, like Hotel Aquarium progresses as you would expect it to, and really ditches their keyboard/electronic/atmospheric feeling, and does nothing special at all. It's not as good as Hotel, and stands out even less. One of my less liked songs on the Album. //2//
Captiva: This song starts out with a very nice keyboard arrangement that gets you in the right mood for the song right off the bat. The song itself, once again has a fun chorus, and the vocals are sung well. The actual singing stops at 2 minutes and 30 seconds even though the song is 3 minutes and 30 seconds long. It feels as though the band didn't really have enough lyrics to finish the song. But luckily, I don't mind, because what follows is some really nice keyboard and atmospheric feeling music that is extremely relaxing and easy to get lost in. Overall, the song itself is nothing special, but once the song "ends" it turns into something great. //3//
Helicopters: Starts off with some interesting sounds, and nice synth melodies going on in the background. Vocals start, and they are very soothing. Then a nice guitar pops in and also has that soothing feeling. The bridge into the chorus, is really...just nice for a lack of a better word. The chorus is long drawn out vocals, but is once again catchy. The song continues on like this, and just really showcases Falling Up's ability to combine keyboards with synth with beautiful vocals with guitar and create one great cohesive piece of music. One of my favorites on the album. //4//
Maps: The song starts off with a nice keyboard/guitar riff, although it's nothing particularly special. This song has the slow vocals as Falling Up's new CD tends to, but actually feels like a slow song, unlike their other ones which still seem to progress very quickly. The chorus is unspectacular although still somewhat catchy as all Falling Up chorus's are. They throw in the synth strings during the song, but they don't save it at all. It's just nothing special in my opinion. //2.5//
How They Made Cameras: Another keyboard/guitar intro but this one is more interesting, and makes you wonder what the song is going to be like. The vocals in my opinion start too early. I wish the intro had lasted longer and got more complex. But even so, the vocals are nice to listen to, and keyboard that started in the beginning creates a great background for the verses. The bridge into the chorus is really catchy and the chorus is once again long drawn out vocals, that are becoming less interesting as the album goes on, but work with the song. The third verse, instead of being the standard, some new vocals here and we continue on, throws in some new sounds, some more guitar, and more vocals that lead back into the chorus really well. //3.5//
Good Morning Planetarium: Starts out with ooo's and a very synthy sound. The vocals are extremely soothing and well sung. The lyrics are really nice, but overtly religious. The verses are nice to the ears, and chorus is catchy as always, but nothing all that special. The third verse is predictable, but so well done, and well sung, that I didn't mind that it was what I was expecting. The synth in this song really makes it. Had it been just guitars, the song would have been one of the lower rated songs for me. But since that's not the case... //3.5//
Murexa: The first song that just jumps straight into vocals with no intro. It's a nice change of pace. It's the fastest paced song so far for the most part. And the verses are great, and catchy. The lyrics are spectacular. The chorus is incredibly catchy, and singable, as well as complex. The song moves quickly, without very much downtime at all. The third verse, instead of being overtly synthy takes a more guitar driven approach at first, then throws in the synth, which creates a great backdrop for the atmospheric and well sung vocals. The song is my favorite on the album, and well worth a listen. //4.5//
Drago or the Dragons: This song starts out with synth as they tend to. The vocals start, and they are soothing yet again, and the lyrics themselves are again very well written. The background in the verses give the song a somewhat medieval feeling which is appropriate to the name. The bridge into the chorus is very catchy, as well as the chorus itself. The song itself is not predictable which I really like about it. After the vocals are done, there is a minute of just synthy techno. It's a really good place for it, as it almost feels like an intermission, which I felt the album needed to get rid of some of the monotony. //4//
Arc to Achtilles: This song starts out with a very well written piano arrangement. The lyrics are very very soft, and extremely soothing. The lyrics are once again, very well written. The verses and chorus really show off the lead singers vocal abilities. The song is just amazingly beautiful. The second verse throws in a drum beat, which the first lacked. And the song starts building up the background, throwing in more and more as it goes on. Once again the song ends with about 50 seconds of nice piano and synth remaining. //4//
The Dark Side of Indoor Track Meets: This song again starts out with a well written piano arrangement. The vocals are once again sung with extreme skill. The lyrics are, yes, again well written. The song is very atmospheric and easy to get lost in. There's not a ton to say except that it is truly beautiful. The vocals end with almost 2 minutes remaining the song. Leaving Falling Up to create a powerful and pretty outro to the album. A perfect final song. Really brings everything to a close. //4.5//
